Former WWE Champion is reportedly out of the Intercontinental Championship Race following an Injury
Gunther's next challenger for the Intercontinental Championship will be decided via a fatal-5-way qualifying match on SmackDown this week; however, one of the five competitors is reportedly out of the match following an injury.
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Fatal five-way match this friday(via-WWE)
Intercontinental Championship is one of the most prestigious titles in all of professional wrestling. The I.C. title has seen some legendary champions over the course of its history. It is currently held by the longest reigning Intercontinental Champion of the 21st century, Gunther. The Ring General’s reign is considered one of the greatest I.C. title reigns in history, as he has produced a number of five-star matches against almost every challenger. As Gunther awaits his challenger for WrestleMania 39, multiple contenders are lined up for the opportunity.
On the latest episode of SmackDown, Drew McIntyre vowed to challenge Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 39. Moments later, he was interrupted by his buddy, Sheamus, and both had a heated argument regarding the title. Moreover, they were later joined by the likes of LA Knight, The New Day, and Karrion Kross.
The confrontation between all of them eventually ended in a brawl, with Karrion standing tall. Following the brawl, WWE officially announced a fatal-5-way qualifying match for the Intercontinental title this Friday. However, Kofi Kingston being one of the competitors, unfortunately got injured during the brawl, falling prey to the outside dive by McIntyre. Kofi later shared a tweet to confirm the injury.
Following the injury, Kofi is reportedly set to miss the five-way match on SmackDown this week. WWE is reportedly finding a replacement for him as well. Dave Meltzer from Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that Kofi is hopeful of avoiding the surgery. However, if he had to undergo surgery, it will take a while until he returns to the squared circle. Fans are hoping for a speedy recovery of Kofi and a quick return to the ring.
Related: Kofi Kingston discusses how much he is into MCU
What Intercontinental Championship match at WrestleMania 39 would look like?
It was previously rumored that Gunther would defend his Intercontinental Championship in a six-man ladder match at WrestleMania. However, following the announcement of a fatal five-way No. 1 contender’s match on SmackDown, the ladder match seems highly unlikely to take place.
With Kofi Kingston getting injured, Drew McIntyre, Sheamus, LA Knight, and Karrion Kross remain in the title picture. It remains to be seen if Kofi gets replaced in the five-way match or whether the match turns into a fatal four-way instead.
Multiple previous reports also suggested that Gunther would be defending his Intercontinental title against Sheamus and McIntyre in a triple-threat match at the Grandest Stage. If the reports are true, the ending of the qualifying match this Friday could be a key factor in shaping the potential three-way Intercontinental Championship match at WrestleMania 39.
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Gaurav Singh
(197 Articles Published)