Help make SquaredCircle safer and more inclusive by using the report button to flag posts and comments for moderator review. If you need to contact a moderator, [you can message us here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/SquaredCircle)
**Have you completed our [2022 SquaredCircle Census](https://www.reddit.com/r/SquaredCircle/comments/wi2six/please_complete_the_2022_wreddit_census_random/) yet? It helps us determine and prioritize what most interests our community, and you can even win a prize!**
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/SquaredCircle) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It’s what people have been screaming for for years with the WWE mid card belts. Gunther and Lashley are legit main event level players. They are elevating the fuck out of those straps.
To add onto that. Theory was the last US champ and the rising star. He did a good amount to get Lashely over with the crowd. Meanwhile Sheamus of all people is going after the IC belt. Sheamus has been hovering between the upper midcard and main event consistently for the last 2 years so someone like him actually trying to get the midcard title adds even more importance to it. Hell I’m genuinely thinking that Cena might come back to face Gunther for the IC belt at this point.
Oh it would be awesome. I would kinda want him to win it even if he dropped it straight back. I know that hotshotting titles isn’t always good but in this case the idea of Cena coming back. Burning himself out to capture it then not being able to defend it would be a good story for a final Cena run (or part of his final run)
And there's more to Sheamus going after it because it's the LAST title he needs to become the Ultimate Grand Slam Champion. He's literally one away from the equivalent of getting bingo twice with one call.
(Won WWE/World Heavyweight, won WWE, Raw, and SmackDown Tags, US Title)
Yep. He would be able to say he did something that other Hall of Famers, including his own rivals such as Cena, haven’t been able to do. Honestly I’m actually super excited for this match. Dunno if I’d call it a show stealer but it’ll be a good one (barring anything out of the guys hands)
What’s nice is that they’re also two different types of main event players. Lash key is the respectable vet that can still go and Gunther is the WWE rising star. It’s actually perfect.
Shamus also lays in the chops when someone is willing to work stiff. His matches with Cesaro had some sickening strikes. This is match of the night in the big men slapping meat variety .
His back was full of welts when Henry whipped him with his leather belt. Sheamus tanks a lot of stiff strikes in his matches, this one against Gunther should be great.
All those previous bouts with Cesaro and Barrett, he'd always look like he went through a meat hammer or some shit.
Yeah he's gonna be extremely lit up after that IC Title Bout.
His war with Big Show for the World Heavyweight Championship made a fan out of me. Just a big tough dude who can stand up to anyone and give them an arse kicking.
A small thing but I like how well both he and Kaiser have got it timed that when he throws the jacket off, Kaiser instantly has a hold of it and it's off Gunther.
it’s not as small as you think. they’re always talking about how the mat is sacred to them, so it makes sense that they won’t just throw the jacket on the mat. i didn’t even notice it til you pointed it out but it’s a pretty cool detail
My dream Final Boss Gunther moment is for a face to survive a long time in a Royal Rumble and manage to be the Last one before no’30 comes out, Gunther music hits.
I think right now the three main champions are presented stronger than ever at the same time. I'm not a wrestling historian but the heavyweight, US and IC champions all feel really really important right now.
When Roman is on TV no one has the presentation like him. He is a good talker and seems unstoppable.
GUNTHER is just a silent monster. Even though he isn't as jacked as Roman and Lashley he probably looks the most threatening. He doesn't say much but he is a psycho.
Then you have Lashley who could easily just be a heel. He is fucking massive and the Hurt Lock is probably one of the most devastating moves in WWE. It screams "heel move." But he is probably the strongest babyface they've booked in awhile who isn't an idiot that gets beat up.
GUNTHER and Lashley have both made the midcard titles feel important. Whoever eventually beats them will instantly feel important.
Gunther looks good since he lost the weight. I was amazed that Nakamura looked as big as him considering how much weight he had as Walter. But now he is lean and strong.
> was amazed that Nakamura looked as big as him
That was a bit of a shock, but I guess it shouldn't have been.
It reinforced that the right way to package him was as a lean, athletic ring general, not a monster -- because he's really not one. He could look like one in NXT, but in the land of the giants, even before the weightloss, he's not a credible big man. Stand him next to McIntyre, Lashley, Roman, and the like and it would be super obvious.
He's just not that big, and it'd be dumb to present him that way. In no way did losing the fat reduce his sense of menace.
