GUNTHER wins 2023 Men's & WWE Male Wrestler of the Year

There was a lot to love across professional wrestling throughout 2023. Several top matches, performers, and events will be imprinted in the minds of wrestling fans for years to come. Now that voting is done in the 2023 Daily DDT Awards, GUNTHER is the man who not only won the Wrestler of the Year but he is also recognized as WWE Male Wrestler of the Year, two awards he deserved for a stellar year from the start to finish.

A month into 2024 and GUNTHER is riding a 602-day run as the WWE Intercontinental Champion. Every step along the way he’s re-built the promotion’s mid-card. In many ways, he’s proven himself to be the perfect professional wrestler. He delivers scathing promos, those that uplift his opponents, but also makes it clear that he expects to dominate them. Then, he gives fans exceptional professional wrestling matches on a cadence that no one else in the industry can match. There are so many examples in 2023 where GUNTHER left fans shaking their heads in awe.

GUNTHER’s 2023 includes exceptional matches against the likes of Bronson Reed, Tommaso Ciampa, Drew McIntyre, Sami Zayn, Xavier Woods, and others. At WrestleMania 39, he, Sheamus, and McIntyre put on an epic show in their triple-threat match, easily one of the best of the year. Then, there was the series of matches against Chad Gable which elevated him as a singles performer and created a great meme of his children crying when he was defeated. Gunther checked all the boxes of what it means to be a top performer in professional wrestling and he deserves the accolades.

Another example of the impact of Gunther’s presence is that he also elevated the rest of Imperium. Ludvig Kaiser has the potential to be another star on the main roster. Giovanni Vinci doesn’t get the same placement, but he’s another singles performer who can go in the ring. This group is made of three individuals that can be stars in their own right and much of that is due to Gunther’s presence and performance throughout the year.

Gunther deserves the recognition that came with having an excellent 2023. After all the votes were tabulated, he stood at the top of the heap as the best men’s wrestler in the industry.