JBL Questions WWE Booking Of Gunther Following Major Wins

WWE Hall of Famer JBL questions WWE booking of Gunther, expressing confusion over how the promotion has utilized “The Ring General” despite his major accomplishments.

During an appearance on Something to Wrestle with John Layfield alongside Conrad Thompson, the former WWE Champion addressed Gunther’s current trajectory—noting that despite retiring John Cena to close out 2025 and ending AJ Styles’ in-ring career at the start of 2026, Gunther has since suffered several championship match losses and dropped down the card into a feud with Danhausen.

Gunther As A World-Class Heel

When asked which current superstar most closely mirrors his own classic heel wrestling style, Layfield immediately singled out Gunther:

“Gunther. I think Gunther would be the guy. I think Gunther is a really good heel and I think he understands being a heel.”

“He’s a great heel. I mean, use him. I don’t understand. He’s retiring all these guys and maybe he retired himself. Maybe he worked himself into a shoot.”

“Maybe coming up in the European system, those guys are terrific wrestlers over there. Maybe that’s part of it. Whatever it is about Gunther, I think that guy’s world class.”

The Dying Art Of Pure Heels In Modern Wrestling

Reflecting on the psychological mindset required to be an effective villain, JBL pointed to Baron Corbin as another rare example of a performer willing to be universally disliked, bringing up classic advice he once received from “Rowdy” Roddy Piper:

“[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. 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.”