GUNTHER is a heel in the WWE Universe. He's meant to get jeers, not cheers, from audiences, and even if he's captured the hearts of more than a few fans of professional wrestling who like his big guy persona, his goal will always be to serve as the final boss for some worthy babyface to best – the Bowser to a sea of would-be Marios.

With that being said, GUNTHER isn't a heel in the same way as, say, Seth “Freakin'” Rollins, who will do anything to win and is a dastardly so-in-so; no, GUNTHER is a heel who puts others down because he simply doesn't respect the vast majority of the opponents lined up across from him. You see, GUNTHER is a devoted believer in the sport of wrestling; he believes that the ring is sacred, and as the “Ring General,” it's his job to protect the purity of the ring.

And yet, when it came to besting GUNTHER in his second match in as many months against Sheamus, the leader of Imperium had to do the unthinkable; he had to cheat.

That's right, after tapping out of the match in a move that the referee deemed an attempt to reach for the ring ropes, GUNTHER had to lay out Sheamus with his shillelagh  – one day before a “disgraceful” Good Old Fashioned Donnybrook Match at Extreme Rules – in order to retain his belt – a thought that likely would have driven the old GUNTHER – aka WALTER – to true shame for its disrespect for the sacredness of the ring. Will these newfound backhanded tactics change GUNTHER forever, or will it instead lead to a win for the Brawling Brutes at Extreme Rules? Either way, it will be a very interesting angle to follow.