On April 21, during a RAW segment, Gunther lost his World Heavyweight Championship to Jey Uso at WrestleMania – and he completely lost it. Frustrated and furious, he went after Michael Cole. But when Pat McAfee tried to step in, Gunther snapped again. He locked the ESPN analyst in a sleeper hold on live TV, holding it for nearly a minute. This incident turned him visibly purple, gasping for air. The whole thing played out in front of millions. Now, the former Indianapolis Colts’ punter is fired up and ready for payback, and the teaser just dropped.

On Monday, Pat McAfee and Gunther were about to meet once again in the ring. But not for a physical battle, instead, for a face-to-face confrontation. So, obviously, the fans were expecting an explosive segment on May 5. And that happened too!

McAfee dropped a tweet on his official X account, sharing a video of the confrontation, as he put his heart out to challenge Gunther in the ring. He said, “I think dreams is a good word because I think you and I have a lot in common, even though I’m from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States of America. And you are from Vienna, Austria. Both of us grew up with the same dream….wanting to be in this business….idolizing the superstars of yesterday. Both of us grew up spending hours and hours and hours in front of our television, watching professional wrestling figures. That’s what we were put on this Earth to do.”

The crowd erupted with cheer for McAfee as he continued showing a mirror to his opponent. He further added, “The problem with you and your dream is that you have been at it for 20 years. You’ve been a champion here at WWE for 80% of the time that you’ve been here. You’ve gotten jaded. You’ve got to the point where this is no longer a dream, this is a job for you. For me, every time I walk into a WWE building, I get jacked up about life, baby….I think about the kids that are out there today that were just like me in the upper row dream, and I can get my a–s in this ring and let as–oles like you, though.”

In addition, Pat McAfee accused Gunther of becoming too comfortable and complacent, just like it happened with Sami Zayn and Jay Uso. Hence, the former NFL punter warned the Austrian wrestler, “On Saturday, you’re gonna overlook me. You’re gonna underestimate me, and I’m gonna prove to you and all these people that this version of Gunther is soft.” Wow!

Now this has become a great hyped up battle, as McAfee is going to face “The Ring General” Gunther at WWE Backlash on Saturday, May 10. Now, it doesn’t mean that only the former punter is excited for the battle. McAfee’s words directly hit the professional wrestler’s ego, as he too sent a power-packed response.

What did Gunther say to Pat McAfee?

May 5 brought the excitement in the WWE ring once again, as the two future competitors showed what they had in a verbal confrontation. After Pat McAfee called Gunther “soft” and promised to defeat him, the 37-year-old didn’t keep mum.

He said, “On Saturday, trust me when I say this, on Saturday, only the grace of God can lift my arms off your throat.” Saying this, Gunther pushed him back with his hands before walking off the stage in pride and anger. Pat McAfee, who was left standing behind, just appeared furious, waiting for his time to come in the ring.

Just last week, Gunther was fined with an “indefinite suspension” after his choking incident. But let’s be honest – that “indefinite” lasted exactly one week. Raw General Manager Adam Pearce dropped the news on Monday that Gunther’s back. And not just that – he revealed that he is going to show up on Raw on May 5 during a meet in Omaha, Nebraska. And he did. Because this Saturday, he’s going head-to-head with Pat McAfee at Battleground in St. Louis. So, now the question is – who will win this battle? What do you think?