As Gunther prepares to challenge Damian Priest for the World Heavyweight Championship at WWE SummerSlam, he reflects on a pivotal moment nearly a decade ago when he considered leaving the wrestling industry altogether.
Known as Walter during his time on the independent circuit, Gunther faced significant challenges while trying to balance a demanding job and his wrestling aspirations. In an interview with Shakiel Mahjouri for CBS Sports, Gunther shared the struggles he endured while working night shifts for nearly three years, wrestling only on weekends.
That took a toll that was hard to sustain. My goal was always to make a living off professional wrestling. That was not in sight, so I thought I should call it quits and focus on a career in my real job.
At a crossroads, he reached out to German independent wrestling promotion wXw with a proposal.
I spoke with [Westside Xtreme Wrestling] and said, ‘Either I run a wrestling school for you, and that’s my job, or I think I call it quits.’ They were happy to do that. They wanted to have a wrestling school. They employed me, and since then, professional wrestling has been my main profession.
His decision to stay in wrestling has proven fruitful, as he has since risen to prominence in WWE, culminating in his recent victory in the 2024 King of the Ring tournament. Now, with the chance to dethrone Priest as the World Heavyweight Champion at SummerSlam, Gunther stands on the brink of becoming one of the top stars in WWE.
Which WWE Superstar Labelled Gunther As “The Best Performer On Earth”?
WWE Superstar Finn Balor spoke very highly of Gunther and even called him the “best performer on earth right now.” Balor said that he doesn’t enjoy watching modern wrestling for the most part but that when Gunther is in the ring he becomes very invested in his performance.