Fabian Aichner has praised his former Imperium partner GUNTHER for what he has achieved in WWE, saying his rise does not surprise him because GUNTHER showed early in his NXT run that he had a big future. Aichner also believes WWE would not have placed his former stablemate in his current position without trusting him to handle everything that comes with it.
Aichner discussed GUNTHER during his appearance on Busted Open ahead of TNA Lockdown. Before becoming Giovanni Vinci on WWE television, Aichner spent years working alongside GUNTHER and Ludwig Kaiser as part of Imperium. Aichner and Kaiser also captured the NXT Tag Team Championship twice during their time together.
Imperium eventually reunited on WWE's main roster at Clash at the Castle in September 2022, when Vinci joined GUNTHER and Kaiser ahead of GUNTHER's Intercontinental Championship defense against Sheamus.
Since those Imperium days, their careers have taken different paths. Aichner is now with TNA, while GUNTHER has gone on to establish himself at the top of WWE. Asked about watching someone he knows so well reach that level, Aichner said: “I mean, it's incredible. His journey is pretty incredible. I think when he came into NXT, you could tell that and he had a big future even then, and I think it just paid off.”
Aichner believes GUNTHER's current position also shows the level of faith WWE has in him. Having spent years alongside him, Aichner said his former Imperium leader has shown that he can handle what WWE has asked of him. “Now, I don't think he would be in the position if the company didn't think he could handle the responsibility, and he's proven exactly that, that he can do that. Then he delivered every time.”
The two have plenty of history together. Imperium began its WWE run in NXT UK and later became part of NXT, with the group built around its traditional approach to professional wrestling. GUNTHER has previously credited Aichner with helping raise the group's work ethic, particularly when it came to training, dieting and getting into better physical condition.
Aichner's WWE run ended before he returned to wrestling with TNA in 2026, while GUNTHER continued as a singles competitor. Aichner's comments show there is still plenty of respect for his former teammate despite them now working for different companies.
Wrestling
