Gunther has received high praise from a former master of The Octagon.
Adding a sense of realism with his strikes and submission holds, it’s no surprise that former UFC Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier is a fan of The Ring General. Cormier has admitted that he is much more of a traditionist when it comes to wrestling, not being a fan of the acrobatic style seen frequently today.
Speaking with Ariel Helwani, the former MMA fighter discussed his love of wrestling and who his favourite Superstars are. While Cormier is a fan of Seth Rollins, it’s The Ring General who stands at the top of the mountain:
“My boy Gunther, he’s so good. He’s my favorite wrestler of all time. He’s my favorite. He has surpassed the Macho Man. I love Seth, but Gunther…I got into a fight a while back with Cody Rhodes and the Young Bucks because they were doing too many flips. It really pissed me off, all the flips. I was like, ‘What about a bodyslam? A splash?’ Gunther’s moves are a sleeper hold, a powerbomb, and he does this splash off the top. It’s awesome,”
Cormier is a massive wrestling fan. At Extreme Rules 2022, the UFC Hall of Famer served as the special guest referee in the Fight Pit match between Seth Rollins and Matt Riddle. Although the match was won by Riddle, many remember this show as the night that Bray Wyatt made his return after more than a year away.
Gunther Was Not Always A Fan Of Sports Entertainment
While Cormier has been a WWE fan for a number of years, the same can’t be said for the Intercontinental Champion. In a recent interview, Gunther revealed that he despised WWE early in his career, instead taking inspiration from the hard-hitting action from the European independent scene and Japan.
The leader of Imperium remains Intercontinental Champion after successfully defending the title against The Miz at Survivor Series. Following the successful retention, The Ring General continues to extend his record of longest reigning Intercontinental Champion in company history.
H/t to Fightful.