The WWE do not have a glowing record when it comes to their foreign talent. Most of the time, if a talent is not from the United States, they end up playing the role of a villain, also called a heel, in wrestling terms. Which is why fans have expressed concerns regarding Gunther’s character. The reigning Intercontinental Champion, is from Austria and portrays himself as a heel, leading to all these worries.
Also read: Was Triple H Intentionally Trying to Bury Austin Theory?
It doesn’t help that his name Gunther bears resemblance to Gunther Stark, a Nazi submarine commander. It doesn’t help that his rating in the WWE 2k23 game was 88, which is seen as anti-Semitic by many, due to its connections with Nazism. Gunther managed to get his rating changed, but the worries still persist.
Is Gunther’s name and WWE character based on Nazi stereotypes?
During an appearance on The Ringer’s Cheap Heat podcast, Gunther was asked about the following, to which he responded by saying that as an Austrian based in Germany, that was something that was and is still thrown at them.
He acknowledged that given the history of the two countries, there was nothing he could do about it before calling the accusations far from the truth and blamed the people for jumping on it.
“It doesn’t represent the culture in our countries, either. Austria and Germany have made huge efforts to be hard on themselves when it comes to their history and keep themselves in check,” Gunther said. “I think we shouldn’t mix up ideologies and stylistics if that makes sense. Everything we want to be is far away from that.”
Gunther is beloved by Triple H
Triple H is a massive fan of Gunther. Known as Walter during his time in NXT UK, he held the NXT UK Title for 870 days before making his way to the main roster. He struggled for a bit under Vince McMahon, before becoming a permanent fixture on Friday Nights.
He is on course to become the longest reigning Intercontinental Champion. However, it appears that the WWE has bigger plans for him. The ring general is loved backstage, and there are plans to insert him into the main event soon enough and have him have a run as the World Champion.
However, Gunther will cross that bridge when he gets there. For now, his sights are set on his next challenger for the Intercontinental Championship. We will find out his WrestleMania opponent this week on SmackDown.
Click here for more Wrestling News
