10 DUMB WWE Name Changes (That We Didn't Want To Admit Were GENIUS)
1. WALTER > GUNTHER
You just knew this one was gonna be number one.
Time for a bit of context. Part of the discord about WWE changing WALTER to GUNTHER wasn't exclusively on a name change. No, people were baffled that the company originally planned to call the Austrian star Gunther Stark, which meant he'd share a name with a well-known Nazi U-boat commander.
Mercifully, WWE didn't fight against this and quickly realised the error of their ways. GUNTHER stuck around though - some were mad enough about that. The wrestler himself embraced change after an awkward promo on the 18 January 2022 episode of NXT, and many agree that GUNTHER is actually superior to WALTER now.
GUNTHER has gone on to become the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion of all time. He's an example of somebody who uses talent to rise above WWE stupidity, and he might ride that name change all the way to the top of the industry.
Good for him.
What other WWE name changes seemed stupid but actually worked? For more wrestling, check out 10 Moments Wrestlers NEVER Recovered From and 10 New Directions For WWE In 2024!