Snitsky's back acne Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 I'm seeing a few reports that WALTER is on his way to NXT which, if true, is great and Bron Breakker vs WALTER could be awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awards Moderator HarmonicGenerator Posted January 7, 2022 Awards Moderator Share Posted January 7, 2022 1 minute ago, Snitsky's back acne said: I'm seeing a few reports that WALTER is on his way to NXT which, if true, is great and Bron Breakker vs WALTER could be awesome. NXT UK's website had a link to him talking about his "legacy" there, which suggested to me he was leaving. I can't remember why I was on the NXT UK website. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members BomberPat Posted January 7, 2022 Paid Members Share Posted January 7, 2022 2 minutes ago, Snitsky's back acne said: I'm seeing a few reports that WALTER is on his way to NXT which, if true, is great and Bron Breakker vs WALTER could be awesome. His match with Nathan Frazer next week is being billed as his "Last Stand" in NXT:UK, though he's not actually wrestled there since last April anyway. I'd assume that the intention is to move him over to NXT full-time, though I did notice that next week will be three years to the day since he signed with WWE, so I wonder if there's an outside chance he signed a three year deal and his contract is coming up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidB6937 Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 I've wanted WALTER in NXT properly for a while. Seems like a bit of weird timing now. Does he fit into 2.0 really? I guess I'd happily watch him destroy anyone really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loki Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 (edited) 10 minutes ago, DavidB6937 said: Does he fit into 2.0 really? Not at all - but they did drop a big hint during his match on the show that he might be after the NXT Championship so I guess that's the direction. Walter's a weird one - he wrestles on the lowest tier of the ladder (NXT:UK) but whenever he's appeared on other brands or PPVs he's presented as a Very Big Deal and a huge threat. So they (HHH) are/were obviously sweet on him even though he's never really wanted to wrestle in the US full time. This feels like exactly the WRONG moment for him to move to NXT and the US as I don't think he fits into this WWE, so obviously that's what they're going to do - and he'll be released within the year. Edited January 7, 2022 by Loki Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Fatty Facesitter Posted January 19, 2022 Paid Members Share Posted January 19, 2022 Right. Walter (I'm not capping it up) and his name change then. This will obviously be a measure by WWE to create an intellectual property and monetise a new name, which they'll have full rights to in the event that he eventually gets released and markets himself accordingly. It's the usual daft WWE puerility and they shouldn't even be remotely surprised with the backlash that's come with it. Hopefully they change it back. ...But. Here's the thing - he's so fucking good. In fact, should they press on with Gunther, he's so good that I think he's actually good enough to rise above the imbecilic name change and make the whole thing work. He's a unique, agile, big, meaty bastard who both looks and sounds the part. Nothing that people who have been watching him for a long time didn't already know, but there's just so much potential within him that's about to become a more regular occurrence on a bigger platform. There are understandably concerns that he might not be suited to the new NXT, with its new colourful outlook that's been ejaculated over the new branding. I'm of the opposite persuasion - I think it makes him perfect for the new NXT. He's the complete antithesis of it all in terms of every aspect of his look and in ring style, which consequently makes him completely stand out compared to everyone else they have on their books. You genuinely buy him as a legitimate ring general, and he carries the magical aura of a big fight feel around with him. The match with Roderick Strong was another good showcase for him - though could have done without the mass brawl at the end to take some of the shine off. That could easily have been saved for next week. Quick take on a different part of the show this week - Dante Chen's return, consequently followed up by Duke Hudson's return. They actually put together a decent little package for Dante talking about his return from injury, honouring his recently deceased father, representing his nation, etc. It was quick, but it painted a good overall picture of who he is, his motivations and why people should give a shit about him. They have a world class video production team at their disposal able to put these packages together, and more of the 2.0 contingent could do with something like that. But then, two minutes into his comeback match and after that promo has aired, he gets taken out by another returnee in Duke Hudson. Why ruin one return for the sake of another in the same segment? You're just cutting off your nose to spite your boat. You could quite easily split the returns a week apart, or in different segments on the same show, therefore getting yourself two for the price of one. And then they have Duke spout utter absurdity with his 'So stay out of my way!' line...nobody was in your way, because you weren't even scheduled to appear. And you're delivering this line leaning in to the camera, therefore putting the cameraman in your way as well when you're telling people to do the opposite. It's utter lunacy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WyattSheepMask Posted January 20, 2022 Share Posted January 20, 2022 I understand the reasoning behind the name change and wanting a name they can own etc. Fucking Gunther though Vince: “This Walter guy doesn’t sound German enough. Call him Gunther” Some poor sod: “But Mr McMahon sir, Walter is from Austria” Vince: “Like I said, he doesn’t sound German enough” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Supremo Posted January 20, 2022 Paid Members Share Posted January 20, 2022 I think this snippet, from Scotty Too Hotty’s interview with Jericho, is way more interesting than Walter changing his name. “We got to the Performance Center for television, we don’t have any fans outside. For the longest time, there weren’t any fans. And then in the building, it’s all in-house people, so we were wearing our NXT tracksuits,” he said. “But as soon it started to change and Hunter went away. The other guys started to come in it was, ‘okay we are back to business casual now.’ Then the next week, this is awesome. Next week it was, ‘Vince wants the coaches looking younger. So we need you guys to start dying your beards and cutting your hair.’ The coaches. I literally lost sleep over that.” https://amp.wrestlinginc.com/news/2022/01/scotty-2-hotty-reveals-odd-request-vince-mcmahon-had-for-nxt-coaches Telling the coaches, who aren’t even on TV, to dye their hair to look younger. What a bunch of nutters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Infinity Land Posted January 20, 2022 Share Posted January 20, 2022 1 hour ago, WyattSheepMask said: I understand the reasoning behind the name change and wanting a name they can own etc. Fucking Gunther though It's not just about owning the name, it's about handicapping the negotiating power of the talents involved. Whenever the licencing agreement on WALTER comes up the talent could look for improved terms on their deal or go elsewhere with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members air_raid Posted January 20, 2022 Paid Members Share Posted January 20, 2022 On 1/7/2022 at 1:04 PM, Loki said: Walter's a weird one He sure is. I’ve never seen the appeal much but his fans on the indies were absolutely rabid, like the worst Cena fans I ever saw. I enjoyed his matches when I was cheering for someone tough enough to hit him back as hard (Matt Riddle) or a talented babyface playing underdog (Tyler Bate), but I’d never cheer for him. “Stiffness” means fuck all to me if I don’t get into the story of the match, so usually I look at him as a bland bully at Indy level but not big enough to be a monster in WWE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awards Moderator HarmonicGenerator Posted January 20, 2022 Awards Moderator Share Posted January 20, 2022 1 hour ago, WyattSheepMask said: I understand the reasoning behind the name change and wanting a name they can own etc. Fucking Gunther though Vince: “This Walter guy doesn’t sound German enough. Call him Gunther” Some poor sod: “But Mr McMahon sir, Walter is from Austria” Vince: “Like I said, he doesn’t sound German enough” Should have gone with ARNOLD. I think what’s so jarring is that the name change is happening, what, three years into his WWE run, but with no gimmick change to accompany it. It’s not a Husky Harris to Bray Wyatt or anything like that. I suppose if they’re treating the NXT 2.0 audience as a new entity it doesn’t matter, and I think WALTER is an awful name that I’m just used to now, but it still feels so odd. Scotty 2 Hotty must have thought his beard dying days were behind him… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Nick James Posted January 20, 2022 Paid Members Share Posted January 20, 2022 Regardless of the nazi connotations around the full name, lets not pretend that Walter isn't as bad a name as Gunther. Both awful names. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members BomberPat Posted January 20, 2022 Paid Members Share Posted January 20, 2022 Walter is an awful name - doubly so when WWE always pronounced it with a W, rather than the Germanic "V" sound that makes it at least sound somewhat cooler - but it's a name that had three years of equity built up in it in WWE, and a decade more outside of WWE. He'd got that stupid name over, and I don't think lightning strikes twice in that regard - it's like if Steve Austin had been tasked with getting Chilly McFreeze over, had managed through sheer force of will to do it, and then said "okay, now you're going to be Baron Von Ruthless". You can overcome one shitty name in your career, I don't know how well anyone can manage two - especially when, as @HarmonicGenerator said, it's not attached to any change of gimmick or characterisation, he's doing the same schtick, in the same company, with the same stablemates, he's just arbitrarily decided his name is Gunther now after a match in which he'd been announced as WALTER. It's all nonsense. In terms of Walter as a wrestler, I'm a huge fan. I think it does him a disservice to narrow his work down to just stiff strikes; I think he does a better job of getting over the most simplistic and back-to-basic offence than most wrestlers manage with flashy, innovative moves in every match, his selling is fantastic for a big guy, and his structuring of matches always makes them feel like a genuine fight. He's also unique in WWE in that I never feel like I'm waiting for the big finishing move before the match feels like it might end, as he makes so many simple moves feel like a big, potential match-ender, that he doesn't need a Special Move to get him over, which means the matches are more interesting as a result. He's had two absolutely great matches in recent weeks - with Cara Noir in WXW, and with Nathan Frazer in NXT UK - that I'd absolutely recommend going out of your way to watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Jazzy G Posted January 20, 2022 Paid Members Share Posted January 20, 2022 He's a heck of a wrestler. I'm still gutted I had to leave Hello Wembley before I could watch him in the main event. I haven't watched it back since because I've got some stupid principle where I don't want to see what I had taken from me? I know it's silly and I'm probably depriving myself of a heck of a match, but it's like how I've never seen the Usual Suspects because Kate Thornton gave the ending away on one of those talking heads "I love.." shows the night before I was going to watch it on Channel 4. He is a heck of a wrestler, and whatever his name is I'm sure he'll wrestle the exact same style and still tank on the main roster when they make him team with Gable as the team of "Chunky G and Shorty G" to absolute crickets from the crowd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members TheBurningRed Posted January 20, 2022 Paid Members Share Posted January 20, 2022 I hope they keep changing his name. Dieter when he finally goes to Raw. Werner if goes over to Smackdown. Just to really annoy people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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