Why Gunther Really Turned Down WWE Offers
World Heavyweight Champion Gunther has explained what finally convinced him to join WWE after turning down the company twice.
After dominating the independent scene in Europe, Gunther – then known as Walter – joined WWE in early 2019, moving through the ranks in NXT UK and NXT before graduating to the main roster.
But according to the man himself, he turned down a couple of offers from WWE for a very good reason before finally being convinced to make his mark in the sports entertainment behemoth.
Gunther Admits Finances Played A Part In WWE Move
Speaking to Ariel Helwani, Gunther revealed that William Regal was instrumental in bringing him to WWE but he was hesitant on the move as he didn’t want to portray someone else’s idea of what he should be:
Mr. Regal called me first. I met him at PWG before. He would always come to PWG.
He just said, ‘Come over, you can make money here.’ [Laughs]. I was still stubborn, ‘No.’ I said no two times. I never saw myself there. I always thought what I got to offer was me. I’m happy to work on myself and improve on myself, but I’m always going to be me. I was never interested in portraying somebody else’s fantasy. I always wanted to do what was right for me to do. With NXT, they gave me the opportunity to do that and stay based in Europe for a little bit.
At the end, it comes down to finances too, at some point. As an athlete, you always want to step up to the next challenge to some degree. I did everything I could for the company in Germany and the indies. There is usually a small window there.
New Japan didn’t really move, and there was nothing else. I had an offer from Ring of Honor back then, too. At the end it was, you’re a certain age, and you have to think about your future and where you can make the most money. I had a lot of trust in Hunter and his vision.
Gunther explained why NJPW never made a move for him leaving his path clear to join WWE where he has found incredible success. The Ring General will defend his World Heavyweight Championship against Jey Uso at WrestleMania 41.