Gunther Face or Heel Turns

Gunther, formerly known as Walter, is a renowned Austrian professional wrestler currently affiliated with WWE. Competing on the RAW brand, he leads the Imperium faction alongside his disciple Ludwig Kaiser as the reigning World Heavyweight Champion. Embracing a classic wrestling style in the modern era, he initiates his matches with a devastating series of Knife-Edge Chops or Backhand Chops. As the bout progresses, he seamlessly incorporates his trademark moves, including the Beheading (Burning Lariat), Symphonie des Schmerzes (Folding Powerbomb), Rear Naked Choke, and Boston Crab.

Prior to joining WWE, Gunther dominated several independent promotions, including Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG), Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw), European Wrestling Promotion (EWP), Over The Top Wrestling (OTT), Pro Wrestling Fighters (PWF), and Progress Wrestling. During this period, the 6 ft 4 in tall has captured numerous championships, such as the PWF North-European Championship, OTT Championship, EWP Tag Team Championship, GSW Tag Team Championship, Defiant Internet Championship, wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship, Progress Unified World Championship, Progress Atlas Championship, PWG World Championship, and wXw World Tag Team Championship.

Is Gunther a babyface or a heel?

Gunther is currently recognized as one of the top heel superstars in WWE. By maintaining this formidable heel persona, he won the 2024 King of the Ring tournament by defeating "The Viper” Randy Orton in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This victory earned him a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship, which he ultimately grabbed at SummerSlam 2024 by overcoming "El Campeón” Damian Priest.

Gunther On-Screen Character History

Gunther's heel persona, crafted from the very beginning of his wrestling career in 2005, reached new heights upon his WWE debut with NXT UK. As an NXT UK competitor, he swiftly clinched the NXT UK Championship by ending Pete Dunne's historic 685-day reign and went on to hold the title for a record-breaking 870 days. During his reign, Gunther dominated the brand, decimating top contenders like Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate, until his unbeatable streak concluded at NXT TakeOver 36, where he was finally dethroned by his longtime rival, Ilja Dragunov.

He was later drafted to the main roster and rose to prominence by seizing the Intercontinental Championship from the former WWE superstar Ricochet. His dominance was unmatched as he defeated top-tier opponents and shattered the Honky Tonk Man’s 35-year record, becoming the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion in WWE history with a reign of 666 days. However, his historic reign came to an end at WrestleMania XL, where Sami Zayn, "The Underdog from the Underground," triumphed over him.

Gunther Real Name

Gunther, whose real name is Walter Hahn, was born on August 20, 1987. A passionate wrestling fan from an early age, he initially pursued soccer at the age of 15 but eventually left it to train professionally in wrestling. He commenced his wrestling training in Vienna under the mentorship of Michael Kovac and Chris Raaber, seasoned grapplers from Austria, marking the beginning of his journey into the world of professional wrestling.

Gunther Ring Names

Following his training at Wrestling School Austria, Gunther made his professional wrestling debut under the ring name Big Van Walter, inspired by the late, esteemed American wrestler Big Van Vader, originally named Leon Allen White. Since then, he competed in various wrestling federations by adopting several monikers, including Big Daddy Walter, Gha-cha-ping, Man Mountain Walter, Pater Walter, and simply Walter on WWE’s NXT UK brand. Alongside his ring names, he is widely recognized for his notable nicknames, including "Der Bulle aus Wien" and "The Ring General," also known in German as "Der Ringgeneral.”