Long Island cheered, booed, gasped and screamed as GUNTHER defended his WWE World Heavyweight Championship against not only the returning Damian Priest, but also the dark horse and WWE World Tag Team Champion, Finn Balor, during Saturday night’s Main Event. All three men were pushed to the limit in their Triple Threat title, but by the time the smoke cleared, it was GUNTHER who stood out above all.
Balor found himself climbing in the opening moments of the match as he was turned into a pinball machine by the two bigger men around him. Once Balor was eliminated on the outside, Priest and GUNTHER began pummeling each other, with heavy chops and strongman lifting moves capturing the awe of the Nassau Coliseum crowd. Balor found his place in the match by landing two consecutive Slingblades on his former Judgment Day brother and World Heavyweight Champion.
After Balor returned, no one in the chaotic Triple Threat had a solid footing under them. Priest fought out of the sleeper position that cost him the championship at Survivor Series 2024 and leveled GUNTHER with a Chokeslam. Before he could capitalize, Balor pinned Priest to the floor with an Eye of the Hurricane before climbing to the top rope. Before Balor could land his deadly finishing move, GUNTHER incapacitated the WWE Tag Team Champion. Things finally turned out for the challengers after GUNTHER dispatched Priest with a vicious Powerbomb onto the steel steps. GUNTHER then took Balor to the ground with a dropkick and Powerbomb combo for the win.
With this title defense, GUNTHER has officially been the WWE World Heavyweight Champion for 133 days, having won it against Priest at SummerSlam 2024. Before defeating Priest and Balor, GUNTHER had defeated challengers such as Randy Orton and Sami Zayn to defend his title. . No new challengers have appeared after the match or been announced yet.
