Dave Meltzer has shed light on a notable shift in WWE’s creative plans, revealing that Gunther is now lined up as the next challenger for Cody Rhodes and the Undisputed WWE Championship.

According to Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE had originally been heading in a different direction. “There have been a lot of WWE changes over the past few weeks when it comes to major direction. While not on Backlash, but certainly on an upcoming PPV, they shot an angle to set up Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther as the next WWE title program. Gunther had been earmarked for Roman Reigns and there was even an interview shot to start in that direction.”

The change appears to stem from complications surrounding Randy Orton. Meltzer noted that Orton punting Rhodes after WrestleMania was meant to extend their rivalry, especially with Pat McAfee and Jelly Roll no longer part of the plans. However, Orton has not appeared on WWE programming since that moment.

Meltzer added context to the situation, explaining: “Randy Orton punting Rhodes after their WrestleMania match clearly was leading to keeping that program going with Pat McAfee and Jelly Roll no longer in the picture. Orton hasn’t appeared since WrestleMania. There is no confirmation of an Orton injury, but we had reported he was hurting. Before the show the plan was for Orton to win with the proviso that could be changed based on his injury status.”

Gunther’s attack on Rhodes during the May 1 episode of SmackDown in Tulsa now makes more sense in hindsight. WWE had initially been positioning Gunther for a major program with Roman Reigns, even filming interview content to begin that story. The shift toward Rhodes instead signals a late pivot in creative plans.

The original direction would have seen Orton continue his feud with Rhodes, potentially capturing the championship, but his absence has forced WWE to adjust. While there has been no official confirmation of an injury, Orton was reportedly dealing with physical issues leading into WrestleMania 42 and has remained off television ever since.