During his time on the brand, Gunther (formerly known as WALTER) dominated most of the NXT UK roster. The Austrian star held onto the NXT UK Championship for 870 days before losing the title to Ilja Dragunov.
In a recent interview on Out of Character with Ryan Satin, Gunther spoke about his matches with Dragunov and how he felt his time in NXT UK came to a fitting end.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
Gunther on transitioning from NXT UK to the United States and the reason he thinks he outgrew NXT UK: “I think I’m one of those people who really kind of profited from the pandemic. I had my rivalry with Ilja going on in NXT UK, and I think that was one of those matches that really got good exposure. During the COVID time was my title match with Ilja [Dragunov], and I think we really benefitted from the empty arena, that there was no crowd noise or anything like that. We both had a very intense style and stuff like that, and that match really stood out, and yeah, it put us in a position where a lot of eyes were on us and stuff like that. So I think I profited a lot from that time, and it also gave me a chance to take it a little bit easy for a little bit, in terms of schedule and stuff like that. But then as it picked up a little bit again, we always had training camps at NXT UK up to the tapings and stuff. So we were a good amount of time busy and active actually in the ring over the year. But I feel like I did my bid in NXT UK during the pandemic and gave my best to keep it going, keep it interesting during the time. I outgrew it a little bit, and I felt like it was time to move on.”
On his rivalry with Ilja Dragunov: “It was physical, obviously, but that’s what wrestling is like. Ilja and I have known each for a very long time. For a few years, we worked with each other in Germany and stuff like that and I really saw Ilja growing over the years into the wrestler he is now. So, we always have a good real-life connection. And in the ring, we always have great chemistry. I think we are both on the same page when it comes to how do we think this sport should be executed or presented. It has to be authentic. My vision for wrestling is it always needs to be dramatic comeptition. You’re always able to set the tone yourself and how people perceive your match.”
After leaving NXT UK, Gunther would make his way to the main roster. He defeated Ricochet on SmackDown to capture the Intercontinental Championship.
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