Before he was main eventing arena shows as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, before he was the longest reigning Intercontinental Champion of all time, Gunther was dominating the indies in Europe.

Known then as WALTER, or Big Van Walter, the 6’4″ beast out of Austria, made Germany his second home. He dominated wXw, where he would become four time wXw World Tag Team Champion and three time wXw Unified World Wrestling Champion.

Westside Xtreme Wrestling added a Best Of Gunther in wXw compilation to TrillerTV+, with ten of his best matches in the promotion.

1. WALTER vs. Cara Noir – wXw 21st Anniversary (12/18/21)

The show starts off with WALTER vs Cara Noir from 2021. At this point, WALTER was already signed with WWE and was a former NXT UK Champion, which he held for 870 days. Noir was the Progress World Champion coming into this match, a title which he eventually held for 791 days. This was WALTER’s final match in wXw.

Noir tries to bring the fight to WALTER, including putting him in a sleeper hold on the outside. This just infuriates Walter, who then gives Noir a nasty chop and drops him on the ring apron.

WALTER dominates majority of the match, hitting Noir with a powerbomb and a tombstone piledriver, but Noir doesn’t stay down. Late into the match, Noir tries to put WALTER to sleep but WALTER fights out. He locks on the sleeper again but with a body scissors this time. It looks to be the end of WALTER but he gets up and delivers a fire thunder driver to “The Black Swan” for a 3 count. A good fighting effort from Noir. ****

2. Daisuke Ikeda & WALTER vs. Timothy Thatcher & Yuki Ishikawa – wXw 16 Carat Gold 2020 Night 3 (3/8/20)

At this point in time WALTER was working both indies and WWE.

The match starts off with the two Japanese legends in the ring. Both opponents with a combined 50 year + experience. Eventually WALTER and Timothy Thatcher get in there, two men who know eachother very well. Both men trade shots.

Ikeda and WALTER dominate almost the entirety of the match, bringing strikes and submissions to Thatcher. Ishikawa tags in but is also overwhelmed by his opponents. Thatcher and Yuki Ishikawa catch their opponents with surprise Fujiwara Armbars, and Ikeda taps to Thatcher. ***½

3. WALTER vs. Fenix – wXw 16 Carat Gold 2019 Night 2 (3/9/19)

Third match in a quarter finals match in the 2019 16 Carat Gold Tournament. The styles clash between the two make it an intriguing match up.

Every time Fenix tries to quicken the pace, WALTER is there to chop him down. Fenix is unable to catch any sort of momentum. WALTER even goes as far as to ripping Fenix’s mask. Majority of Fenix’s face is showing. Fenix also loses his mask after a middle rope powerbomb from “The Ring General”. After Fenix’s mask falls off a second time, a fan throws a mask into the ring. Very cool moment.

WALTER locks in the Gojira Clutch, while it’s locked in, he pulls the mask off of Fenix, which forces him to tap. ****

4. WALTER vs. Lucky Kid – wXw 16 Carat Gold 2019 Night 3 (3/10/19)

Continuing with the 2019 16 Carat Gold Tournament, we have WALTER vs Lucky Kid. This one is for the trophy, as it’s the finals.

This is the typical David vs Goliath story, like most of WALTER’s matches. This isn’t a bad thing. Lucky Kid, the underdog in this one, also has a bad elbow, which WALTER works on throughout the match. WALTER dominates until Lucky finds an opening. He hits two 450 splashes and locks in a crossface. WALTER taps. Lucky Kid is the winner of the 16 Carat Gold 2019. ****

5. Ringkampf (Axel Dieter Jr., Timothy Thatcher & WALTER) vs. British Strong Style (Pete Dunne, Trent Seven & Tyler Bate) – wXw 18th Anniversary (12/22/18)

A dream match between two of the most popular stables in independent wrestling at the time. Despite five of the six men being under some type of WWE deal. WWE also had lent Marcel Barthel (Axel Dieter Jr.) to wXw so he could reunite with his Ringkampf stablemates.

At one point WALTER powerbombs Trent Seven into a European uppercut from Thatcher. Sick move.

This match is a greatest hits between the two teams. Axel Dieter Jr got to shine a bunch in this match. It was a great homecoming for him. The match is also a reminder of how great Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate are, as they don’t always get to show it on weekly TV. This was awesome. My favorite match in the compilation so far. ****½

6. Ringkampf (Timothy Thatcher & WALTER) vs. CCK (Chris Brookes & Jonathan Gresham) – wXw World Tag Team League 2018 Night 1 (10/5/18)

We now have a Block A match in the 2018 World Tag Team League. This version of the Calamari Catch Kings with Chris Brookes and Jonathan Gresham is my favorite.

There is an insane size difference between WALTER and Gresham, but Gresham is not backing down. At one point Gresham goes for a crossbody off the ropes onto Thatcher and WALTER, and just falls onto the mat.

A really good tag team match between the two, which ends with Gresham submitting Thatcher. ****

7. Three Way Match for the wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship: John Klinger (c) vs. WALTER vs. Ilja Dragunov – wXw 16 Carat Gold 2018 Night 2 (3/10/18)

This was originally scheduled as a singles match between the late John Klinger and WALTER. WALTER grabs the microphone and says it will be a three way dance. Ilja Dragunov’s music plays and the crowd goes insane (which you can’t hear due to the music being muted copyright reasons).

The crowd was hot for this one and were ready to see a new champion (particularly Ilja Dragunov). WALTER puts Ilja through hell, making his chest completely red until it looks purple. Ilja eventually comes out the victor, winning the wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship for the first time. ****½

8. Big Van Walter vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – wXw Live In Hamburg 2012 (8/18/12)

Now for a huge throwback. A match that took place 12 years ago between two of the best.

Both men were nowhere near their peak in this one but it was awesome seeing these two square off. The brawling style of Walter and the technical style of Sabre made for a cool styles clash. This was a fun one. ***½

9. wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship Match: Big Van Walter (c) vs. Daisuke Sekimoto – wXw 16 Carat Gold 2012 Night 2 (3/3/12)

Walter is defending the wXw Championship in this one against one of the best that Japan has to offer, Daisuke Sekimoto.

Big meaty men slapping meat. That’s exactly what this match is. Both men beat the piss out of eachother. This match is insane. Walter retains in this incredible contest. ****½

10. Bad Bones & Big Van Walter vs. Go Shiozaki & Kenta Kobashi – wXw/NOAH Dead End VIII Night 2 European Navigation 2008 (6/22/08)

Crazy to think this match happened so early into Walter’s career. Crazy to think this match happened at all. Would’ve been crazy to be in the crowd for this one.

The video production and camera work isn’t great on this one. Can’t get too upset at that being as this was an independent wrestling match from 16 years ago. ***¼