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New WWE World Heavyweight Champion crowned during Raw

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‘The Ring General’ is back to being world champion.

Gunther won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on the June 9 episode of Raw, defeating Jey Uso in a rematch of their WrestleMania 41 bout. It was an exciting matchup as Uso defended the title two days after his match at Money in the Bank, and he was still feeling the effects of that match with an ailing midsection.

The challenger made it a point to target Uso’s hurt area, and after getting the champion to the ground, Gunther put Uso in the sleeper hold. Uso was knocked out and the referee ordered the bell to be rung, giving Gunther the title.

It’s ironic Gunther used the sleeper hold to beat Uso as it’s the move Uso used to beat him on Night 1 of WrestleMania 41. After losing the title on April 19, Gunther now has the championship back less than two months later with his second reign as world champion.

Gunther initially won the title at SummerSlam 2024 and he held it for 258 days before losing it to Uso. The title was introduced in May 2023, and Gunther is the first star to hold the title twice.

With the loss, Uso’s reign ends at 51 days.

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