Gunther breaks character to praise 37-year-old WWE rival (Exclusive)

Gunther has feuded with several high-profile WWE Superstars during his Intercontinental Championship reign, including Matt Riddle. In an exclusive interview, The Ring General gave Riddle credit for always providing him with a stern challenge.

The two men recently went one-on-one at Money in the Bank, where Gunther picked up the win to retain the Intercontinental Championship. The Austrian also defeated Riddle on the July 17 episode of RAW in a non-title bout.

Speaking to Sportskeeda Wrestling's Riju Dasgupta, Gunther addressed whether Riddle poses a unique threat due to his UFC background:

"Of course it does, and always has been. I wrestled Riddle on the indies a bunch of times before we had a match in WWE, and it was always more physical, more scrappy. He's a very skilled grappler and he's a fantastic striker, so it's always a different challenge to be in the ring with him." [14:50 – 15:15]

In the video above, Gunther spoke about possibly going head-to-head with Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns one day. The Imperium leader also explained why he is unlikely to form an on-screen partnership with Paul Heyman.

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What makes Matt Riddle a tough WWE opponent for Gunther?

While most superstars primarily trained to be professional wrestlers, Matt Riddle learned how to be a mixed martial artist before joining the wrestling business.

Gunther believes Riddle's cardio sets him apart from other members of the roster:

"He's got a huge gas tank. His stamina never runs out, so it's definitely a challenge to be in the ring with him. And yeah, I think whenever we do it's exciting competition for the audience, and I think that matters." [15:16 – 15:34]

Gunther and Riddle faced each other several times outside of WWE, including in the UK promotion PROGRESS and the Germany-based wXw in 2017.

Have you enjoyed the Gunther vs. Matt Riddle rivalry? Let us know in the comments section below.

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