Gunther Reveals Inspiration Behind Ludwig Kaiser's WWE Name

Several WWE talents have undergone name changes in recent weeks following Vince McMahon's memo which stated talent could no longer use their real names or a moniker they used on the independent wrestling scene.

One wrestler forced into a name change was Marcel Barthel, who made his Friday Night SmackDown debut following WrestleMania 38 as Ludwig Kaiser alongside Gunther.

While Barthel's new name appeared to just be two German words thrown together, Gunther revealed to Sport1 the inspiration came from German promoter Gustl Kaiser, who operated from 1938 until 1976.

"Yes, but not Franz Beckenbauer (laughs). Marcel has Gustl Kaiser in mind, a legendary and very influential German promoter from the time when his father Axel Dieter was still active as a professional wrestler. Marcel had a few names to choose from and he then chose it because it sounds good and has history. That suits us," Gunther said.

Since moving to the main roster, Kaiser has been at ringside for Gunther's matches although the former NXT Tag Team Champion hasn't wrestled since he departed the developmental brand.