Gunther thinks that being eliminated quickly in a 2019 Survivor Series match only added to his popularity.
Before officially joining the main roster full-time earlier this year, Gunther (formerly known as WALTER) had a few select appearances on main roster shows. Once of those appearances came on the 2019 Survivor Series pay-per-view, when Gunther was a part of Team NXT in a three way elimination tag match. At that time, Gunther was in the midst of an 870 day reign as NXT UK Champion.
Fans were shocked when Gunther was the first person eliminated from that match, especially because his elimination came within the first three minutes of the bout.
In a new interview with Steve Fall of Ten Count, Gunther talked about the moment and revealed that he thinks it only added to his popularity.
“That’s just how things go sometimes. There is not much you can say. There was a decision that was made, and you go along with it and try to make the best of it. But I don’t know, I don’t think it was negative. Just hearing the crowd reactions when I came in the match, and then getting eliminated early, I think that did something to me. I think when you have a fanbase or something like that, and something, especially in wrestling, something happens to you that they think is not right for you, they’re gonna be very vocal about it, and they’re gonna be very loud about it. So I think it added to my popularity in that sense, I would say, because a lot of people spoke about it. So I think no harm was done, and everybody needs to be able to take a humbling experience here and there, so I’m totally fine with it."
Gunther has gone on to have a successful career on WWE's main roster, as he currently is a top star on the SmackDown brand. Currently, Gunther is the Intercontinental Champion and has held the belt for over 150 days.
Elsewhere in the interview, Gunther explained why his reign with the NXT UK Championship isn't comparable to Roman Reigns' current run with the Universal Championship. To learn more, click here.
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