Gunther Names Two WWE Hall of Famers Who Inspired Him to Wrestle

Gunther is widely viewed as one of the most talented in-ring performers in WWE today. During a recent appearance on Michelle McCool and The Undertaker's podcast, the Austrian named Bruiser Brody and Stan Hansen as two of his inspirations as a young rookie.

Brody was one of the industry's hardest-hitting wrestlers before suffering fatal stab wounds backstage at an event in 1988. Like Brody, Hansen's aggressive in-ring style also set him apart from other competitors in the 1970s and 1980s.

On Six Feet Under, Gunther revealed he grew up wanting to emulate the two WWE Hall of Famers:

"I always looked up to guys like [Bruiser] Brody and Stan Hansen. All those big guys, but workhorses, and when I started training, I really digged into that. I was like, okay, I can relate to that, and then I looked at all the bigger guys that went to Japan and stuff like that and tried to be like that." [2:27 – 2:50]

Hansen was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by Vader in 2016. Three years later, Brody posthumously joined WWE's illustrious group of legends as part of the Hall of Fame's Legacy Wing.

Timothy Thatcher also motivated Gunther

From 2020 to 2022, Timothy Thatcher wrestled for WWE's NXT brand after making his name wrestling for several companies around the world. He returned to WWE in 2024 as a trainer.

Gunther shared the ring with Thatcher dozens of times, most notably in the German promotion wXw. While working together, the two-time World Heavyweight Champion learned a lot from the 42-year-old.

"One guy I always looked up to is somebody I worked with for a long time, Timothy Thatcher," Gunther continued. "He wrestled here, too, for a little bit in NXT. He was a coach, and he was always really good at adding something without taking anything away from anybody. I always looked up to that, and I tried to match that." [5:05 – 5:23]

In the same episode, the 37-year-old explained why pleasing former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon felt like a "losing game."

Please credit Six Feet Under and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.

About the author

Danny Hart is a journalist who has been reporting on pro wrestling (WWE) at Sportskeeda since 2017. He grew up as a massive fan of football/soccer and wrestling, leading him to pursue a career in sports journalism.

Before assuming his current role, Hart worked as a football writer at Goal.com between 2009 and 2016. He prides himself on writing original content that is fact-based and highly accurate. Hart thoroughly proofreads his work before submitting it and relies only on credible sources for information.

Hart’s favorite pro wrestler is The Undertaker. He admires the 2022 WWE Hall of Famer’s ability to reinvent his character and remain relevant across his decades-long career. If given the keys to WWE’s creative department, he would bring back The Phenom for a farewell bout against AJ Styles in a stadium full of fans. Not only that, but he would love to have the multi-time world champion’s greatest rivals seated at ringside for the spectacle.

When not watching and covering sports, Hart enjoys long-distance running, playing video games, and listening to audiobooks and podcasts.

Know More

Brutus Beefcake gets emotional talking about Hulk Hogan HERE

Edited by Danny Hart