Top WWE Star Addresses Stigma Of Fascism

WWE

A top WWE star has addressed the stigma of fascism and how he approaches the subject in a recent interview.

Having very nearly been named after a Nazi submarine commander, Gunther was recently given the rating of 88 in WWE 2K23, a number which has fascist connotations.

The rating for Gunther was adjusted to 89, which was acknowledged by the WWE Intercontinental Championship.

pic.twitter.com/4A8pelHLx7

— GUNTHER (@Gunther_AUT) February 22, 2023

Gunther would address the stigma of fascism as an Austrian who was based in Germany on the recent The Ringer’s Cheap Heat podcast, saying:

“Obviously, like you mention it, that’s the history of the two countries. That’s something we can never change. We have to live with it.

“But obviously, that’s something that got thrown at us before and still gets thrown at us.

“We don’t really acknowledge it because it’s so far away from what the truth is, and often, I also blame it on people … see[ing] the first, obvious thing and jump[ing] on it.

“It doesn’t represent the culture in our countries, either. Austria and Germany have made huge efforts to be hard on themselves when it comes to their history and keep themselves in check.”

“It’s something I think everyone from there, and when I talk with [Ludwig] Kaiser that’s one of the things we’re most proud about when it comes to our cultures.”

He would go on to express the difficulty of tackling the issues, saying:

“There’s no nice talking about stuff like that, and people who try? They get run over right away. There’s no way to justify any of that.

“I think we shouldn’t mix up ideologies and stylistics if that makes sense. Everything we want to be is far away from that.”

Jim Cornette has previously reflected on the presentation of Imperium and how they would have been portrayed in the past, suggesting they’d be “communist officers or Nazi soldiers.”

In the Ringer’s Cheap Heat interview, Gunther also discussed the possibility of Imperium becoming babyfaces.

It was recently revealed that Triple H and a number of WWE backstage names rate Gunther highly, with the Austrian being considered a potential World title candidate.

Transcript from Wrestling Inc.

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