Former AEW star on meeting Gunther backstage at WWE Bad Blood

The World Heavyweight Championship reign of Gunther will hit the milestone of 75 days tomorrow. Widely regarded as one of the best wrestlers of this era, the Austrian star is well-liked and highly respected by legends, rising stars, and even newcomers. One of the most legendary wrestling stars just recalled how he met the Imperium leader backstage at Bad Blood 2024.

Arn Anderson began his career in 1981 at the age of 23 and has worked various roles on-screen and behind the scenes. Arn's WWE release in February 2019 ended his nearly 17-year tenure with the company. Then, he spent almost five years with AEW until his contract expired in May 2024. Since then, the 66-year-old veteran has made cameo appearances at WWE SummerSlam and Bad Blood, which were significant PLEs for The Ring General.

Arn recalled meeting Gunther at Bad Blood 2024 while speaking on The Four Horsemen Network. The WWE Hall of Famer first praised the RAW Superstar as a legitimately tough guy. Anderson also addressed young talents on the roster.

"They got a lot of young studs that work for that company. He [Gunther] just caught my eye, in particular because... he just will stand in there, and just bang it out with you, and everything he does is solid, and has malice. He's just a really solid guy," Arn Anderson said. [1:19 - 1:40]

Arn continued and looked back on how he met The Ring General backstage at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta earlier this month. The WWE legend explained how he complimented Gunther but was not sure he knew what he meant.

"Believe it or not, it was late in the afternoon... I had never had a chance to introduce myself to him, or meet him personally, our paths never crossed at SummerSlam. [Then at Bad Blood] he was sitting in catering late in the afternoon, so I just went over and introduced myself. I just said, 'Hey, I like your stuff, man. You are a cement mixer,' and he seemed to get a kick out of that. Whether he knew what a cement mixer was or not, I don't know, but it was meant to be... it [means] a hard-a**, and I like that. Always have," Arn Anderson said. [1:41 - 2:19]

Gunther retained his World Heavyweight Championship over Sami Zayn on the October 7, 2024, episode of RAW.

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Cody Rhodes and Gunther are set for a match at WWE Crown Jewel 2024

SmackDown's Cody Rhodes appeared on RAW this past week for hyping up his Crown Jewel 2024 match with Gunther. The two top champions will battle it out to crown the inaugural WWE Crown Jewel Champion later this month in Saudi Arabia, but the Undisputed WWE Championship and the World Heavyweight Championship will not be on the line.

Gunther is currently booked for all upcoming RAW episodes. Cody is not currently scheduled for Monday's RAW, but he is booked to return to the red brand on October 28, 2024, in Hershey. This episode will feature the final angles for the big inaugural title match at Crown Jewel 2024.

The Ring General has worked some dark matches on SmackDown as of late, so he and The American Nightmare may appear on upcoming shows they are not advertised for going into the Crown Jewel 2024 Premium Live Event. However, Gunther is currently scheduled for SmackDown on October 25, 2024, in Brooklyn.