Gunther Reflects On History With Cody Rhodes, Being a Role Model to European Talent

Gunther has an extensive history with Cody Rhodes heading into WWE Clash in Italy, and he reflected on the matter in a new interview. The Career Killer will challenge Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship at Sunday’s PLE, giving Gunther a chance to win the title on his home continent.

Gunther appeared on The No-Contest Wrestling Podcast and spoke about his history with Rhodes and being able to compete for the title in Europe. You can see the highlights below:

On His History With Rhodes:

“Yeah, it’s time to get even with him. There’s a bit of a history with Cody. There’s like — when it was my first Rumble, I was a marathon man. I broke the record for the longest time in the Rumble, and I entered as number one and almost made it till the end. And who walks out conveniently at number 30? Cody. Obviously, he eliminated me from the Rumble the year after too. And obviously, we had Saudi Arabia which was a loss for me. And that’s okay, but it’s time to set the record straight. And yeah, I feel like I’ve been annoyed by Cody’s way of doing business for a while, and I grabbed the opportunity when I had it.”

On the Different Feel of European Crowds:

“Yeah, in the end it doesn’t matter, it’s very true. But it’s still interesting. I like when the atmosphere is just a little bit different. I feel like in the States wherever you go, it doesn’t really matter the city, it’s just the same old. Like in typical American fashion, everything’s kind of the same. But when we go to Europe, that’s when we have a special atmosphere. There’s a different kind of atmosphere there, and we’ve seen it on the events before in Germany and France. And yeah, I’m very excited for the first PLE in Italy.”

On How It Feels Being Back In Europe For WWE:

“Yeah, it’s nice to be back in civilization, I have to say that. And as the European wrestler, I think it’s very important in my position to represent the company at this stage, and to be that role model to all the other upcoming European talent. Because I showed the way that it is possible to emigrate to the US and become a top star in the WWE. And I didn’t follow any of the typical journey that you usually follow as a WWE superstar. And to represent that and to almost be a role model to a lot of the young European talent out there is — of course that’s important to me, and I also feel the responsibility with that

“But it doesn’t really change how I approach the match. A match is a match, it’s the same. I think I always have an advantage, especially over Cody because I’m the better wrestler. I think Cody’s a little bit more comfortable in that position and with that many eyes on him. I can give him that. But yeah, I have no doubts when it comes to what happens in that ring.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit the No-Contest Wrestling Podcast with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.