Gunther

Walter Hahn, known professionally as Gunther, was born on August 20, 1987, in Vienna, Austria. His interest in professional wrestling began at a young age, influenced by WWE shows and tapes of promotions like All Japan Pro Wrestling. He also played football as a goalkeeper until age 15. Gunther started his wrestling training in Vienna in 2005 under Michael Kovac, emphasizing amateur wrestling to build a strong foundation. His early career saw him compete across various independent promotions, establishing a reputation for a stiff, hard-hitting style inspired by wrestling legends such as Stan Hansen, Big Van Vader, and Kenta Kobashi. He wrestled under names like Big Van Walter and Big Daddy Walter, making his debut on November 19, 2005. Early rivalries included matches with future wXw colleagues John Klinger and Absolute Andy, and he also competed against notable names like Colt Cabana and Pac.

Gunther’s career saw significant development in Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw) in Germany, where he became a three-time wXw Unified World Wrestling Champion and a four-time wXw World Tag Team Champion. He also served as the head trainer of the wXw Wrestling Academy from 2015 to 2020. His presence extended to other independent circuits, including Progress Wrestling in the UK, where he held the Progress Atlas Championship twice and the Progress World Championship once, and Over the Top Wrestling (OTT) in Ireland, winning the OTT World Championship. In North America, he gained recognition in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG), winning the PWG World Championship in 2018. His commitment to authenticity in wrestling is encapsulated by his motto, “Die Matte ist Heilig” (The Mat is Sacred), reflecting a philosophy focused on the sport’s purity and combat-oriented narrative.

In November 2018, Gunther signed with WWE, initially assigned to the NXT UK brand. He quickly became a dominant force, winning the NXT United Kingdom Championship in April 2019 and holding it for a record 870 days, the longest reign for that title. His ring name changed to Gunther in January 2022 upon transitioning to the NXT brand, and he made his main roster debut on SmackDown in April 2022. Just two months later, he captured the WWE Intercontinental Championship, marking him as the first Austrian to achieve this. Gunther went on to break records, becoming the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion of all time with a 666-day reign. In 2024, he won the King of the Ring tournament and subsequently secured his first World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam, solidifying his status as a top-tier performer in WWE. He has since won the World Heavyweight Championship a record-tying two times and continues to be a central figure in the company’s programming.