WWE Money in the Bank: Gunther to Defend Intercontinental Championship Against Ex-UFC Star

WWE Money in the Bank just got a big new match on its card. WWE Intercontinental Champion Gunther will defend his title against a former UFC fighter in what will be one of his toughest matches yet. (Unfortunately, it's not Brock Lesnar, as the UFC Heavyweight Champion remains off the MITB card.) On Saturday at The O2 in London, Gunther will face Matt Riddle, a WWE Superstar who many in the general public will know from his UFC career. Riddle has made his name as one of WWE's top babyfaces (a.k.a. good guys) in recent years, building off his chill "bro" personality and background in MMA.  

Riddle has been feuding with Gunther and his Imperium teammates Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci for months, so this matchup won't be too surprising for regular watchers of WWE Raw. The matchup was made official on the Monday night Raw episode during some heated backstage segments. Gunther — f.k.a. Walter — has made quite the name for himself in the sports entertainment world. While much public attention has gone to top WWE acts like Roman Reigns, Rhea Ripley and Cody Rhodes, the 35-year-old Austrian has been heavily praised by fans and peers for his incredible in-ring work.

Gunther has reigned as Intercontinental Champion for 381 days, the third longest reign behind only "Macho Man" Randy Savage (414 days) and The Honky Tonk Man (454 days). The championship itself is recognized as one of the most prestigious in WWE, with WWE Hall of Famers like Shawn Michaels, The Rock, Bret "The Hitman" Hart, Ric Flair, Razor Ramon, Triple H and The Ultimate Warrior among the greats to have held the belt. Matt Riddle is not among the wrestlers who've been Intercontinental Champion, meaning this WWE Money in the Bank match is his chance to enter this part of the wrestling history book.

Outside of the ring, Riddle is known for his controversial UFC career and personal life. After competing on the reality show The Ultimate Fighter, Riddle had an impressive UFC run. However, he was no crossover success story like Brock Lesnar. Riddle's time in the promotion was marred by failed drug tests. After testing for marijuana multiple times, UFC released Riddle from his contract. After entering the wrestling world, Riddle faced personal scandals, including sexual assault allegations that led to a tumultuous divorce.

In 2020, independent wrestler Candy Cartwright accused Riddle of sexually assaulting her. While defending himself from the allegations, he claimed he had a consensual extramarital relationship with Cartwright (real name Samantha Tavel), and any sexual contact between them was consensual. He then accused Cartwright of harassment and brought a restraining order against her, but he soon dropped it. Cartwright sued Riddle over the alleged assault, which was said to have occurred in May 2018 and involved Riddle choking her and forcing her to perform oral sex after she turned down his request to have sex. Cartwright eventually dropped the lawsuit, but the reason for that withdrawal is unclear. (For a detailed recap of the proceedings, we recommend reading PWInsider's report on the lawsuit.) Riddle's wife at the time of the allegations, Lisa Rennie, later divorced him, leading to more messy personal details being released.

While Gunther has not dealt with the controversy Riddle has, his run has drawn some criticism from the public. Many have criticized WWE's creative team for Gunther's authoritarian presentation as an on-screen character. Though "The Ring General" himself has denied the presentation is inspired by fascism, WWE originally trademarked the name "Gunther Stark" before his main roster debut; "Gunther Stark" is the name of a World War II Nazi U-boat Commander.

How to Watch WWE Money in the Bank

WWE Money in the Bank will stream live via Peacock on Saturday, July 1, at 3 p.m. ET/noon PT. An on-demand version of the show will be available after the live broadcast. Click here for subscription info.

If you're trying to watch the event in person at The O2 in London, England, limited tickets are available via Ticketmaster.

How to Watch 'WWE Raw'

WWE Raw airs live each Monday night on USA Network, which is viewable via cable providers or live stream services such as Fubo TV. (Click here for a free trial.) Episodes are available to watch the next day via Hulu and 30 days later via Peacock. Highlights from each episode are uploaded to YouTube in the hours following the live broadcast.