Interesting details on GUNTHER's SmackDown opponent; past AEW connection disclosed
An interesting bit of information has come out on GUNTHER's opponent from tonight's episode of SmackDown.
GUNTHER made his big debut on WWE SmackDown on tonight's edition of the blue brand. He took on independent wrestler Joe Alonzo in singles competition, and it didn't take long for him to dispose of the young star.
Joe Alonzo is a familiar name among All Elite Wrestling fans. He used to hold the camera for current AEW star Sammy Guevara during his vlogs. Alonzo made news last year when he interrupted an AEW panel during the All Out Fan Fest.
He then had a heated verbal exchange with Fuego Del Sol before being escorted out of the building by security personnel. Alonzo later shared a video of the incident on his official Instagram handle.
Check out the video below:
Joe Alonzo had wrestled a bunch of matches on WWE TV before his outing against GUNTHER
Tonight's match against GUNTHER wasn't Alonzo's first one in WWE. On the March 21, 2022, episode of WWE Main Event, Alonzo took on Veer Mahaan in a losing effort. Before making it to WWE, Alonzo had also wrestled a bunch of matches on AEW Dark.
As for GUNTHER, he has arrived on the main roster alongside Ludwig Kaiser (formerly known as Marcel Barthel). The former Imperium member was a part of NXT UK, where he held the title for a whopping 870 days before moving to NXT in the US.
Music to Ludwig Kaiser's ears.
@Gunther_AUT's symphony of destruction is underway on the blue brand! #SmackDown https://t.co/mkfjkWnS5w
Last year, the former NXT UK Champion opened up on a potential main roster call-up:
"That’s not a scenario I’ve talked about with them. I don’t know. I’m happy in the situation I’m in now. I’m the only guy who holds a European championship in WWE and I’m a representative of European wrestling. To be authentic with that, I’ve kind of got to live in Europe if that makes sense [laughs]. Going forward, nobody can stay on top forever. At some point, that’s the nature of it. Nobody did that before [being unbeaten forever], so we’ll see what the future brings," he said. [H/T TalkSPORT]
Now that the former NXT UK star has made his way to the big leagues, it remains to be seen how he fares against the very best that WWE has to offer.
Will GUNTHER become a major star on the main roster in the near future? Let us know in the comments section below.
Check out the results from the latest episode of SmackDown here.