NintendoLogic Posted January 18, 2022 Report Share Posted January 18, 2022 https://uboat.net/boats/u740.htm The U-boat the other Stark commanded spent a total of 29 days at sea on patrol and didn't sink or damage any Allied ships. It was sunk by depth charges on its second patrol, killing everyone on board. So the other Stark was clearly far from a prominent figure in Nazi Germany. With that said, they've already had issues with fans giving Marcel Barthel Nazi salutes at NXT house shows, so best practice would be to steer clear of anything even slightly suggestive of Nazism. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted January 18, 2022 Report Share Posted January 18, 2022 Yeah the issue wasn't that the other Stark was any kind of prominent member, but more of "holy shit how does no one in WWE not know how to even do a Google search on a name" kind of deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alucard Posted January 18, 2022 Report Share Posted January 18, 2022 for the first time in years, the Olympics will be bumping RAW off USA to Syfy for two weeks on Feb 7 and Feb 14. (nxt also) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted January 18, 2022 Report Share Posted January 18, 2022 Hell the dog show would be an improvement at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strobogo Posted January 19, 2022 Report Share Posted January 19, 2022 How about who the fuck thinks "Gunther Stark" is a good name for a pro wrestler in 2022 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirEdger Posted January 19, 2022 Report Share Posted January 19, 2022 And as expected, WALTER announced at the end of the main event to be known as....Gunther. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted January 19, 2022 Report Share Posted January 19, 2022 I think it was Kevin Nash, it was a former WCW guy at least, who once said Vince would rather make a million dollars with his own idea than make ten million with someone else's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rah Posted January 19, 2022 Report Share Posted January 19, 2022 I think a lot of the Günther controversy is overblown and right now a victim of search engine optimization. It feels like someone saw that name and went looking for a scoop. When it got traction, Google sees 'wrestling fans' are interested in 'Wehrmacht officers' and feeds that site posted above at the top of your feed. For instance, on a fresh browser I get links to a few Günther Starks related to theatre and film before I even get mention of the Günther in question. My mom's family is German, and we have a strong German community in one of our provinces. Stark and Günther are not the most common names but you'll find them relatively easily (fair play, I haven't seen it together before). Besides, a certain (old time) poster of this board has a far more egregiously linked name to Nazism than Günther Stark. Sometimes a name is just a name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted January 19, 2022 Report Share Posted January 19, 2022 Yeah it's also a stupid name for a wrestler in 2022. They don't seem to realize (or care) a big reason they can't get new fans is because they give all the new and new-to-WWE people stupid fucking names that make them sound like jokes from the start. Also it looks like Sarray is getting a Sailor Moon style schoolgirl gimmick. Can't imagine how that could possibly end badly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveJRogers Posted January 19, 2022 Report Share Posted January 19, 2022 1 hour ago, sek69 said: I think it was Kevin Nash, it was a former WCW guy at least, who once said Vince would rather make a million dollars with his own idea than make ten million with someone else's. Telling that it’s said by the only one who refused to get inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by the gimmick character name usually used/achieved notoriety as during their time in the promotion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rah Posted January 19, 2022 Report Share Posted January 19, 2022 Fully agree with that point, @sek69(sorry don't know how to quote on mobile). It read to me as someone going 'those folks love themselves some Friends and Game of Thrones, let's mash some names together!' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse Ewiak Posted January 19, 2022 Report Share Posted January 19, 2022 47 minutes ago, Rah said: Fully agree with that point, @sek69(sorry don't know how to quote on mobile). It read to me as someone going 'those folks love themselves some Friends and Game of Thrones, let's mash some names together!' Right, like we really going to overreact when the guy whose former group was called Ringkampf and is now called Imperium in NXT might've had his name changed that kind of lines up w/ an obscure Nazi? Plus, let's all be honest here - WALTER isn't some fantastic wrestling name that was unimpeachable. The most likely actual reason for the name change is that part of the reason he agreed to come to the US (aside from the new gf) is WWE gave him the rights to his name, and gave him a list of names to pick fro. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strobogo Posted January 19, 2022 Report Share Posted January 19, 2022 I don't understand why they'd change his name at all. He's known worldwide as WALTER. He's been with WWE for 3 years now, built as the unstoppable force known as WALTER. What is the point of waiting this long to change his name, and to something so stupid? