The late Ultimate Warrior is a WWE Hall of Famer, and few would argue that he deserves that honor. But is he one of the best professional wrestlers of all time?
It depends on your definition, and current WWE Intercontinental Champion Gunther raised some eyebrows recently when he made it clear that the Warrior didn’t fit his.
While appearing on “The Bump,” Gunther and his Imperium lieutenant Ludwig Kaiser caught the hosts a bit off guard with how dismissive they were about Ultimate Warrior.
“Those are the real dark ages in our sport,” said Gunther.
“Bodybuilders and showmen,” added Kaiser.
“Yeah look at that, he is a showman,” Gunther said. “He’s not an athlete, not a professional wrestler. He’s a showman.
“So now everybody knows why I had to be the one to keep this title for the longest time in history to wash its reputation clean and set it to a new standard.”
Lest anyone think that Gunther would back down in the wake of widespread discussion of his comments, his social media post today put that to idea to rest.
Just one of the reasons for my selfless mission…. pic.twitter.com/mst1xJdCwK
— GUNTHER (@Gunther_AUT) November 15, 2023
It’s worth noting that this very much ties into Gunther’s current program with The Miz. While The Miz — who has held the Intercontinental Championship eight times — is attempting to regain respect for his in-ring prowess, Gunther has consistently been dismissing him as a sports entertainer and not a professional wrestler.
Still, in the minds of some, being put in the same basket as Ultimate Warrior wouldn’t be all that bad. For Gunther, though, it is definitely an insult and not a compliment. Never stop being you, Ring General.