Gunther has said the physique change before his WWE main-roster debut was his own decision—not an order from WWE. In a 2022 interview, he directly rejected reports that the company had told him to lose weight, explaining that he chose to adjust his presentation for a wider audience while still being himself.
Did WWE make Gunther lose weight?
According to Gunther, no. Asked in an April 2022 interview with SPORT1 whether WWE boss Vince McMahon had ordered him to lose weight, he said: “Nein, das ist komplett falsch. Bei WWE hat mir da niemand was in die Richtung gesagt, es war komplette Eigeninitiative.” In English: “No, that is completely false. Nobody at WWE said anything of that sort to me; it was entirely my own initiative.”
That is Gunther’s account of why he changed his physique, rather than independent proof of every detail behind the change. It does, however, directly contradict the claim that WWE instructed him to do it.
Why did Gunther change his physique?
Before his WWE main-roster run, Gunther was widely known in other promotions as WALTER. He said he had been comfortable with his earlier physique and admired old-school heavyweight wrestlers. Ahead of joining WWE’s broader audience, he chose to adapt his look without abandoning his identity as a wrestler.
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In a 2024 interview with The Ringer, he described wanting to “bring the best version of myself.” In a 2026 interview recap, WrestleTalk quoted him saying: “I knew I had to adjust it and find a way to still stay myself, but just give it a fresh look.” The accounts consistently present the change as his choice to make his presentation fit a new, wider audience.
When did Gunther make his SmackDown debut?
Gunther made his WWE main-roster debut on SmackDown alongside Ludwig Kaiser on April 8, 2022, the episode after WrestleMania 38, according to WWE’s official profile and WrestleTalk’s recap. SPORT1’s April 28 interview described the debut as having taken place about three weeks earlier. Before then, he had built his reputation as WALTER in independent wrestling and NXT UK.
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How much weight did Gunther lose?
Published figures differ, and the sources reviewed do not establish an audited before-and-after total.
| Source | Reported figure | What it establishes |
|---|---|---|
| SPORT1, April 2022 | 25 kg | The figure used in the interview feature’s headline and subheading; not an official measurement record. |
| USA Insider, November 2022 | Almost 70 pounds | The figure reported in the feature introduction; not an audited total. |
| WWE profile, checked October 8, 2026 | 250 pounds | His current billed profile weight, not a record of his previous weight or amount lost. |
Because those figures are presented differently and no before-and-after measurement history is provided, neither reported loss should be treated as definitive. WWE’s current profile also cannot be used to calculate an exact total.
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What diet or training plan did he use?
The interviews and profile cited here do not identify a specific diet, workout program, supplement, or medical intervention behind the transformation. There is no substantiated regimen to attribute to Gunther, and his appearance alone does not establish anything about his health.
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