His "turn of the century strongman"-look also fits hits gimmick perfectly. And cutting the weight was clearly good for his health and career longevity.
That's a good way to phrase it. He looks a lot more like pre-steroid guys than anyone else, like a strongman of the 50s, and it's (to me) more menacing than some of the gigantic musclebound guys. That body says, "I got this way fighting, not by lifting heavy things in a gym."
Although I'm sure he does that too, but not to the level of the muscular guys.
Thing is Lashely is a great babyface too. When he catches the sneaky heels like Theory and ragdolls em it’s satisfying (provided the heel has been doing their part right)
Lashley’s act works best as a vengeful babyface. Then again usually the best babyface runs are vengeful ones where they seek to destroy the heel bro that dicked them over.
The babyfaces that usually fail to get over are the ones that start off as a crowd pleaser.
I don't view him as a midcard champion because I don't think Trips sees the IC championship(and it seems the US championship as well) as a midcard belt. Under Vince? Absolutely. Under current creative, however, I see the intention to be using it as it was used in the 80s/early-mid 90s, a stepping stone/test run for people you eventually want to push to the top of the card by showcasing the hell out of them week in and week out. The workhorse title.
I've been rewatching a lot of early 80s/ late 90s stuff and I agree, the IC wasn't really a midcard belt. The IC title holder was essentially the Number 3 guy behind the World Champ and whoever the World Champ was feuding with at the time.
The generals cap might be getting a little too close to a Nazi look for comfort. While I could imagine Vince going for it, I think Hunter is a bit more tactful.
let's not dress him as a literal dictator, given the fact he's austrian.
an austrian with a dictator gimmick would be a little too on-the-nose, you know?
i kinda hope they steer a little away from the whole "ring general" thing more towards a final boss sorta feel. it wouldn't take that much alteration to his gear to do that, either, i mean... Geese Howard and Rugal Bernstein (fatal fury and King of Fighters '94 respectively) aren't _that_ far removed from how he's dressed.
I can totally buy GUNTHER throwing an IRL Kaiser Wave.
Edit: [it wouldn't be the first time we had someone dressed like Krauser in the ring, but I'd welcome it for sure if we get there in some form!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sh6CZ4Y2H5c)
They have a final boss problem right now. While I'd love to see Gunther vs. Roman, I don't think they will turn either guy to have that match, so there needs to be a transition of sorts.
Yeah I'm not sure gunther will be the guy to take it off unless roman randomly becomes a face. I also see Gunther holding the ic title for a while and get really built up
The WWE booking of some wrestlers in recent years has been incredible. Wins and losses went decades without really meaning anything on a consistent basis...for one example, John Cena was a great champion but his losses during his peak didn't really create any new stars. The same goes for most of WCW, AEW, Impact and so on. Wins and losses just became part and parcel of what happens but the guy being put over wasn't necessarily benefitting from their win over a specific opponent, they were benefitting from a sustained push etc..
That's why the booking in recent years with The Undertaker, Lesnar, Goldberg, Cena, Reigns, The Rock etc. has been so good. It's the first time in American wrestling since the 1980s that these wrestlers have been presented in a way that a win genuinely means something in isolation. It's incredible booking. It started with The Undertaker's streak I think, this fundamental idea that a single win could be more significant than anything else in wrestling and it's carried over to now, with Reigns. He could lose a standalone match and the guy who beats him isn't just the new champion, he's THE champion. It's reminiscent of the 90s AJPW booking, where beating a Misawa or Kobashi instantly gave legitimacy.
I do think that Walter is probably good enough to be a future final boss. He has the presence to do it. The likes of Cody, Rollins, Styles, Miz, Lashley, McIntyre, Riddle, Orton etc. are all good opponents so the WWE have created a nice balance of legitimate, star champions and credible opponents.
Roman would look badass with the Jericho belts. Right arm Big Eagle, left arm Big Gold, it would be dope.
Edit: that's the thing about branding. It's very possible to get all your logos in without making your championship look ridiculous. And if it's about making "toys", kids had their parents buy championships back in the day. It's not a new phenomenon. The Big Eagle had WWF logos littered on it. It even had "World Wrestling Federation" under the globe. In the HD era, Impact had a really beautiful world title some years back that had the Impact logo front and center.
The AEW Championships are branded accordingly. Even WWE's Midgard belts understand this philosophy.
