Randy Orton Botchs Gunther at WWE event.
Gunther defeated Randy Orton in an incredible match this weekend, but its conclusion has caused much debate among fans. Fans pointed out that Randy Orton’s shoulder was still raised when Gunther used his crucifix pin.
Paul “Triple H” Levesque addressed the situation after the show, noting that although he saw Orton’s shoulder wasn’t down, the referee’s decision was final and binding.
Triple H Reacts To Gunther’s Botched Finish At King & Queen Of The Ring
GUNTHER’s crucifix pin on Randy Orton at Saturday’s King and Queen of the Ring premium live event was met with much debate, as one shoulder appeared to remain up throughout most of the count. Yet, according to referee, Gunther was eventually declared victor.
Triple H addressed this situation via his X account and spoke with Byron Saxton regarding it. Triple H noted that while he didn’t witness it while watching live, but only saw it upon replay; nevertheless, referee’s decision stands.
Hunter noted that Orton is currently injured, which could keep him out for some time. Hunter believes both stars deserve a rematch and plans on scheduling it at one of his PLEs in the near future – which could include Damian Priest vs Drew McIntyre or even for World Heavyweight Champion at SummerSlam.
Gunther’s Victory Was Counted Even Though One Shoulder Was Up
Gunther has been named King of the Ring after defeating Randy Orton in the finals of the King & Queen of the Ring tournament. While Gunther successfully rolled Orton up for three-count, one of his shoulders appeared off of the mat as Gunther rolled him up; leading many fans to suspect that something went amiss during this match.
Paul “Triple H” Levesque addressed this matter during a backstage interview with Byron Saxton after the event, noting that both shoulders must touch the mat for any pinfall to count.
No matter the three-count mishap, Gunther still won his match and will compete for the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam. First though, he must defeat Damian Priest and Drew McIntyre at Clash of the Castle on June 15, where both will face each other in a Triple Threat match.
Gunther Could Face Orton Again At SummerSlam
Gunther won the King of the Ring tournament to earn an opportunity at winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, while WWE COO Triple H hinted that Gunther and Roberts may face off again with this title at stake in 2024. Sam Roberts recently discussed this possibility on his Notsam Wrestling podcast.
The Ring General defeated Sheamus, Kofi Kingston and Jey Uso to advance to the finals of King of the Ring and went on to face Randy Orton in what became known as his most difficult match ever.
Gunther was on the cusp of winning his second King of the Ring championship when Orton botched the finish by not keeping one shoulder down, counted only as a pinfall win, and could challenge Orton again at SummerSlam or Clash of the Castle events for it again – should he succeed, this would mark history. In that instance, Austria would become first King of the Ring champion ever defending it twice against two separate opponents at one time!
Gunther’s Reaction To The Botched Finish
Gunther became the new King of the Ring after pinning Randy Orton at the WWE King & Queen Of The Ring 2024 PLE event in Saudi Arabia, though some have noted that one of Orton’s shoulders still was up during their win, thus disqualifying it as countable.
Gunther responded to the botched finish in an unusual manner. He made comments against WWE for making him look foolish while declaring he would win this weekend’s Royal Rumble and earn himself an invite to SummerSlam.
The Ring General then teased a possible rematch with Orton in the near future, though a match might not happen at Clash Of Champions itself if Viper is too injured for competition; WWE could schedule them both to wrestle each other at an upcoming Premium Live Event instead. Stay tuned for further updates to this story; until then, keep it real – GUNTHER!