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Wrestling veteran Dutch Mantell believes the current Intercontinental Champion Gunther is the Johnny Valentine of the new generation of WWE Superstars.
The Ring General debuted in NXT UK in January 2019. About three years later, he made his main roster debut on SmackDown. Last June, Gunther defeated Ricochet on the blue brand to capture the Intercontinental Championship. The leader of Imperium has now held the title for over 323 days.
Speaking on his Story Time with Dutch Mantell podcast, the wrestling veteran praised Gunther, dubbing him "the Johnny Valentine of this new generation."
"You know the guy that's gonna set waves over there, Gunther. He is over, big time over. He's the Johnny Valentine of this new generation," he said. [From 2:22:37 to 2:22:55]
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Johnny Valentine was a professional wrestler known for his hard-hitting in-ring style in the early 1950s. He competed in many wrestling promotions, including NWA, WWWF, Japan Wrestling Association, and more. Valentine passed away in 2001 at the age of 72.
The WWE Universe pushes for Gunther to become the new World Heavyweight Champion. Check out the details here.
Imperium moved to RAW in the 2023 WWE Draft
Gunther has been an active competitor on SmackDown for a little less than a year. However, the current Intercontinental Champion, alongside his Imperium teammates Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser, recently moved to Monday Night RAW in the 2023 WWE Draft.
Speaking on the Smack Talk podcast, Dutch Mantell disclosed that he was sad to see Gunther and Imperium move to RAW.
"Gunther is my guy. Gunther is my SmackDown go-to. Oh, he'll do great on RAW and I predict future stardom for Gunther. He's a great talent and a different talent. A totally different talent, a different look and he's almost a flashback to the past brought forward. So I think he's gonna do really well. But I still hate the pick. I wanted him to stay on SmackDown so I could watch him," he explained. [From 07:21 to 08:00]
A wrestling veteran feels he would walk out of a match against Gunther. Check out his comments here.
Please credit Story Time with Dutch Mantell and give a H/T to Sportskeeda if you use the above transcription.
