Walter Hahn is a proficient wrestler who hails from Austria. He is acknowledged as going by the stage name Gunther on the RAW brand.
Ring General is serving as the current and longest-reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion in his first reign breaking all records. Walter’s first notable triumph was winning the heavyweight title for Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw) in 2011.
Gunther entered WWE’s NXT UK brand after signing a contract with them in 2018. Initially, he entered the stage as WALTER, which stands for “We Are Fans of Techno and Electronic Rave.”
Gunther’s love of electronic music, which he has cited as having a significant effect on his wrestling style, served as the inspiration for the abbreviation.In NXT UK, WALTER made an immediate impact. Walter defeated Jack Starz in a singles match in January 2019 to make his WWE debut.
At NXT TakeOver: Blackpool in January 2019, WALTER faced Pete Dunne in one of his memorable matchups in NXT UK. With both wrestlers exhibiting their outstanding abilities and delighting the crowd, undoubtedly, the match was an immediate classic.
When did Walter become Gunther?
One of the most recalling events in NXT UK was when Ring General founded the Imperium faction with Marcel Barthel, (Ludwig Kaiser) and Fabian Aichner (Giovanni Vinci). Next comes Gunther’s 870-day reign as the NXT United Kingdom Champion, which set a record and was arguably the pinnacle of his professional career.
In 2020, Gunther eventually fell against Dragunov for the NXT UK Championship. It was a serious setback for Ring General. Walter vs. Ilja Dragunov was rated as a five-star match, and it is counted as an exciting match for Gunther.
WALTER vs. Ilja Dragunov, WWE NXT UK (10/29/2020) https://t.co/SleB01PSyE
— HANDWERK (@HandwerkReviews) November 2, 2020
Then, he ultimately made it to the WWE main roster, joining SmackDown after failing to defeat Bron Breakker for the latter’s NXT Championship. Walter’s name changed to Gunther, and his partner Marcel Barthel took him to the ring under the new reference Ludwig Kaiser after getting on SmackDown.
Soon after the coupling gained popularity among the audience, Walter, becoming Gunther, was able to acquire the Intercontinental Championship. Evidently, Walter getting to SmackDown as Gunther benefited him.
#SmackDownWorldCup Winner @KingRicochet receives his title chance against Intercontinental Champion @Gunther_AUT.
#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/uPA2i8jD0A
— WWE (@WWE) December 18, 2022
Gunther finally succeeded in dethroning Ricochet from the Intercontinental Championship after much effort. As of the latest, Gunther has defeated Chad Gable, and it will be exhilarating to watch who will be Ring General’s next target at Fastlane 2023.