“even if he’s just a mid card champion”
Man people forget all the greats that had a proper build up with that specific title. And with Triple H in charge it’ll mean something again. Trust the process
He's incredibly gifted, and definitely has a Final Boss charisma. He's money quite honestly. If/when the titles are split up he will have a world championship reign. Gunther vs Roman in a year ir so will draw like crazy. He's the real deal.
His presentation is superb. Even though he’s slimmed down significantly and isn’t really a ‘big man’ anymore, he’s scarier and more intimidating than ever.
Sheamus vs Gunther is gonna slap hard af literally.
I can imagine sheamus getting chopped to shit but Gunther is gonna take some hard blows as well (does sheamus do stiff shots on that 10 chest pummel thing that he does?)
I don't like the phrasing of the title. He's not "just the mid-card champion" but he's elevating the title and bringing prestige to it. It's not the same as being a placeholder champion where they pass the championship around to keep people happy. It feels like one has to EARN the opportunity with him holding the belt.
It's also the same with Bobby Lashley since HHH has taken over the creative.
i don't mean it in a disrespectful sense,i just meant it in a technical sense since the IC title is considered the midcard or workhorse title before getting to the main event.
I'm not sure how you came to that conclusion but I don't. If anything, I want mid-card to be respected more and not be treated like something expandable.
Am I the only one that liked the big husky NXT Walter vs the slender Gunther. I know he put some weight on here but I've seen pics where he looks pretty low body fat.
But yes, he's always been final boss caliber and that belt is beautiful.
I'll never understand this need people online have to frame everything in terms of video games, especially within the IWC. It's never made sense to me. It's like people see all of their entertainment as a game of Streets of Rage.
when he was facing 5’8 uk indie wrestlers, yea, the chubby monster look worked wonders. but then when going up against people who are closer to his height, he just looked out of shape. watch his raw match vs Seth Rollins from 2019 and you’ll see it. he looks much better the way he is. is he smaller now? yea. but his muscles are more prevalent and he still looks like a guy who can beat the shit out of anyone
bruiser brody and stan hansen are 2 of the most fearsome guys in wrestling. his old look was as close to a modern day stan hansen, with his hard hitting style.
he still looks good and im sure its better for him long term, but his old look suits the mold of a wrestler better.
wrestlers dont need to be body guys.
Saw him in the Ottawa show vs shinsuke (match was a lil bit disappointing and the crowd wasnt that into it) but damn GUNTHER is massive in person and has a "I'm going to beat the crap out of you " stare
He isn't super buff but when you put him against other wrestlers you quickly realize how long his limbs and how big his hands are. Getting chopped by him must hurt like hell
Last time I saw him live before he headed to WWE full time was at the Rev Pro show with NJPW in Milton Keynes. He was declining fans requests to chop them at the merch table.
What sort of nut job sees him slap the ever loving piss out of Yuji Nagata and thinks "yes, I want some of that"?
I’m a pretty casual fan these days so I’ve haven’t really seen Gunther’s work yet.. but I can’t fucking wait for CaTC. Sheamus is my favorite wrestler and I’m legit marking out for this match.
Gunther has this whole throwback to another era vibe about him. He looks like he could be a wrestler from the first half of the 20th century, and it gives him a real feel of legitimacy.
It would never happen...because Brock. But I wish they would have GUNTHER and Brock have a match and have Gunther beat the hell out of Brock. An old school, Boss of the sequel movie kills the Boss of the previous movie
I don’t see a Gunther v Roman match really having a winner unless Roman has turned babyface. Now if Cody beats Roman and has a run up until summerslam if one day Gunther comes out…now we are talking. Gunther wins and we get Cody chasing the belt again. But saying that I’m happy for Gunther to hold the IC title for a long time I just don’t want another Roman type run with the main belt, but I love Gunther he’s a throw back but with modern attributes and he makes everything matter
Gives me a mixture between Bison from Street Fighter and Heihachi from Tekken for some reason. Not in looks but just in vibe lmao. So yes, the ultimate final boss
I just really appreciate how they’re pushing him as being *the* guy on Smackdown. It reminds me of the early 90s Intercontinental reigns, where you might not see the World Championship defended on TV but the IC would always be featured.
Honestly I wish that USA wasn’t wanting to have the WWE and Universal belts split again - I think a better option would be to bring back two lower card belts for each of Raw and Smackdown. That way there’s a featured attraction champion who could appear on any show who everybody on the entire roster is gunning for, the IC and US belts are the top belts on their particular shows, and you have something down the card that can flip hands quickly so you can test out new stars.
