Gunther speaks on WWE allegedly wanting him to lose weight

WWE Superstar Gunther recently addressed the rumours surrounding his weight loss and whether or not WWE forced him to shred down his physique.

The Austrian-born wrestler has been with WWE since 2019, and during that time, he has performed on NXT UK, NXT, and most recently, SmackDown. The former NXT star has dominated the competition with his impressive size. However, earlier this year, it was reported that WWE wanted him to lose weight and slim down.

During a recent interview with Sport1 in Germany, Gunther stated that it was his own decision to lose weight.

"It was completely my own initiative. For me, it was quite clear — if I want to take the next big step, I have to present more for the general public. Personally, I’ve always been a big fan of old-school Japanese wrestlers who still had a belly and looked like you’d imagine a butcher. Emulating such idols worked for me also because up to now, I’ve been there for the, let’s call it, hardcore wrestling audience."(H/T EWrestling News)

Despite stories suggesting that WWE wanted the longest-reigning NXT UK Champion to cut down his physique, it appears Gunther himself wished to alter his presentation.

Gunther is now part of WWE's main roster

After performing on both NXT UK and NXT for nearly four years, WWE finally decided to move the Austrian superstar to the main roster.

Along with fellow European Ludwig Kaiser, The Ring General made his main roster debut on the SmackDown after WrestleMania.

The 34-year-old star has run roughshod over his opponents on the Blue brand. Since his debut, he has faced a couple of enhancement talents and is currently undefeated on the main roster.

After dominating every adversary that was put in front of him on NXT UK and NXT, the longest-reigning NXT UK Champion will look to inflict the same amount of punishment on the SmackDown roster going forward.

What do you think of Gunther's new presentation? Sound off in the comments below.