GUNTHER Didn't Resist The Idea Of Changing His Name And Look For WWE's Main Roster

WWE Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER has been a dominant force since signing with WWE. Originally debuting in "NXT UK," the Austrian bruiser used his old ring name, WALTER, and it wasn't until NXT rebranded into NXT 2.0 that his name was changed in preparation for his ascent to the main roster. 

There was a fair amount of criticism about the name change initially, which GUNTHER spoke to Peter Rosenberg about on The Ringer's "Cheap Heat" podcast. The leader of Imperium mentioned that he would've preferred to keep the WALTER ring name, which is his real name, but understands why WWE did it. 

"If you look at a wrestler's career, a name change is nothing uncommon. That happens, so I was realistic about it. And for me, it was also clear it's my real name, and WWE has, obviously, an interest to whoever they put on their television to put their original stamp on it." He was also adamant that the fan reaction would've been the same if the situation had been reversed and GUNTHER had been his real name.

GUNTHER also dramatically changed his look, as he slimmed down and showed off a more chiseled physique. "I don't even know how much weight I lost," Gunther mentioned. "Maybe like 35 pounds or something, 40 pounds." 

He told Rosenberg that he enjoyed the old-school heavyweight wrestlers who he thought looked like "butchers." It was his preparation for being broadcast to a larger audience, however, that prompted him to make the change. "Okay, now you make that next big step, and you're going to be in front of a live television audience and stuff like that. I got to bring a new version of myself."