As Gunther traveled Austria perfecting his craft in professional wrestling, the only thing he dreamed of was making a living. The definition of a “professional wrestler” in stature, the only thing he was focused on was being the best wrestler he could be.
“I guess that approach took me to all those places I’ve been so far. And that might be one of the reasons I’m in the situation I am right now. Everything that happens right now in my career is just a cherry on top,” Gunther tells Uproxx Sports.
“But now since I’m here, I’m here for everything. I want to make the most out of everything I am presented.”
The next step in his journey falls on Saturday night at the Cleveland Browns Stadium at SummerSlam, when he takes part in a marquee title match against Damian Priest for the World Heavyweight Championship.
An opportunity to reach the top of the mountain doesn’t happen for everyone. But more importantly, Gunther is proud of the way he’s done it. Across his stints across different promotions, he’s made it through the various stages of his career embodying who he wanted to be in the ring.
“And now I’m sitting here going into SummerSlam for a big title match. In my opinion, I’m still the same guy I was on the Indies when it comes to my style and approach for matches,” Gunther continues. “In WWE or over the course of your career, you learn and you get better. But I think at the core, I’m exactly the person I always wanted to be.”
Gunther’s steady rise in WWE is no surprise to fans who have followed his career. Boasting a 6’4” frame, a physical presence in the ring, and chest slaps that bring a viral element to his matches, Gunther’s catalog of great matches is vast. Buzz has followed him throughout his journey, but he feels his match against Sheamus at Clash at the Castle was a turning point in his WWE career.
“It was the first time I had the chance to really show my full potential. And I think that was a very important milestone for me in WWE,” Gunther says.
Gunther prides himself on his ability to mesh with just about anyone in the ring. He can tear the house down with guys his size, like his WrestleMania triple threat match against Sheamus and Drew McIntyre. He can also flex his style to put on memorable performances against the likes of Pete Dunne, Ilja Dragunov, Chad Gable, and Sami Zayn.
“My approach is like, a different opponent has a different style, and so I need to approach the matches differently to make them special on their own. So I don’t really have a preference (between hard hitting big guys and light heavyweights),” Gunther continues.
Since joining the main roster, Gunther’s impact was felt almost immediately. He won the Intercontinental Championship just two months into his arrival, and held the belt for an unprecedented 666 days, a record for holding the title.
With immense success holding that championship, Gunther was ready to move on. He felt like he’d proved himself at that level and was ready to make the leap into the main event scene.
“Everything good takes a bit,” Gunther says.
Following his WrestleMania 40 loss to Zayn, Gunther’s incremental rise on the roster has been clear. He won King of the Ring at King and Queen of the Ring to earn a world title shot. Initially winning the tournament, Gunther made waves by not placing the crown on top of his head. His thoughts on that are twofold.
“First of all, it didn’t fit me. It was a little bit too big. Secondly, I treat it as a trophy, a prize that I won. So that’s how I carried it. I didn’t win that to make it my personality,” Gunther says.
Saturday offers Gunther his first real shot at heavyweight gold. It would be the biggest success of his career to date. The opportunity is once in a lifetime in its own right, but with Bash in Berlin at the end of August, an opportunity to return to Germany as champion would line up perfectly for the rising star.
“I wrestled all over Germany for many years of my career, and maybe the most defining years in my career. It would be a very big full circle moment, but that’s step two. That’s at the end of August,” Gunther says.
“At the end of this week, I’m wrestling Damian Priest at SummerSlam and that’s what my focus is right now.”
