GUNTHER on Protecting the Business
\nGUNTHER has spoken about his emotions heading into his match with John Cena and how he was looking forward to breaking the hearts of WWE fans. The former WWE World Heavyweight Champion has discussed the honor of retiring legendary figures like Goldberg, John Cena, and AJ Styles. Speaking on "The Rich Eisen Show's" "No Contest Wrestling" podcast, GUNTHER explained that his overarching goal in these high-profile encounters was to protect the integrity of professional wrestling.
\n\n\nI knew, for me, that would be career-changing opportunities, and yeah, I don't do that to be liked. I'm here to do my thing, to fulfill this responsibility as the one that protects this business, the one that still honors traditions, and be the one that still executes the craft the way it should be executed and be successful with it.
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He elaborated that while his general approach to facing opponents such as Cena was to simply perform his in-ring duties, he acknowledged that Cena's farewell match carried a distinctly different atmosphere. GUNTHER stated that he wanted to just do his job in the ring when facing the likes of Cena, but the magnitude of the night made it feel even more important than WrestleMania.
\nThe Emotional Weight of Cena's Final Match
\nThe former WWE World Heavyweight Champion described observing the palpable emotion in the arena that night. He noted specific instances like Cody's reaction and the prevailing sentiment of the crowd, which made the night feel incredibly important and heavy.
\n\n\nI got to say that with Cena, it was quite hard to catch myself in the middle of that because that night everything felt so important, felt so heavy. Cody staring at them [Cena's shoes in the ring] and squeezing out another tear. 'Oh, it meant so much.' And that was the feeling the whole night. It felt so, it almost felt like more pressure than WrestleMania. And I was just in the middle of all of that, not fazed, the emotional stone that I am, and I was just observing all of that and just knowing, like, 'Tonight I'm gonna ruin all of your people's nights.'
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Despite the overwhelming emotion surrounding the event, GUNTHER maintained his characteristic stoicism. He highlighted his ability to remain unfazed, observing the sentiment around him while harboring a specific intention for the night's outcome. GUNTHER admitted that the atmosphere was so charged that it was difficult for him to remain detached, describing the feeling as immense pressure.
\nA Rewarding Career Achievement
\nGUNTHER expressed that he enjoys provoking WWE fans and cultivating a persona they dislike. He feels that his matches against legendary figures like Goldberg, John Cena, and AJ Styles provided ample opportunity to fulfill that objective. The Ring General noted that he was looking forward to breaking the hearts of WWE fans during the match against Cena.
\n\n\nYeah, it was maybe the most rewarding feeling I had in my career.
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He stated that he enjoys provoking fans and making them dislike him even more, which he feels was something he could do easily through his matches against the aforementioned legends.
