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Led by Gunther, Imperium is one of the hottest acts developing on WWE television. Similar to their NXT run, the spotlight is on the Intercontinental Champion, but the contributions of the other members cannot be downplayed. Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser often assist The Ring General in his title defenses and feature alongside him in house shows and premium live events.
There used to be a fourth member in Imperium. The star in question is Alexander Wolfe. After a brief run with the SAnitY on SmackDown, Wolfe joined hands with Gunther in NXT UK. He confirmed his new role in the November 11, 2019, episode of RAW, accompanying and interfering during Gunther's (fka WALTER) match against Seth Rollins.
By that time, Imperium was an up-and-coming stable. Walter reigned as the NXT UK Champion. The team of Kaiser and Vinci (dubbed European Union) regularly contended on the top card. They even won the NXT Tag Team Titles in May 2020. However, Wolfe's character as an enforcer didn't receive much backing from the company.
Alexander Wolfe was written off television after the Imperium kicked him out of the faction, dishing a brutal beating after Wolfe failed to win against Killian Dain in the May 18, 2021, episode of NXT. His contract expired next month, and he was released soon as part of the roster cuts.
The German pro-wrestler, going by his real name of Axel Tischer, is now a highlight of the Indies. He has featured in wXw Wrestling as part of the 16 Carat Gold Tournament last month and fought in Progress Wrestling.
The fourth member of Gunther's Imperium, Alexander Wolfe, wanted to continue in NXT UK
During an interview with Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Wrestling, Alexander Wolfe revealed that he tried renegotiating his WWE contract. The veteran star insisted on working in Europe as part of the NXT UK division.
This may have continued the Imperium split, and fans believed that Gunther and Alexander would soon lock horns.
"I knew about the split the day before. On Tuesday, everything happened on television. The day after, I got a call from the WWE office and I was positive about it because I knew my contract was coming up. I was asking if I could move back to Europe and continue my work with NXT UK. I wanted to move back for family reasons. They probably fulfilled my wish without signing me to a new contract," said Wolfe.
The Imperium was reformed before Gunther's match against Sheamus at Clash at the Castle. Giovanni Vinci, absent from NXT for a month during that time, returned to the main roster. The trio will now set their sights on Mustafa Ali, who is the new No.1 Contender for the Intercontinental Championship.
