Gunther has undergone a dramatic weight loss and body transformation and claims to have lost some pounds. No one at WWE pushed Gunther to lose weight, but he felt it was something he needed to do to advance in the company.
Walter Gunther Hahn (born August 20, 1987) is a professional wrestler and trainer from Austria. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs under the ring name GÜNTHER on the SmackDown brand and is the current WWE Intercontinental Champion in his first reign. Hahn has appeared in several independent promotions all over the world. He is a former Progress Wrestling and PWG World Champion, as well as a former Progress Unified World Champion.
Walter is a five-time world wrestling champion and the first Austrian to compete in WWE. He is a former NXT United Kingdom Champion who holds the record for the longest reign in WWE history at 870 days, which is the longest championship reign since 1988.
Gunther has responded to rumors that Vince McMahon asked him to lose a significant amount of weight. Fans have been taken aback by his incredible body transformation. Let us discover the truth! What caused Gunther’s weight loss?
Previously, we touched on the weight loss stories of Caleb Swanigan and Jorge Garcia.
Gunther’s Weight Loss Journey: How Much Weight Did the WWE Star Lose?
Gunther has officially arrived on Friday Night SmackDown, and his performance and significant weight loss have already wowed fans. The former WWE NXT UK Champion had been waiting for his chance to dance with the big boys, and now he has it. He left an indelible mark on the yellow brand, holding the record for the longest title reign of 870 days. In addition to terrorizing the roster with Imperium, he captivated fans with his rivalry with LA Knight.
The Austrian powerhouse reportedly lost 30 pounds prior to his SmackDown victory. He had a slightly fleshier build when he was in NXT. He now has a much more typical athletic physique. Moreover, the trainer also objects to the 264-pound beast competing in a tag team. And, Gunther’s weight loss journey was entirely his own idea.
However, it was clear to him that if he wanted to take the next big step, the wrestler needed to present more to the general public. Personally, he has always admired old-school Japanese wrestlers who still had a belly and resembled a butcher. Emulating such idols also worked for him because, up until now, he has catered to the so-called hardcore wrestling audience.
However, the WWE’s main roster is on a global stage, the conditions are different. Gunther desired to present himself in a different manner. And he was well prepared for it in the months leading up to his move to the United States. No one can tell him that anyone who happens to turn on the TV wouldn’t think he looked better through a weight loss transformation and more credible before than he does now.
Why Did WWE SmackDown Superstar Gunther Change His Name?
The fact that Walter Gunther Hahn (@gunther_aut) is no longer going by the name Walter is big news in the wrestling world. WWE chose to change his name to Gunther Stark, which they recently shortened to Gunther following backlash from fans who pointed out that Google’s top result for Gunther Stark was that of a German U-Boat Commander for the Second World War.
Gunther discussed his name change on this week’s NXT 2.0 episode, which also featured a new Imperium promo (Gunther, NXT Tag Team Champions Marcel Barthel, and Fabian Aichner). However, he stated that it is time to move on from the past and usher in a new era. It is his ambition to stand on his own two feet, to leave a new legacy, and to put the Walter persona behind him.
Furthermore, saying the word Imperium means success and dominance, and the same can be said for his name, which is known all over the world. Furthermore, it was the name given to him by his parents in honor of his family patriarch, his grandfather, who introduced him to this great sport.
This is WWE’s kayfabe explanation for what appears to be an oversight with the Gunther name. WWE quickly dropped the last name in favor of a one-word moniker, which they’ve been known to do before. It feels like scrambling, but it might all work out in the end.
According to one commenter on WWE’s YouTube video of the promo, “Such an unnecessary change that brought so much backlash that didn’t need. The Stark part is cut, but this could have been something completely avoided if they just kept his name being Walter.” A few people commented that they’d still call him Walter no matter what.
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