Gunther Files To Trademark His Most Notable Ring Moniker
Gunther has been on an absolute tear since arriving on "WWE SmackDown" earlier this summer, already racking up an Intercontinental Championship reign in less than six months on the main roster. He even competed in the main event the most recent "SmackDown" episode, successfully defending his title in a standout, hard-hitting bout against Shinsuke Nakamura.
Coming off the heels of this intense matchup, Gunther applied to trademark his signature moniker: Ring General. With the help of popular wrestling trademark attorney Michael E. Dockins, Gunther filed for ownership of the nickname on August 13. In the filing description, it lists the purpose of the trademark explicitly as "entertainment in the nature of wrestling contests; Entertainment services, namely, wrestling exhibits and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer; Entertainment services, namely, live appearances by a professional wrestler and sports entertainer; Entertainment services, namely, personal appearances by a professional wrestler and sports entertainment personality; Entertainment services, namely, televised appearances by a professional wrestling and sports entertainment personality; Providing wrestling news and information via a global computer network; Providing online interviews featuring a professional wrestling and sports entertainment personality in the field of professional wrestling and sports entertainment for entertainment purposes." Additionally, they reserve rights to apply the name to "Hats; Shirts; Athletic shirts; Shirts and short-sleeved shirts; Sweatshirts; Hooded sweatshirts."
Before he began dominating on "SmackDown," Gunther was dishing out just as much carnage in "NXT" and "NXT UK" under the name WALTER, managing to hold the NXT UK Championship for 870 days — the longest reign with the title in history. He and his partner Ludwig Kaiser have been working together in some capacity for their entire WWE careers, first as the stable Imperium alongside a third member, Fabian Aichner (Giovanni Vinci), and now, as the duo we see today.