Jason Jimenez Garrido Original Artwork
On Aug. 31, 2024, the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Universe was treated to a much-anticipated rematch between Gunther and Randy Orton, at the ‘Bash in Berlin’ Premium Live Event (PLE).
With Gunther stealing the victory via roll-up in their first encounter this past May at the ‘King of the Ring’ PLE, Orton asked for a rematch. However, Gunther, who now holds the World Heavyweight Championship was determined to prove that his first win was not a fluke, despite the questionable circumstances in which he won.
Undoubtedly, the World Champion proved to be more than capable of beating Orton fair and square. Orton received a beating that not many in WWE have been able to deliver against him throughout his 20-plus-year career.
After the match, the two engaged in a handshake, not only as a sign of respect, but a passing of the torch from Orton to Gunther, in front of the European crowd in which he made a name for himself.
For those who may not keep up with WWE’s weekly shows, it may have come as a surprise to see a relatively new star like Gunther once again defeat a legend like Orton. However, for those who have been along for the meteoric rise ‘The Ring General’ has gone through since his WWE debut in 2019, we knew it was only a matter of time before he ended up on top of the ranks of WWE’s main roster.
Gunther, formerly known as WALTER, debuted on Jan. 12, 2019, at ‘NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool,’ where he appeared at the show’s end. He confronted the NXT UK Champion at the time, Pete Dunne.
Though he may have been new to the bright lights of the WWE, Gunther was no rookie. His career started in 2005, wrestling around the Austrian independent pro-wrestling scene. Gunther later became known for his accolades in European wrestling companies, Westside Xtreme Wrestling (WXW) and PROGRESS Wrestling.
After months of rumors swirling around social media about his potential arrival, Gunther finally made his presence known after the main event between Dunne and Joe Coffey. In this confrontation, he instantly clarified that he was going after Dunne’s championship.
The two later faced off before their championship title match, where Gunther called his shot, telling Dunne, “Your time is up… and in New York City, the reign of ‘the Bruiserweight’ will end.” This proved to be a spoiler, rather than a prediction as Gunther indeed became the one to dethrone Dunne on April 5, 2019, at NXT TakeOver: New York.
Gunther went on to rule ‘NXT UK’ with an iron fist, holding the NXT UK Championship for a total of 870 days before he was defeated by Ilja Dragunov on Aug. 22, 2021, at ‘NXT TakeOver 36.’
As his reign as champion ended, so did his time in NXT UK, and Gunther shortly after moved to the United States. Though he had a short run in WWE’s developmental show ‘NXT,’ it was clear that he was more than ready to be on the main roster. Therefore, it’s no surprise that he was called up to SmackDown in April of 2022.
Upon moving to SmackDown, Gunther underwent a drastic body transformation, shedding 65 pounds.
In an interview with Chris Van Vliet, Gunther revealed that moving to the main roster was his biggest motivator in embarking on this weight loss journey, saying:
“diet [was] always something I kind of like neglected because I was good the way I was, but when I signed for the main roster and I knew … I’m gonna be on national TV… let’s bring the best version of yourself you can.’
“You’re going to be in front of millions of people every week …I feel like the independent wrestler, WALTER, that was a little bit bigger and looked like a butcher from the next-door shop, that was cool … I think it has its place in wrestling a little bit, but I felt like it was time to make a step and progress,” he added.
Gunther was determined to become the best version of himself, and he succeeded. On June 10, 2022, he won the Intercontinental Championship from Ricochet on an episode of ‘SmackDown,’ which he went on to hold for 666 days. He now holds the record of the longest-reigning Intercontinental champion of all time.
Fast forward to today, Gunther’s dominance continues, this time with the World Heavyweight Championship in his grasp. As his victory against Orton showed, taking the belt away from Gunther will be no easy task.
Time will tell whether his next challenger, Sami Zayn, who won the Intercontinental title belt from Gunther, will once again dethrone the ‘Ring General, or if he’ll find a way to avenge his loss at ‘WrestleMania 40.’
Correction: This article was corrected on September 19 to fix the error stating “The Ring General, or if he’ll find a way to avenge his loss at WrestleMania 41”. It’s been corrected to WrestleMania 40.