WWE surprisingly showcases Gunther dream match at recent live event

WWE showcased Gunther in a marquee match against a major rival at a recent live event. The leader of Imperium will be defending the World Heavyweight Championship at WWE Bash in Berlin next weekend.

Ilja Dragunov was selected by RAW in this year's WWE Draft but has not competed in a match on the red brand since July 22. The Mad Dragon and Gunther had an epic rivalry in NXT UK, and it was reignited at a WWE Live Event today in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Gunther defended the title against Dragunov today and won the match by choking him out, as seen in the video below.

Gunther will be defending the World Heavyweight Championship against Randy Orton at Bash in Berlin next weekend. He defeated Orton in the finals of the King of the Ring tournament earlier this year to earn a title shot at SummerSlam, but the match had a controversial finish. The Viper confronted the World Heavyweight Champion earlier this month and challenged him to a title match at Bash in Berlin.

Former WWE writer complains about Gunther being allowed ringside last week on RAW

Vince Russo was unhappy with RAW General Manager Adam Pearce for allowing Gunther to be ringside during last Monday's main event.

Randy Orton squared off against Imperium's Ludwig Kaiser in the main event of last week's RAW. Orton picked up the victory and brawled with the World Heavyweight Champion following the match.

Speaking on Sportskeeda's Legion of RAW podcast, Russo questioned Adam Pearce for allowing the veteran to be ringside for the match. He noted earlier on the show that The Judgment Day jumped Damian Priest before his singles match, and nothing was done about it.

"Priest goes out there and on the entrance; he is jumped by all of the Judgement Day. Two matches later, Gunther goes out there and just stands around ringside. Where is Adam Pearce? I am watching the main event, and I am thinking, 'Why is Gunther allowed to stand out there? Why is he allowed?"' he said. [From 51:21 onwards]

You can check out the video below:

The Imperium leader held the Intercontinental Championship for 666 days before he was dethroned by Sami Zayn at WrestleMania XL. Bron Breakker now holds the title, and a tournament will begin tomorrow night on WWE RAW to determine his next challenger.