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In January this year, WWE changed Walter's name to Gunther. The news didn't sit well with the fans and the entire internet wrestling community went nuts, saying they were ruining him before he could get started.
Gunther made his main roster in April 2022, and within 2 months, he defeated Ricochet to become the new WWE Intercontinental Champion. The Ring General has a bright future ahead of him.
Below are four reasons why Gunther is the next big star in WWE.
#4. Gunther's size
The biggest (pun intended) reason why Gunther is the next big star is his size. When Gunther arrived on the main roster, fans were shocked at just how slim he looked, and The Ring General later stated that he had lost 30 pounds before his SmackDown debut.
Even with losing that much weight, the current Intercontinental Champion still looks like a dominant force, standing at 6'4" and now being billed at 297 pounds. It's no secret that big men in the WWE tend to thrive, but with the Intercontinental Champion it feels different. He's a powerhouse and can wrestle like one, but can also dive from the top rope and deliver great looking dropkicks.
#3. Gunther's in-ring work
Gunther doesn't just limit himself to big man spots in the ring. Everyone has seen him chop an opponent and the sound echoes through the arena, and how he can beat down opponents almost to the point where it seems real. Fans were impressed with Gunther how he defeated Ricochet to win the Intercontinental Championship.
It's not just the Austrian superstar's terrific in-ring skills, it's his mannerisms, his facial expressions, the way he walks into the ring. Everything about him just strikes fear into fans and opponents. It's very much the same way Brock Lesnar did when he was new to the company.
#2. Dedication to be the best
One thing that can't be taught in any professional sport is dedication. Whether WWE officials told him to, or the Ring General took it upon himself to lose weight, he did it to better himself and better his position in the company.
It was reported earlier in his career that Gunther would never move to America due to him not wanting to be away from his family. During an appearance on Out of Character, the Ring General told Ryan Satin he wanted it to feel special when he finally came to America.
"So I always felt like, if everybody moves to America at the same time, it’s not gonna be as special then when I do it. It was always clear to me that it would happen at some point, but I tried to time it as good as possible for myself."
Gunther knows he wants to be the best, and so far it seems he's taken every step necessary to make that a reality.
#1. Triple H is head of creative
Following Vince McMahon's retirement, Triple H became the Executive Vice President of Talent Relations and Head of Creative. It seems that Gunther now has a key supporter in the boardroom of WWE.
Triple H ran NXT and made it a successful promotion that it was. The Game knows how to give fans what they want. While nobody should expect Triple H to make every former NXT wrestler a champion within a month, it's safe to say he's going to have his favorites.
NXT was full of "indie darlings" that had a certain style of performing. However, The Ring General can wrestle an "indie" style and a sports entertainment style. With The Cerebral Assassin the head of creative, the 295-pound Austrian might get a huge push in WWE.
Since taking charge as head of creative, Triple H has brought back released stars Karrion Kross, Bayley and Dexter Lumis, and seems to put more of an emphasis on the in-ring product, which will benefit most on the WWE roster, including the Intercontinental Champion.
The Ring General will defend the Intercontinental Championship this Friday against Shinsuke Nakamura in what should be an incredible match.
