Having reservations about integrating into the American wrestling world, GUNTHER initially balked at joining WWE.
While recently featuring on “The Ariel Helwani Show,” GUNTHER disclosed that he was first propositioned by William Regal who persuaded him to commit by highlighting the lucrative opportunities.
NXT UK eventually proved to be the right environment for GUNTHER, marking a milestone in his career history.
In GUNTHER’s words, “First to get in touch with me was Mr. Regal. I had seen him previously at PWG, a place he frequented. He suggested, ‘Come over, you can make money here.’ [Laughs] Despite his attempts, I declined twice. I never envisioned myself there. What I brought to the table was my persona. I’m glad to develop and enhance myself, but I am always just going to be me. I have never been keen on living another person’s dream. I was more interested in doing what felt right for me. Fortunately, NXT allowed me to do that while also continuing to stay based in Europe for some time.”
He proceeded, “Financial considerations do play a role at some stage. As a sportsman, one is always looking to elevate to the subsequent higher challenge. I did everything within my power for the company in Germany and the independents. There was a brief opportunity. New Japan didn’t make a move, and there was no other alternative. Ring of Honor also made an offer. In the end, you reach an age where you have to consider your future and where you can earn the most. I had immense trust in Hunter and his guidance.”
Kurt Angle acknowledged that the antagonistic “You Suck” chants from the audience came as a result of his being a villain in his subsequent WWE career.
While interacting with Sportskeeda recently, Angle indicated that he was aware the chants were part of his persona. In his words,
“No, not at all. I understood it was because I was playing the villain. Edge is the one who introduced it. The fans used to chant ‘Angle!’ to my song, then one evening Edge did a promo and suggested, ‘They shouldn’t cheer Angle, they should cheer ‘you suck,’ and that’s when it became a trend.”