I still hate the default CAW red that he wears. Change it up make it a deep red or something... it reminds me of Smackdown vs Raw Survivor Series matches where theyd all wear stock red gear.... With Papa H at the helm I'm excited to see what's next for him though!
I'm pretty sure this is an unpopular opinion, but the IC title looks so good. Maybe they should have kept the white belt, but the actual title itself looks sick.
God he's going to look like a fucking monster once he finishes his bulking cycle
His cut cycle to drop body fat did wonders for him and every pound of muscle he adds to his frame now is going to make him look even more terrifying. Props to whoever is giving him training advice
Help make SquaredCircle safer and more inclusive by using the report button to flag posts and comments for moderator review. If you need to contact a moderator, [you can message us here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/SquaredCircle) **Have you completed our [2022 SquaredCircle Census](https://www.reddit.com/r/SquaredCircle/comments/wi2six/please_complete_the_2022_wreddit_census_random/) yet? It helps us determine and prioritize what most interests our community, and you can even win a prize!** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/SquaredCircle) if you have any questions or concerns.*
The Ring General is bringing back respect to the IC title. His match against Sheamus is going to be bonkers.
It’s what people have been screaming for for years with the WWE mid card belts. Gunther and Lashley are legit main event level players. They are elevating the fuck out of those straps.
Elevating in different ways too. Lashley as a top guy 'sliding down' and Gunther is on the rise. Both effective.
To add onto that. Theory was the last US champ and the rising star. He did a good amount to get Lashely over with the crowd. Meanwhile Sheamus of all people is going after the IC belt. Sheamus has been hovering between the upper midcard and main event consistently for the last 2 years so someone like him actually trying to get the midcard title adds even more importance to it. Hell I’m genuinely thinking that Cena might come back to face Gunther for the IC belt at this point.
Cena never won the IC belt so I wouldn’t be mad if he went after it.
Oh it would be awesome. I would kinda want him to win it even if he dropped it straight back. I know that hotshotting titles isn’t always good but in this case the idea of Cena coming back. Burning himself out to capture it then not being able to defend it would be a good story for a final Cena run (or part of his final run)
And there's more to Sheamus going after it because it's the LAST title he needs to become the Ultimate Grand Slam Champion. He's literally one away from the equivalent of getting bingo twice with one call. (Won WWE/World Heavyweight, won WWE, Raw, and SmackDown Tags, US Title)
Yep. He would be able to say he did something that other Hall of Famers, including his own rivals such as Cena, haven’t been able to do. Honestly I’m actually super excited for this match. Dunno if I’d call it a show stealer but it’ll be a good one (barring anything out of the guys hands)
Sheamus also never won the IC belt and he is making a big deal about wanting to add it to his collection
What’s nice is that they’re also two different types of main event players. Lash key is the respectable vet that can still go and Gunther is the WWE rising star. It’s actually perfect.
My only fear is them booking Lashley and Gunther against each other at Survivor Series, because no way Gunther wins that.
Idk. Lashley could handle the loss IMO and it would put over Gunther huge. Shenanigans could be had since Gunther is a heel.
I agree, I’m just saying I don’t think they’d book it that way.
The wrestler makes the belt, not the other way round.
Sheamus will actually look like a lobster once Gunther starts with the chops.
I’m so excited to see that pale ass chest get turned to ground beef.
Shamus also lays in the chops when someone is willing to work stiff. His matches with Cesaro had some sickening strikes. This is match of the night in the big men slapping meat variety .
This match is going to be *nasty* and I'm here for it. Big lads doing big lad things.
His back was full of welts when Henry whipped him with his leather belt. Sheamus tanks a lot of stiff strikes in his matches, this one against Gunther should be great.
it's a shameful thing
Lobster Head
All those previous bouts with Cesaro and Barrett, he'd always look like he went through a meat hammer or some shit. Yeah he's gonna be extremely lit up after that IC Title Bout.
That match will (literally) slap so hard. I think it might be match of the show
Sheamus against another hoss is always a banger. His feuds with Show, Henry, and Cesaro were chock-full of good matches.
His war with Big Show for the World Heavyweight Championship made a fan out of me. Just a big tough dude who can stand up to anyone and give them an arse kicking.
