According to a report from BodySlam, Gunther was originally planned to enter a program with Rey Mysterio that would have culminated with a match at WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas. Those plans are now in doubt following the rib injury Mysterio suffered in January, and it is currently unclear whether Gunther will compete at the event unless Mysterio is cleared in time.
There were calls to start the angle in the original creative direction after Gunther attacked Dragon Lee on the March 2 episode of WWE Raw. That attack was intended to serve as an inciting incident for a feud with Mysterio, but the injury has thrown that timeline into question. Gunther's attack on Lee is his last appearance on television, leaving his WrestleMania status in limbo with less than five weeks until the event.
Mysterio's injury occurred during a match with Austin Theory on the January 26 edition of Raw, during which he suffered fractured ribs. He competed in the Royal Rumble match the following Saturday, but has not wrestled since. In the weeks following, Mysterio has been appearing on commentary for AAA on Fox, including last Saturday's broadcast of the first part of Rey de Reyes. His ring return timeline has not been publicly confirmed.
WrestleMania 42 will take place over two nights on April 18 and 19 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The card already features Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship and Randy Orton challenging Cody Rhodes for the WWE title. Gunther, as one of Raw's top stars and former World Heavyweight Champion, would be a notable absence from a card of that scale if an opponent could not be secured for him.
It remains to be seen whether WWE looks for an alternative opponent for Gunther or continues to hold out hope for Mysterio. Now that WrestleMania weekend is approaching, a decision will need to be made soon. One name worth keeping an eye on as a potential replacement for Mysterio is LA Knight, as it would give Gunther a notable name to work with, who hasn't even had a match yet for Mania.
Considering the way WWE has been booking Gunther for almost a year, with names like Goldberg, AJ Styles and John Cena retiring, it seems unimaginable for him not to have a match at WWE's biggest show of the year.
