As a seasoned veteran who spent nearly two decades honing his craft in the dojos of Europe and Japan, GUNTHER has a unique perspective on the new wave of WWE talent.
The former Intercontinental Champion recently shared his thoughts on the challenges younger superstars face in today’s wrestling landscape, and offered high praise for the “world-class elite athletes” now coming through the WWE Performance Center and NXT system.
Unlike the territory and independent circuits where GUNTHER’s generation learned their craft, the current developmental structure produces most of WWE’s main roster talent. While the system has its strengths, GUNTHER acknowledged a major challenge for the modern rookie.
Speaking on Six Feet Under with The Undertaker, GUNTHER explained that fewer non-televised live events make it harder for up-and-coming talent to get valuable “reps” in front of a live crowd. “Right now, we’re in a spot where it’s maybe a little bit tricky for the younger guys that just came to the main roster… we didn’t really do much live events anymore, so I feel like it’s hard for them to get reps in.”
He continued, “Training in the ring is one thing, but having a match is the best exercise you can really do. That’s why, before, when you start, you try to wrestle wherever you can.”
Despite this hurdle, GUNTHER is impressed with the athletic caliber of today’s recruits, singling out Bron Breakker and The Creed Brothers as prime examples. “Those guys are crazy athletes… they come in with the raw material of being world-class elite athletes, and they transition to a lot of things that I think would have taken me five or six years at the beginning to get to.”
He added, “Bron is a good example of the younger generation — he takes it fully serious. Here to work, here to deliver.”
GUNTHER’s respect for the new system — despite coming from the old-school grind — shows that while the journey to WWE stardom may have changed, the end goal remains the same: creating world-class performers ready to thrive under the bright lights.
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