Will ¡®suspended¡¯ WWE star Gunther return to Raw next week ahead of his match with Pat McAfee at Backlash? All we know

Gunther was recently ¡®suspended¡¯ from the WWE for attacking Michael Cole and Pat McAfee on Raw. This happened shortly after the Austrian star lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Jey Uso at WrestleMania 41. Now, reports have emerged about the reason behind his absence from WWE TV and his expected return date.

Gunther may not appear on Raw next week?

Gunther did not appear on this week¡¯s edition of Raw as he is serving a ¡®suspension¡¯ for assaulting Michael Cole and choking out Pat McAfee last week.

Pat McAfee vs. Gunther at WWE Backlash pic.twitter.com/QWc4yTRK4Q

¡ª Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) April 29, 2025

According to PWInsider, the star requested some time off and the management accepted his request. This is the main reason behind his absence. . The report further states that he is expected to return to WWE programming at Backlash, slated to take place in St Louis on May 10. As such, he will most probably not appear on Raw next week as well.

What did Pat McAfee say about Gunther on Raw tonight?

Gunther was one of the biggest topics of discussion this week on Raw despite his absence. Pat McAfee challenged ¡®The Ring General¡¯ to a match and vowed to teach him a lesson for putting his hands on ¡®my boy¡¯ Michael Cole. He also asked Nick Aldis, the GM for the night, to lift Gunther¡¯s suspension so that he could fight him ¡®right here, right now¡¯. Nick, however, refused to do so.

Following this, Pat McAfee vs Gunther was officially announced for Backlash. The punter is no stranger to in-ring competition. He previously beat The Miz at WrestleMania 39. He also feuded with Adam Cole during his time on NXT.

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