Gunther reflects on almost quitting the wrestling industry altogether a decade before becoming a top star in WWE.
Gunther is about to challenge Damian Priest for the World Heavyweight Championship at WWE SummerSlam. However, before he was WWE King of the Ring, Gunther was known as WALTER and dominated the UK independent circuit.
However, trying to navigate the struggles of real life while making it as a wrestler was almost enough to cause Gunther to call it quits a decade ago. In an interview recorded prior to SummerSlam, Gunther explained his feelings to Shakiel Mahjouri of CBS Sports.
"I had a day job working only night shifts for nearly three years and wrestling on the weekends. That took a toll that was hard to sustain," Gunther told CBS Sports. "My goal was always to make a living off professional wrestling. That was not in sight, so I thought I should call it quits and focus on a career in my real job.
"I spoke with [Westside Xtreme Wrestling] and said, 'Either I run a wrestling school for you, and that's my job, or I think I call it quits.' They were happy to do that. They wanted to have a wrestling school. They employed me, and since then, professional wrestling has been my main profession."
Gunther's sacrifices have paid off. If he defeats Damian Priest at SummerSlam, he will become the top man on Monday Night Raw.
Fans can check out the full card for WWE SummerSlam here.
