In a recent interview with Ryan Satin as part of the Out of Character podcast, WWE Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER discussed several topics including his weight loss, expecting the main roster name change and more.

On his weight loss: “I lost about 60 or 65lbs, I always loved the look of the big Japanese heavyweights and guys like Stan Hansen, Terry Gordy, Vader, Scott Norton, like those chunky foreign heavyweights, I always loved the look and I always thought that look really suited my style, there was never any big reason for me to be like, okay let’s change that. Also, nobody ever said that to me either. When I was signed, I was around that size and nobody ever saw it as an issue, it just fitted me, but now, there was always this thing of change too. I kind of knew moving over that I was going to change some stuff, even though I didn’t know exactly what it was, but I always thought like I have to do my part, I have to show that I’m adapting and I have to show that I put the work in for change, I think that was the most obvious choice. Also, going forward I knew that I would be on the main roster, it’s a national television show that’s seen, not just by hardcore wrestling fans, it’s seen by everybody, regular people. Looking like I look now, I will be more appealing and stand out more than looking like I looked the way before, because I think in the context I was performing before, I think I got taken serious and got away with being a serious competitor like that, but I think if you’re in the top league on national television every week and you want to represent the top-tier athletes, you have to be in shape to do so.”

On the company changing his ring name from WALTER to GUNTHER: “Walter is my real name. From the side of the company, it makes a lot more sense if you actually can have some ownership on the name of an athlete that you present or put out there to an audience. I kind of expected it, but it was fine for me.”

The full interview is available at this link.