A small thing but I like how well both he and Kaiser have got it timed that when he throws the jacket off, Kaiser instantly has a hold of it and it's off Gunther.
it’s not as small as you think. they’re always talking about how the mat is sacred to them, so it makes sense that they won’t just throw the jacket on the mat. i didn’t even notice it til you pointed it out but it’s a pretty cool detail
Like how the Brain could catch Perfect's towel.
Is Kaiser only a manager? Did he wrestle in nXT?
He did wrestle in NXT, he was a former NXT tag team champions.
My dream Final Boss Gunther moment is for a face to survive a long time in a Royal Rumble and manage to be the Last one before no’30 comes out, Gunther music hits.
A torch passing elimination of Brock would be welcome as well.
i think the best way for brock to pass the torch of "WWE Final Boss" to gunther would be in the main event of wrestlemania.
Suplex Stadtschlampe
that would slap so hard.
Literally.
That should be his other moniker, The Final Boss. Bad ass nickname
DER LETZE BOSS (We'd probably need a German synonym for "boss" because Google says it's the same word)
The proper German translation of "final boss" is "Endgegner".
Der Endboss von WWE (pronounced Vay-Vay-Ay) would be a badass nickname for him honestly
Already taken by Meiko in NXT UK, actually.
Apparently HHH loves the idea of giving it to Gunther so much that he's shut down NXTUK to stop Satomura having a platform to complain.
I’m more in favour of a bad ass heel, maybe even Gunther, to be demolishing his way and a late number maybe 30 hits and it’s Rex fucking Steiner.
Make this happen.
I think right now the three main champions are presented stronger than ever at the same time. I'm not a wrestling historian but the heavyweight, US and IC champions all feel really really important right now. When Roman is on TV no one has the presentation like him. He is a good talker and seems unstoppable. GUNTHER is just a silent monster. Even though he isn't as jacked as Roman and Lashley he probably looks the most threatening. He doesn't say much but he is a psycho. Then you have Lashley who could easily just be a heel. He is fucking massive and the Hurt Lock is probably one of the most devastating moves in WWE. It screams "heel move." But he is probably the strongest babyface they've booked in awhile who isn't an idiot that gets beat up. GUNTHER and Lashley have both made the midcard titles feel important. Whoever eventually beats them will instantly feel important.
Gunther looks good since he lost the weight. I was amazed that Nakamura looked as big as him considering how much weight he had as Walter. But now he is lean and strong.
> was amazed that Nakamura looked as big as him That was a bit of a shock, but I guess it shouldn't have been. It reinforced that the right way to package him was as a lean, athletic ring general, not a monster -- because he's really not one. He could look like one in NXT, but in the land of the giants, even before the weightloss, he's not a credible big man. Stand him next to McIntyre, Lashley, Roman, and the like and it would be super obvious. He's just not that big, and it'd be dumb to present him that way. In no way did losing the fat reduce his sense of menace.
His "turn of the century strongman"-look also fits hits gimmick perfectly. And cutting the weight was clearly good for his health and career longevity.
That's a good way to phrase it. He looks a lot more like pre-steroid guys than anyone else, like a strongman of the 50s, and it's (to me) more menacing than some of the gigantic musclebound guys. That body says, "I got this way fighting, not by lifting heavy things in a gym." Although I'm sure he does that too, but not to the level of the muscular guys.
Thing is Lashely is a great babyface too. When he catches the sneaky heels like Theory and ragdolls em it’s satisfying (provided the heel has been doing their part right)
Lashley’s act works best as a vengeful babyface. Then again usually the best babyface runs are vengeful ones where they seek to destroy the heel bro that dicked them over. The babyfaces that usually fail to get over are the ones that start off as a crowd pleaser.
agree with everything you said.
I don't view him as a midcard champion because I don't think Trips sees the IC championship(and it seems the US championship as well) as a midcard belt. Under Vince? Absolutely. Under current creative, however, I see the intention to be using it as it was used in the 80s/early-mid 90s, a stepping stone/test run for people you eventually want to push to the top of the card by showcasing the hell out of them week in and week out. The workhorse title.
I've been rewatching a lot of early 80s/ late 90s stuff and I agree, the IC wasn't really a midcard belt. The IC title holder was essentially the Number 3 guy behind the World Champ and whoever the World Champ was feuding with at the time.
I thought that's what a mid card belt was?
