WWE: Real purpose behind Gunther’s WWE SmackDown absence revealed 

Gunther wasn’t part of last week’s episode of WWE SmackDown after he was punched in the face by Finn Balor the week before.

There was a belief that the two men would step into a feud after their backstage encounter, but Gunther was missing, and he revealed that this is because he has been spending some time in London with his family.

The star and his wife, former WWE star Jinny have a son together and because The Ring General is always on the road, he’s unable to spend a lot of time with his child.

The former World Champion recently shared on his Instagram that he was off the grid in London, training, getting coffee, and admiring his watch.

It seems that Gunther could have asked for some time off from WWE to be with his family for a few days while he isn’t part of a major storyline.

What’s next for Gunther on WWE SmackDown?

Finn Balor has already laid down the battle lines when he put his hands on the former World Champion; it’s likely that this is leading towards a storyline for the two men.

The Ring General is expected to target the Irish star when he returns from London this week.

He has already been announced for the Money in the Bank qualifying match that also includes CM Punk and Finn Balor. This match would allow him to exact some revenge on Balor for the attack last week, and also qualify for the Money in the Bank ladder match.

Gunther hasn’t been on the same level he once was since SummerSlam, and Money in the Bank could finally allow him to push forward and earn a shot at the World Championship. Sami and the Austrian star already have history of their own and he could cash in on him as soon as he wins the contract.

The Ring General has to get past Punk and Balor on SmackDown before he can make Money in the Bank plans, but he is probably the dark horse in this match since he’s coming back to SmackDown after a break.