When Gunther joined WWE NXT UK, he never saw himself competing on the main roster as part of RAW or SmackDown.
WWE Superstar Gunther recently sat down with Cameron Hawkins of The Ringer. When asked about his in-ring style, The Ring General spoke about his love for All Japan Pro Wrestling growing up and how that specific style stuck with him.
“[That was a very] sports-focused presentation. I think that just stuck with me because I could really identify with that,” Gunther said. “[Kenta] Kobashi, [Toshiaki] Kawada, Stan Hansen, Terry Gordy, Gary Albright. I think if the educated fan watches my matches, [they] can pretty much pick [up on] a lot of the things I do.”
Main roster aspirations…
Despite a record-breaking title reign as NXT UK Champion, Gunther never thought he would fit in as a member of the WWE main roster.
“I never saw myself being on the main roster,” Gunther admitted. “I always felt like I’m not going to fit in there. Nobody ever in WWE told me to change anything. Nobody does [what I do] better than me. And that’s what I have to offer. I’m not that wrestler that comes out of this system that something doesn’t work, and next week I have a new character; that won’t happen in my case because I’m myself.”
While many fans assumed it was a Vince McMahon mandate for Gunther to change his body, he explains that was his choice to bring out the best version of himself.
“[The hard-core viewers], they totally get that romantic wrestling aspect about a beer-belly guy that just beats people up because it’s just been the case in Japan for so long,” Gunther explained. “I always thought that wouldn’t transcend well with the audience that you can reach on the main roster, where it’s literally just in the eye of the mainstream public. I just wanted to bring the best version of myself.”
What do you make of Gunther’s comments? Are you happy that The Ring General found a place on the WWE main roster? Let us know your thoughts by sounding off in the comment section below.
