WALTER given new controversial name on NXT 2.0
In a decision that has left fans dumbstruck, WWE changed WALTER's name to Gunther on tonight's episode of NXT.
WALTER is one of the most dominant athletes of the modern era, and many believe that he has a bright future ahead of him in WWE. The Austrian superstar is known for his historic 870-day reign as NXT UK Champion.
On tonight's episode of NXT 2.0, the 34-year-old star took on Roderick Strong in singles competition. After a hard-fought battle, he reigned supreme. He delivered a thunderous Powerbomb to Strong, which was enough for the victory.
After the win, he took the mic and announced the following:
“The winner of this match… Gunther.”
WALTER's name change didn't sit well with the WWE Universe
WALTER made his WWE debut in 2019, and went on to defeat Pete Dunne for the NXT UK title. He has been one of the most entertaining acts on WWE TV for a while now.
Recently, the company filed to trademark the term "Gunther Stark" and the news took Wrestling Twitter by storm. It was quickly pointed out that Gunther Stark was a captain lieutenant who served in the navy for Nazi Germany during World War II.
Some fans were worried that a current superstar was about to undergo a name change. Fans hadn't imagined in their wildest dreams that the superstar to get a name change would end up being the leader of Imperium. Check out a bunch of Twitter reactions below:
Hey .@ADL, the WWE gave one of their workers the name Gunther Stark, which was the name of a Nazi U Boat commander. Literally top Google result for that name, too.
Worst names given to a wrestler in WWE in the last 2 years
Von Wagner
Gunther Stark
Shorty G
Viking Experience
Doudrop
T bar
Mace
Reckoning
Retaliation
Slapjack
#WWENXT
WWE just renamed a popular wrestler GUNTHER STARK ... First google search - Gunther Stark Nazi military commander in World War II.
This company is done. They can't use even Google
I know some names are going to be shared, but they're MADE UP NAMES
Gunther Stark...
#WWENXT https://t.co/HYD5WdahcM
As of this moment, it looks like the former NXT UK Champion will go by the moniker of Gunther, and the last name has seemingly been dropped. It's highly likely that WWE noticed the social media outcry over the "Gunther Stark" trademark news and decided to simply go with "Gunther".
What are your thoughts on this name change? Share your reactions in the comment section below!