Walter is one of the most decorated superstars that NXT UK has to offer. His hard-hitting dominating style of wrestling differs totally from the current generation of wrestlers. He was the NXT UK Champion for 870 days before losing it to Ilja Dragunov.
Walter recently had his last match in the NXT UK division and now will be full-time at NXT 2.0.
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In the latest episode of NXT 2.0, Walter returned to NXT 2.0 with a match against Roderick Strong. After the match, he announced that he will be now be called Gunther Stark.
Guten tag, Gunther 🤨@WalterAUT #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/R7mvf1rv2T
— WWE on BT Sport (@btsportwwe) January 19, 2022
Fans were left shocked by the sudden name change by WWE. Many fans, wrestling news pages, and ex-WWE wrestlers showed their disappointment on Twitter. Keith Lee also tweeted to showcase his disappointment.
Keith Lee, in his tweet, said, “Man….if what I’m hearing is real….Poor Walter”
Man….if what I'm hearing is real….
Poor Walter.
— Selective Lee (@RealKeithLee) January 19, 2022
The WWE 2K devs having to change all the WALTER trons and graphics pic.twitter.com/gMmJxOqJ5r
— TIGER DRIVER (@TigerDriver9X) January 19, 2022
Many fans don’t want to acknowledge Gunther as they are still not over the Walter Era.
NAH BRO HE'S WALTER TO ME AND THAT'S FINAL. 😂😭
— Denise Salcedo (@_denisesalcedo) January 19, 2022
I think we can all collectively agree his name is still WALTER.
— Fiending For Followers ‼️ (@Fiend4FolIows) January 19, 2022
Some fans made a reference to Gunther from the TV sitcom F.R.I.E.N.D.S.
Wrestling Twitter right now pic.twitter.com/Uw5tpgykB6
— Ryan Satin (@ryansatin) January 19, 2022
They really changed his name from WALTER to Gunther #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/52Bg3JQyBD
— tommy1211 (@wehaveagronk) January 19, 2022
It’s still unclear why WWE did the name change. Maybe WWE is again going with a totally anti-American gimmick. Walter was already a fan favorite with his old name, and that’s why this change surprised everyone.
They made WALTER a Nazi submarine commander. https://t.co/TxfMB2SjGn
— David Bixenspan (@davidbix) January 19, 2022
😲😲😲
They gonna make WALTER a Nazi!??
A Nazi named Gunther Stark!?
Is this what we're doing now, WWE!?
More Anti-American BS? pic.twitter.com/OffBDLWRbn
— Just Alyx (@JustAlyxCentral) January 19, 2022
HBK: Bruce, I don't think a name change is needed
Bruce: WALTER doesn't sound MAIN EVENT enough PAL! We need something MORE!
HBK: We got it right for 3 years…
Bruce: How about a NAZI U-Boat Commander named GUNTHER. IT LITERALLY PRINTS MONEY…
HBK: Bruce…
Bruce: pic.twitter.com/fHvwTfAsCZ
— JDfromNY (@JDfromNY206) January 19, 2022
Is WWE planning something big for him? Or it was just a name change to show his arrival in NXT 2.0? Well, fans will just have to wait and see what WWE has planned for ‘Gunther.’
What is next for Walter in NXT 2.0?
Last time Walter came to NXT, it was still the black and gold brand. Since it has turned into NXT 2.0, this is the first time Walter will be on the show full-time.
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Walter is a former NXT UK Champion and was champion for a long time. However, since losing his title, he has not been seen in any title picture. Although, Walter can now challenge the North American Champion Carmelo Hayes.
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Let’s hope Walter will have a dominating run this version of NXT like the way he had in NXT UK. Are you excited about Walter’s future in the company? What do you think of the name change? Let us know.