Ex-WWE star reflects on dream match with Gunther - "I lost, but learned a lot" (Exclusive)

Former WWE star Shanky recently spoke about facing Gunther. He went one-on-one against the star in a non-televised match.

In 2023, WWE visited India for the Superstar Spectacle event. Several top stars, including World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, John Cena, Rhea Ripley, and Drew McIntyre, were at the show. During the event, The Ring General defended the IC Title against Shanky in what was arguably one of the best matches of the night.

During an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Shanky expressed that he felt honored to be part of the WWE family. He shared that wrestling in India at Superstar Spectacle was a special moment because he was representing his country. He noted that facing Gunther in an Intercontinental Championship bout was a dream for him. The 34-year-old star believed that, despite the loss, he learned a lot from The Ring General.

"When I reached WWE, I couldn’t believe I was wrestling on such a big platform. That I was representing India on such a massive platform." He continued, "Wrestling Gunther was a dream. Representing my country in Hyderabad. He was the Intercontinental Champion at that time. It felt special because my career has been long with ups and downs, injuries, and emotions associated with this journey. Finally, I represented India in the US. I loved wrestling Gunther. I lost, but learned a lot. I loved the experience; I represented my country. India saw me."

Did WWE make a big mistake signing these wrestlers? Check Here!

The Ring General was last seen in action at SummerSlam, defending the World Heavyweight Championship against CM Punk. He lost the match and hasn't returned since. The star had to take time off due to a legitimate nose surgery after the PLE.

It will be interesting to see when the hard-hitting star plans to return to WWE.

While using the quotes from this piece, remember to embed the video and credit Sportskeeda for the transcript.

About the author

Prityush is a WWE news writer for Sportskeeda Wrestling who started watching wrestling in the later part of The Attitude Era. Although he holds a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Prityush was a creative writer for his college, and his flair for creativity and love of pro wrestling eventually led him to the journalism field. After an initial stint in 2016-2017, he has been writing regularly for Sportskeeda since 2021.

As someone who loves and respects the business, he prides himself on factual, clean, and ethical reporting, free of plagiarism and AI usage. One of the ways he ensures this is by transcribing videos that he reports on.

Prityush had the privilege of interviewing superstar Matt Hardy in his career so far. Although, his favorite wrestler is CM Punk, as he relates to his Straight Edge philosophy.

When he is not reporting news, he loves reading and collecting WWE action figures. He currently owns over 500 wrestling figures and merchandise.

Know More

First-hand reports of Vince McMahon's birthday party HERE.

Edited by Prityush Haldar