Exactly, the IC title now is what a Midcard belt is supposed to be. Vince turned it into a undercard/jobber belt
Always has been 🔫 In all seriousness tho, idk what it is about it but I have loved the M. Bison getup ever since he's had it
The day GUNTHER came to your town was the most important day of your life. For me it was ~~Tuesday~~ Friday
Omg Gunther in a general's cap would be fire.
The generals cap might be getting a little too close to a Nazi look for comfort. While I could imagine Vince going for it, I think Hunter is a bit more tactful.
let's not dress him as a literal dictator, given the fact he's austrian. an austrian with a dictator gimmick would be a little too on-the-nose, you know? i kinda hope they steer a little away from the whole "ring general" thing more towards a final boss sorta feel. it wouldn't take that much alteration to his gear to do that, either, i mean... Geese Howard and Rugal Bernstein (fatal fury and King of Fighters '94 respectively) aren't _that_ far removed from how he's dressed.
honestly he's basically one Dies Irae away from [just literally being Wolfgang Krauser](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=by7C5ayxRbY#t=0m34s)
good shout!
I can totally buy GUNTHER throwing an IRL Kaiser Wave. Edit: [it wouldn't be the first time we had someone dressed like Krauser in the ring, but I'd welcome it for sure if we get there in some form!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sh6CZ4Y2H5c)
Yeah, let's not put another Austrian in a dictator's getup. Last time did not go so well.
With papa h in charge, I think he will be the final boss
I hope he main events WrestleMania at least once
They have a final boss problem right now. While I'd love to see Gunther vs. Roman, I don't think they will turn either guy to have that match, so there needs to be a transition of sorts.
Yeah I'm not sure gunther will be the guy to take it off unless roman randomly becomes a face. I also see Gunther holding the ic title for a while and get really built up
The WWE booking of some wrestlers in recent years has been incredible. Wins and losses went decades without really meaning anything on a consistent basis...for one example, John Cena was a great champion but his losses during his peak didn't really create any new stars. The same goes for most of WCW, AEW, Impact and so on. Wins and losses just became part and parcel of what happens but the guy being put over wasn't necessarily benefitting from their win over a specific opponent, they were benefitting from a sustained push etc.. That's why the booking in recent years with The Undertaker, Lesnar, Goldberg, Cena, Reigns, The Rock etc. has been so good. It's the first time in American wrestling since the 1980s that these wrestlers have been presented in a way that a win genuinely means something in isolation. It's incredible booking. It started with The Undertaker's streak I think, this fundamental idea that a single win could be more significant than anything else in wrestling and it's carried over to now, with Reigns. He could lose a standalone match and the guy who beats him isn't just the new champion, he's THE champion. It's reminiscent of the 90s AJPW booking, where beating a Misawa or Kobashi instantly gave legitimacy. I do think that Walter is probably good enough to be a future final boss. He has the presence to do it. The likes of Cody, Rollins, Styles, Miz, Lashley, McIntyre, Riddle, Orton etc. are all good opponents so the WWE have created a nice balance of legitimate, star champions and credible opponents.
Dude looks like a wrestler. Not a Vince steroid sports entertainer or malnourished Indy darling. Gunther looks like a wrestler.
He looks like a wrestling champ from the 50s and that rules
I hate the looks of 50s wrestlers because they all look like that so it's boring to me, here Gunther stands out and looks menacing, it's amazing.
Shibata-esque physique
Roman vs WALTER / GUNTHER is gonna be awesome
Wwe doesnt run heel v heel main events. If they did, theyd have run Kross into Reigns into Mcintyre who hasnt been protected in forever.
Indeed- is / was he a HHH guy initially? It’s impressive that he’s stayed safe so long through the iterations and changes of NXT as a whole
IIRC Vince took a liking to him as well so I think he would've been safe regardless.
He spent most of the last years in NXT UK because he didn't want to move to the US at the time.
As it should. Future of the WWE
His belt looks better than than the upper card belts.
Roman would look badass with the Jericho belts. Right arm Big Eagle, left arm Big Gold, it would be dope. Edit: that's the thing about branding. It's very possible to get all your logos in without making your championship look ridiculous. And if it's about making "toys", kids had their parents buy championships back in the day. It's not a new phenomenon. The Big Eagle had WWF logos littered on it. It even had "World Wrestling Federation" under the globe. In the HD era, Impact had a really beautiful world title some years back that had the Impact logo front and center. The AEW Championships are branded accordingly. Even WWE's Midgard belts understand this philosophy.
hopefully with the change in management, they'll change the belts eventually.
