Subhojeet Mukherjee on April 19, 2026
GUNTHER isn’t interested in switching things up — he’s fully committed to staying a heel for the long run.
During a recent appearance on the Club 520 podcast, GUNTHER opened up about how he views crowd reactions and why he has no problem being hated by audiences, even as his popularity continues to grow.
When asked what kind of reaction he prefers during his entrance, GUNTHER made it clear that boos or cheers don’t matter — as long as people are reacting. He then explained why he takes pride in fully leaning into his role, especially when it comes to being someone fans love to hate.
“Dude, as long as it’s a reaction, I’m fine. I’m kind of proud of that—I can commit to being hated. I’m cool with that. I think a lot of guys struggle when there’s no positive response, but I really like it.”
GUNTHER didn’t stop there. He doubled down on his identity as a disruptor and made it clear that’s exactly how he sees the rest of his career playing out. He also made it clear he has no issue letting others take on the traditional “hero” role instead.
“I like to be the disruptor, and yeah—I try to stick with that for the rest of my career, to be honest. If somebody else can be the superhero, that’s fine for me.”
The conversation then shifted to the idea that fans are starting to cheer him despite his heel persona — something that often happens over time in wrestling. From there, GUNTHER broke down how audience reactions evolve, pointing to how constant exposure and time away can completely change how fans feel about a performer.
“Yeah, I think that’s a natural progression anyway. First of all, when you’re there all the time, they get tired of you. Then you go away for a little bit, come back—and everybody loves you, everybody missed you.”
He even brought up John Cena as an example, explaining how fan perception can shift dramatically over time. GUNTHER wrapped it up by pointing out how hindsight often changes how fans view a wrestler’s work — even if the reaction in the moment is negative.
“One of the funny things with the whole John Cena retirement tour—if we’re honest, people hated that guy when he was always there. Everybody was like, ‘Ah, he’s boring,’ blah, blah, blah. But that’s the funny thing about wrestling—you go away, and then people look back and appreciate what you did. In the moment, everybody’s sour—‘I don’t like this, I don’t like that.’ But in hindsight, everybody loved it.”
Even with that understanding, GUNTHER made it clear he’s not planning to chase a babyface turn just because reactions might shift.
“So who knows—maybe that shift will come at some point. But I’m not going to force it.”
Bottom line — GUNTHER knows exactly what he is, and he’s not about to switch it up just to get cheers. If anything, he’s leaning harder into being the guy people love to hate, and as long as the reactions keep coming, he’s right where he wants to be.
Do you think GUNTHER should stay a heel long-term, or would a future babyface run make his character even bigger? Let us know your thoughts.
Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.
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