AEW Women’s Champion Thekla on GUNTHER: ‘I Don’t Think We’re In Competition At All’

Vienna has produced two of professional wrestling’s current world champions, but AEW Women’s World Champion Thekla isn’t framing it as a rivalry.

In a recent interview with TMZ, Thekla was asked about whether she and WWE’s GUNTHER — both originally from Vienna, Austria — are competing with one another to be the top Austrian in the sport. Her answer was an emphatic no.

“I think that within Austria the scene has been thriving, from what I’ve heard. Probably due to people like myself and also another gentleman over in WWE called WALTER/GUNTHER,” she said. “I think, personally, it is remarkable that two of wrestling’s biggest stars come from the same town — small town, two million people, where not much is going on, or was going on at least when I was wrestling there and coming up.”

Far from feeling any rivalry, Thekla was openly complimentary of the two-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion. “I don’t think we’re in competition at all. He is so, so, so much better at some stuff than I am. And he’s very real about his style too. There’s really nothing bad I could say about what he’s doing. He’s very outstanding.”

She also pushed back on any direct comparisons between the two. “I’m just playing a game that’s very different from anybody’s game. I don’t know who you could actually compare me to. Not GUNTHER, that’s for sure.”

Thekla added that she’s proud of what both she and GUNTHER have done for wrestling back home. “I’m happy to represent the little place I’m from. It’s cool to have people see that there is talent in Vienna.”

The timing of the interview is notable: both Thekla and GUNTHER are set for world title matches this weekend. Thekla puts the AEW Women’s World Championship on the line against STARDOM’s Starlight Kid at AEW Forbidden Door, while GUNTHER enters a three-way match for the Undisputed WWE Championship against Sami Zayn and defending champion Cody Rhodes. Two Viennese champions, two major title matches — just on very different stages.