The Forbidden Lore Of WWE’s Gunther

When WALTER made the jump to NXT proper in January 2022, he lost his first match, a six-man tag against MSK and Riddle, and was used to put Bron Breakker over in a poor speed-run of his BritWres arc.

In the midst of it all, he was almost named after a nazi U-Boat commander before - you would hope, anyway - NXT realised its error and dropped ‘Stark’ from ‘Gunther’. He headed to the main roster months later, and didn’t fare as badly as one might have expected under Vince McMahon. The creative wasn’t amazing - he won a few squashes before he was given the then-worthless Intercontinental title in a half-baked attempt to get him over - but it didn’t matter. Vince McMahon resigned in disgrace in July, Paul Levesque took over the book, and Gunther became a main character of the ‘Renaissance Era’.

A much leaner and more ripped Gunther looked WWE-ready. Usually, the “wrestler buries the company” device does not work. The promotions end up telling on themselves, and in turn, telling the audience not to care. The nWo was cooler than WCW. The Death Riders nearly torpedoed fan investment in AEW before a miraculous comeback. Gunther’s loathing of WWE worked, however, because it wasn’t emphasised too heavily. Gunther - who was incredible as the above-it-all, condescending prick who deemed his adversaries entertainers and clowns - actually made the audience get behind the babyfaces.

The record-holding Intercontinental champion; a two-time World Heavyweight champion; Big Four PLE headliner: Gunther made it. Away from Vince McMahon, his inevitable, sealed fate did not materialise. Gunther did not fail as a monster heel before being consigned to the role of comedy big man. Subverting that old trope entirely, this is actually how he started his career.

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