A WWE Hall of Famer has raised some questions over the company’s booking of Gunther.
WWE Hall of Famer JBL has questioned why Gunther is no longer featured prominently in WWE’s main event scene, despite retiring John Cena and AJ Styles in consecutive months. Gunther ended 2025 by defeating Cena in his retirement match, then began 2026 by ending Styles’ in-ring career.
However, despite those significant victories, the former World Heavyweight Champion has struggled to maintain his momentum, suffering several defeats in championship matches and becoming involved in a rivalry with Danhausen. Gunther’s character direction has raised questions among fans, and JBL has now expressed similar concerns about how WWE is utilising the Austrian star.
Speaking with Conrad Thompson on Something to Wrestle with John Layfield, JBL praised Gunther’s villainous ability and said he most closely resembles his own wrestling persona.
“Gunther. I think Gunther would be the guy,” JBL said. “I think Gunther is a really good heel and I think he understands being a heel.”
JBL then questioned why WWE was not making greater use of Gunther’s abilities, particularly given his involvement in the retirements of two of the company’s biggest stars.
“He’s a great heel. I mean, use him,” JBL continued. “I don’t understand. He’s retiring all these guys and maybe he retired himself. Maybe he worked himself into a shoot.”
WWE HOFer JBL Praises Gunther’s Wrestling Ability And Understanding Of Being A Heel
Despite questioning Gunther’s current position in WWE, JBL was overwhelmingly positive about his abilities as a performer. The former WWE Champion suggested that Gunther’s background in European professional wrestling may have contributed to his understanding of the business and his effectiveness as a heel.
“Maybe coming up in the European system, those guys are terrific wrestlers over there,” JBL explained. “Maybe that’s part of it. Whatever it is about Gunther, I think that guy’s world class.”
JBL also discussed the challenges associated with portraying a genuinely disliked character in professional wrestling, arguing that relatively few performers are willing to fully embrace the role. He recalled advice from the late Roddy Piper, who believed that many wrestlers struggled with the idea of being genuinely hated by audiences.
“[Roddy] Piper used to always tell me very few guys in any generation really want to be a heel because very few guys really actually want to be hated. People don’t want to be hated,” JBL said. “Very few guys would be heels 24/7 because they want to draw money. And that goes any generation. Baron’s a guy that would do that.”
JBL identified former WWE star Baron Corbin as another example of a performer who understood how to embrace the villainous role without seeking fan approval. His comments highlighted the qualities he believes distinguish effective heels from wrestlers who are reluctant to generate genuine hostility from audiences.
For Gunther, JBL’s assessment comes at a time when his position within WWE has changed considerably following his victories over Cena and Styles. Although those matches established Gunther as the man who ended two legendary careers, his subsequent championship setbacks and ongoing involvement with Danhausen have taken him out of the main event picture.
