WWE NXT's Gunther Addresses His Name Change

It caused quite a stir when WWE NXT revealed that the powerhouse formerly known as Walter would now be going by the name Gunther, and the reactions flew in by the boatloads. Since the initial announcement, things have settled a bit, and while there are regularly still Walter chants when he comes out to the ring, for the most part, the fervor has died down. In a new interview with Wrestling Inc. Gunther was asked if the name change bothered him, and he feels that it would have been the same reaction if his name change had gone the other way around.

"Not all to be honest," Gunther said. "If it would be the other way around, and it would be Gunther before and Walter now, it would have been the same uproar. A lot of people react negatively to change. Change is normal in life, and it's part of it, and we have to go with it."

Now Gunther is reportedly headed to SmackDown soon, but it doesn't appear likely that his name will change again, as it is expected for him to still be the leader of Imperium when he does eventually make the jump. If he does, you can expect him to be part of the Tag Titles scene sooner than later, and that's good news for SmackDown, as it could use another Tag Team in the mix for New Day and The Usos.

Those who have watched NXT lately have also seen a bit of a transformation regarding Gunther's physique, and when asked about it he credited his new nutrition regimen.

"I guess I eat less. I always worked out a lot, but for the first time, I have really focused on my nutrition. These guys really pushed me. I've got to say, when I was a wrestling fan, I always liked the look of the solid heavyweights in Japan who had a little bit of a gut carrying around, just brawls and stuff like that. But, at the end of the day, you've got to go with the times, and evolve a little bit, and that's what I did," Gunther said.

What did you think of the name change? Let us know in the comments or as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!