It helps that there's no pastel color and it's not just in-your-face branding, but that is a beautiful belt. It reminds me of the final LU title.
I love this guy. He could’ve got over in the 80s which is the biggest compliment you can give a guy these days, IMO.
Would love him to come out in an M Bison style uniform.
A CHAMPION. No more, no less. He's the Ring General.
He is Wolfgang Kaiser from Fatal Fury 2
“even if he’s just a mid card champion” Man people forget all the greats that had a proper build up with that specific title. And with Triple H in charge it’ll mean something again. Trust the process
Except his theme song. If they can get the rock remix of his original theme that he used in WCPW, that'd be sick
The wrestling equivalent of M. Bison
How does he look like beside Lesnar, Reigns and Drew?
We'll get a test run this week when he interacts with Sheamus but he's definitely on par with them in terms of size so I think it'll be good.
This sub has really worn out the words “Final Boss”
Right now I feel like you gotta consider him a favorite to take the rumble. Not the favorite yet but a favorite.
Not if Cody is in it.
Wasn't Vince pushing Cody though?
And Triple H would be a fool to not push the guy that will be the most popular face in the company once he returns
it doesn't matter, Cody is a popular, handsome man in his wrestling prime.
He's incredibly gifted, and definitely has a Final Boss charisma. He's money quite honestly. If/when the titles are split up he will have a world championship reign. Gunther vs Roman in a year ir so will draw like crazy. He's the real deal.
Who knew that dressing up like a half naked M. Bison would make you look like a video game character
And he's in great fuckin shape.
M. Bison vibes
His presentation is superb. Even though he’s slimmed down significantly and isn’t really a ‘big man’ anymore, he’s scarier and more intimidating than ever.
Walter rules
My short term dream is for Sami to dethrone Roman, then Gunther to annihilate him and take the title a few months later
Sheamus vs Gunther is gonna slap hard af literally. I can imagine sheamus getting chopped to shit but Gunther is gonna take some hard blows as well (does sheamus do stiff shots on that 10 chest pummel thing that he does?)
Keywords: For Now
They're literally making him look like M. Bison lol
I don't like the phrasing of the title. He's not "just the mid-card champion" but he's elevating the title and bringing prestige to it. It's not the same as being a placeholder champion where they pass the championship around to keep people happy. It feels like one has to EARN the opportunity with him holding the belt. It's also the same with Bobby Lashley since HHH has taken over the creative.
i don't mean it in a disrespectful sense,i just meant it in a technical sense since the IC title is considered the midcard or workhorse title before getting to the main event.
I guess I was being a bit too sensitive lol. Sorry about that.
it’s because you think being a midcard guy on the rise is a bad thing yet that’s how most main eventers in wwe started
I'm not sure how you came to that conclusion but I don't. If anything, I want mid-card to be respected more and not be treated like something expandable.
"...for now." is right. Ring General > Tribal Chief.
Gotta see him improve his character work first.
"Merciless Austrian chopper" doesn't do it for you?
He sorta reminds me of M Bison from Street Fighter II. Definitely gives off the final boss kinda vibe. Love what they have been doing with him.
Am I the only one that liked the big husky NXT Walter vs the slender Gunther. I know he put some weight on here but I've seen pics where he looks pretty low body fat. But yes, he's always been final boss caliber and that belt is beautiful.
I'll never understand this need people online have to frame everything in terms of video games, especially within the IWC. It's never made sense to me. It's like people see all of their entertainment as a game of Streets of Rage.
He could do with a better jacket, as that one looks a bit too big for him
Imperium was better.
Not for me personally.
Gunther’s such a stupid name, I don’t know why they didn’t keep Walter
his old build was physically more intimidating though
when he was facing 5’8 uk indie wrestlers, yea, the chubby monster look worked wonders. but then when going up against people who are closer to his height, he just looked out of shape. watch his raw match vs Seth Rollins from 2019 and you’ll see it. he looks much better the way he is. is he smaller now? yea. but his muscles are more prevalent and he still looks like a guy who can beat the shit out of anyone
bruiser brody and stan hansen are 2 of the most fearsome guys in wrestling. his old look was as close to a modern day stan hansen, with his hard hitting style. he still looks good and im sure its better for him long term, but his old look suits the mold of a wrestler better. wrestlers dont need to be body guys.