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted January 19, 2022 Report Share Posted January 19, 2022 Can't wait until WALTER goes on social media to explain that he actually choose his name and is very happy about it. Then after he's fired like everybody else he'll say how stupid it actually was. In an era where name are actually brands (for better or worse), changing a guy's name that has been established for *years* in the pro-wrestling field, including on their *own* TV shows and PPV's, absolutely hurts the perception and makes everybody seem less special from the get-go. All for both idiotic and petty reasons. Doesn't really matter. WALTER will never be allowed to be WALTER in the main roster anyway, his body type will sour on Vince in a matter of weeks, the German accent will displease them (if Cesaro could not pass that test, no way Gunter does it). Of course he'll be given a good shine in the Rumble or something and the usual WWEptimism will be in effect for a cup of coffee before the inevitable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted January 19, 2022 Report Share Posted January 19, 2022 3 hours ago, Jesse Ewiak said: . The most likely actual reason for the name change is that part of the reason he agreed to come to the US (aside from the new gf) is WWE gave him the rights to his name, and gave him a list of names to pick fro. WWE wouldn't have to give him anything since his actual name is Walter. WWE obviously wanted a name they can copyright and they have a not caring how stupid a name sounds as long as they are the ones making money off it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMJ Posted January 19, 2022 Report Share Posted January 19, 2022 - WALTER changing his name is dumb. Even if they somehow had come up with a name that wasn't also the name of a Nazi. - Kevin Nash's point about Vince rather making a million dollars with his own idea over $10 million with someone else's is why Austin Theory is a thing. I know devout NXT viewers will point to Theory's run there or in EVOLVE as some sort of big deal, but if they're being honest with themselves, they'd have to admit that EVOLVE was a third-tier "Double A" indie, a full tier below NXT. And while Theory got some exposure as part of The Way, he wasn't an NXT main eventer. Vince clearly views Theory as having potential and is giving him prominent TV time (and most recently a win over Finn Balor in 6 minutes), but its not like he has this glowing resume of getting huge reactions or unbelievable matches or segments. He certainly didn't have an NXT run as well-received as Adam Cole, Keith Lee, Andrade, O'Reilly, or any number of guys that I'd argue would've accomplished much more given the same screen time as Theory (and I say this as someone who generally doesn't think Cole is nearly as great as some make him out to be). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotJayTabb Posted January 19, 2022 Report Share Posted January 19, 2022 I think Theory has the benefit of being young - he's only 24 - yet already pretty talented, so Vince probably feels he can mould him early into the kind of wrestler he likes. I can definitely see Vince looking at a young guy in good shape, solid in ring and the mic, and thinking he is someone that he can work with. It's just novel to see Vince do that with a wrestler under the age of 30 these days. Agree with all the points on WALTER. In isolation, WALTER isn't a great ring name either*, and if a new wrestler emerged called Gunther Stark (U-boat connection aside) I don't think anyone would say it was a bad name. But when you've let the guy wrestle on one of the big 5 PPVs as WALTER, plus him wrestling on TV throughout the year, a name change makes zero sense. * This might be a cultural thing, arguably the best known Walter in the UK is a cartoon character called Walter the Softy, who is a typical bullied nerd character. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDuke Posted January 19, 2022 Report Share Posted January 19, 2022 Maybe they will bring in Colonel Klink as his manager. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dav'oh Posted January 19, 2022 Report Share Posted January 19, 2022 49 minutes ago, TheDuke said: Maybe they will bring in Colonel Klink as his manager. Or Siegfried as his manager and Shtarker as his goon... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KawadaSmile Posted January 19, 2022 Report Share Posted January 19, 2022 There is a nazi called Adolph Ziegler, so chances are coincidences are gonna happen Gunther Starks is horrible but GUNTHER SCHWEIZER would pop me huge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted January 19, 2022 Report Share Posted January 19, 2022 A nazi called Adolph ? What are the odds ? I wonder if Gunter Starks will be part of Total Elimination. You realize these idiots could actually book him against Goldy just thinking "Well, that's a big men slapping meat in a cage match, that's a good idea" ? They totally could. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted January 19, 2022 Report Share Posted January 19, 2022 So on Jericho's podcast, Scotty 2 Hotty said that the new directives at the PC was that the coaches had to look younger. Yep. That's the idea from Vince. Dye beard, cut hair, look younger. The future is bright for the future WWE trainee in such a quality environment that puts emphasis on what really matters... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarpetCrawler Posted January 19, 2022 Report Share Posted January 19, 2022 Looks like we know who to thank for the WALTER name change: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strobogo Posted January 19, 2022 Report Share Posted January 19, 2022 13 minutes ago, El-P said: So on Jericho's podcast, Scotty 2 Hotty said that the new directives at the PC was that the coaches had to look younger. Yep. That's the idea from Vince. Dye beard, cut hair, look younger. The future is bright for the future WWE trainee in such a quality environment that puts emphasis on what really matters... The COACHES have to look young? Lmao. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffey Posted January 19, 2022 Report Share Posted January 19, 2022 42 minutes ago, strobogo said: The COACHES have to look young? Lmao. They're not even on television & outside of the people at the facility, how many people see them at all? It's complete lunacy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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