The last time Mail Sport spoke to WWE’s Gunther, he has just come to the end of his reign as intercontinental champion. He finished that run at WrestleMania as the man who held that belt for the longest time in its history.
Now, just months later, he is the world heavyweight champion, his first world title reign, and, for most, it felt like a matter of time until that happened.
‘It’s definitely a bigger position than before,’ he tells Mail Sport, speaking on how he feels with what was previously the ‘big gold’ around his waist. ‘But I’ve been approaching it the same way as before. I always take what I do very seriously, and that hasn’t changed yet. That’s what I came here for, to be in the top spot.’
What you see is what you get with Gunther. There are no laughs or jokes. His answers are to the point. But that’s what’s got him to where he is today as one of the best wrestlers in the world.
‘Whenever you’re a champion, it’s on you to make that title the most meaningful thing around,’ he continues. ‘It doesn’t matter if you intercontinental champion or world heavyweight champion, that should be your approach. If that’s not the case, then maybe you’re not suited for that position.’
WWE’s world heavyweight champion Gunther has risen through the ranks in recent months
An iconic intercontinental champion, he is now carrying the responsibility of holding a world title
Gunther’s intercontinental title reign – the longest of all time – ended at WrestleMania
Gunther hasn’t really looked back since becoming world champion, despite the association he will now have with the intercontinental accolade forever. He was due to face Jey Uso – the man who holds the belt now – at WWE’s upcoming Manchester show, but that has now been changed to a street fight against Kofi Kingston.
‘I’m going to focus on myself,’ he adds. ‘But to do that, I need to keep up with things a little bit.
‘I’m going to be in Manchester still. And yeah, I will have an opponent. But I think that’s what makes those events special as well, because the dynamic in WWE, we’re moving very fast, and it’s very spontaneous. Sometimes that changes.
‘Good for Jey. He worked very long for that achievement. It took him his whole career till now to achieve a singles championship in WWE – it took me way shorter than that, to be honest – but good for him. Congratulations.’
As a ‘proud European’, shows in the United Kingdom are among some of the best for Gunther. It’s recently been rumoured that Manchester or Birmingham could play host to the Elimination Chamber next year, with the hope that the success of Money in the Bank and Clash at the Castle will be built upon.
‘I obviously enjoy a lot coming to Europe,’ Gunther adds. ‘What should I say? Whenever I have the chance to come back, it’s very special to me.
‘The company’s looking for international expansion right now, and to be one of the guys that is at the forefront of moving things more into Europe, I’m very happy to be in that situation, and I’ll do my best to accomplish the most for the company and for the sport.’
He is set to face Sami Zayn (left), the man who beat him for the intercontinental title, at Bad Blood on Saturday
The Austrian spoke of his pride at being at the forefront of WWE’s recent European work
And then there’s his sidekick, the highly-rated Ludwig Kaiser. The two have been by each others’ sides in one way or another for over 15 years – a famous photo from 2008 shows how they have grown.
‘I think [it’s] pretty obvious,’ Gunther says when asked to describe their relationship. ‘Somebody that I shared my career pathway for most of my career, and I’m glad we’re still here together.
‘I’m doing my thing, he’s doing his thing. I think the best of him is still to come, but throughout the process, I think we’ll always have that connection. It’s a good thing.’
An imminent return to Europe is on the cards. After Bad Blood on Saturday in Atlanta, where Gunther will defend his title against the ‘annoying’ Sami Zayn, it’s a trip to the United Kingdom and Manchester.
He will be in action in the United Kingdom when WWE Live is in Manchester on October 16
It’s a sip of water and onto the next as the interview comes to a close. A man of few words, but many moves. Though a particular taste and style, Gunther is fan favourite. And it’s clear to see why.
Tickets for WWE Live in Manchester on Wednesday, October 16th, are available now from Ticketmaster.co.uk
