Gunther Says He Enjoys Getting Negative Reactions Where Other Stars Struggle With It

Gunther is one of WWE’s most hated heels in 2026, and he says he takes being hated as a compliment. The Ring General turned into the Career Killer at the end of 2025 and the start of 2026, retiring both John Cena and AJ Styles within a couple of months of each other.

Those moments put Gunther over the top in terms of heated crowd reaction, and he told Enry Lazza in a new interview that he loves having provoked the crowd’s ire, particularly because it’s something that some stars struggle with. You can see the highlights below:

On Taking Being Hated as a Compliment:

“It is [a compliment]. It’s like — and I feel like it’s a struggle that a lot of my colleagues sometimes have, where they struggle to get negative reactions. Because it cannot feel nice, but I enjoy it, I have to say. I like to be the one that creates chaos and stirs the pot and that worked out really well with John.”

On If He’s Always Had This Persona Inside Him:

“Yeah, growing up — obviously, because when you grow up you’re a weird little teenager doing dumb s**t. But I feel like it’s not too far. Because what I am in the ring, the characters — you have guys where it’s almost like two different people. I feel like I’m my character is not that crazy or that out of pocket.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit the Enry Lazza with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.