Before Gunther was the mega star he is now, he was known in the ring as Walter. According to a new report, the name change came directly from Vince McMahon.
Vince McMahon’s decision to rename Walter as Gunther in WWE came from concerns about a potential nickname
According to a new report from wrestling reporter Dave Meltzer, McMahon was behind the idea to change Gunther’s name from Walter. In a post on social media, Meltzer noted that he was worried people might start calling him “Wally,” and that wasn’t a name that Vince wanted for someone who would eventually go on to become a major heel.
At the time, Gunther was going by Walter, his original and real name. He became known by several nicknames throughout his time in wrestling, but kept the name when joining WWE. He wrestled a ton under the name and was successful in NXT with it as well, but made the change to his current moniker in 2022.
Gunther’s name change definitely came as a shock at first. However, fans did get used to it, and it seems to have worked out. Gunther has gone on to become one of WWE’s biggest stars, and one of its biggest heels. Currently, Gunther is involved in a feud with Nick Aldis, who he’ll be wrestling against at SummerSlam in a huge match.
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