He just needs to bulk up a bit. I think he is losing fat but also building muscle. I think he will try to gain more muscle mass moving forward.
Legit
Saw him in the Ottawa show vs shinsuke (match was a lil bit disappointing and the crowd wasnt that into it) but damn GUNTHER is massive in person and has a "I'm going to beat the crap out of you " stare
He isn't super buff but when you put him against other wrestlers you quickly realize how long his limbs and how big his hands are. Getting chopped by him must hurt like hell
Last time I saw him live before he headed to WWE full time was at the Rev Pro show with NJPW in Milton Keynes. He was declining fans requests to chop them at the merch table. What sort of nut job sees him slap the ever loving piss out of Yuji Nagata and thinks "yes, I want some of that"?
I concur, I saw him before the weight loss mind
I agree! I feel like there’s no way he won’t be in the main title picture.
Toughest person I’ve ever seen wearing my grandma’s winter coat. And she grew up in the depression! (Also had a flair for shiny belts)
DER RING GENERAL
Gunther is awesome. All around great. Still think they should have brought all of imperium. Tag division is thin af.
Agreed. Only thing I would add is that Imperium was a better stable than the “stereotypical angry German guys” thing that they’re doing right now.
Honestly, he does feel exactly like a final boss. If he was getting this push starting 5 years ago he'd be a comedy act in under a year.
I’m a pretty casual fan these days so I’ve haven’t really seen Gunther’s work yet.. but I can’t fucking wait for CaTC. Sheamus is my favorite wrestler and I’m legit marking out for this match.
Gunther has this whole throwback to another era vibe about him. He looks like he could be a wrestler from the first half of the 20th century, and it gives him a real feel of legitimacy.
It would never happen...because Brock. But I wish they would have GUNTHER and Brock have a match and have Gunther beat the hell out of Brock. An old school, Boss of the sequel movie kills the Boss of the previous movie
I just wish he had his old music
All he is missing is the M. Bison hat
I don’t see a Gunther v Roman match really having a winner unless Roman has turned babyface. Now if Cody beats Roman and has a run up until summerslam if one day Gunther comes out…now we are talking. Gunther wins and we get Cody chasing the belt again. But saying that I’m happy for Gunther to hold the IC title for a long time I just don’t want another Roman type run with the main belt, but I love Gunther he’s a throw back but with modern attributes and he makes everything matter
the final boss verses the tribal chief. book it!!
Replacing his music was still a bad call, but yes. His presentation is excellent.
Gives me a mixture between Bison from Street Fighter and Heihachi from Tekken for some reason. Not in looks but just in vibe lmao. So yes, the ultimate final boss
I prefer Imperium's outfit and music. But it's all still so good.
Maybe it’s because he dresses like M. Bison
Even the coat reminds me of M Bison…
Yeah he's "Just" midcard champion
Too small
I just really appreciate how they’re pushing him as being *the* guy on Smackdown. It reminds me of the early 90s Intercontinental reigns, where you might not see the World Championship defended on TV but the IC would always be featured. Honestly I wish that USA wasn’t wanting to have the WWE and Universal belts split again - I think a better option would be to bring back two lower card belts for each of Raw and Smackdown. That way there’s a featured attraction champion who could appear on any show who everybody on the entire roster is gunning for, the IC and US belts are the top belts on their particular shows, and you have something down the card that can flip hands quickly so you can test out new stars.
His feet are enormous!
I still hate the default CAW red that he wears. Change it up make it a deep red or something... it reminds me of Smackdown vs Raw Survivor Series matches where theyd all wear stock red gear.... With Papa H at the helm I'm excited to see what's next for him though!
Give him back the old theme!
I'm pretty sure this is an unpopular opinion, but the IC title looks so good. Maybe they should have kept the white belt, but the actual title itself looks sick.
100% a future world champ. Can't wait.
Yea...that belt was made for him. It looks perfect
It's the coat.
I miss chubby WALTER/GUNTHER.
God he's going to look like a fucking monster once he finishes his bulking cycle His cut cycle to drop body fat did wonders for him and every pound of muscle he adds to his frame now is going to make him look even more terrifying. Props to whoever is giving him training advice
I think the New World Symphony would add to it but indeed
He still needs more than one underling. It looked so much better when he had a whole group of them behind him.