WWE star Ludwig Kaiser has elaborated on the reason why his pairing with Gunther, at one point collectively known as Imperum, is no longer seen together onscreen.
On top of teaming together and being paired onscreen as part of their main roster call-up, Kaiser and Gunther, formerly known as Walter, have a history that stretches back to their days in NXT and in German promotion wXw before they were signed by WWE. However, earlier in the year, the duo were quietly disbanded as Gunther went on to find success as a 2-time World Heavyweight Champion.
Unlike previous tag team breakups, there was no angle seen onscreen that led to the disbanding, hostile or amicable. While speaking with Kennt Jeder, Kaiser noted that it was a mutual decision between himself and Gunther to have the split occur:
“I don’t think I’ve ever said this anywhere but that was also wanted by me and also by Gunther,” Kaiser said about the breakup of the group.
“Imperium actually originally comes from wXw, back then it was Ringkampf. And that was structured differently. I would say everyone was more on the same level, because everyone had different roles. Back then, it was with Timothy Thatcher, he was the bruiser type, responsible for the dirty work. I was the arrogant snob, the young kid. And WALTER was the enforcer, the guy who comes in and wipes everybody out. But when WWE did Imperium again, me and my former partner were the tag team, and he was the main guy out in front. That just created a different dynamic. So Ringkampf, or even Imperium, my side of Imperium was always different from Gunther’s.”
During their time in NXT and the main roster, Kaiser and Gunther also saw Alexander Wolfe and Giovanni Vinci be a part of Imperium, both of which have since been released from WWE. Wolfe was released in May 2021, and Vinci was released in April 2024.
What Is Ludwig Kaiser Currently Doing In WWE?
Although Kaiser has not been in the ring on main roster TV since the Andre The Giant Battle Royal on the SmackDown before WrestleMania 41, the German wrestler has been active on Raw as he is currently portraying the masked luchador El Grande Americano.
Kaiser’s former partner Gunther is reportedly due to make his return to TV soon after being away from the ring since SummerSlam, where The Ring General lost the title to CM Punk, who fell victim to a Seth Rollins Money in the Bank cash in shortly afterwards.
H/t to F4WOnline for the use of transcription.
Featured image: WWE
