The long-running partnership between Gunther and Ludwig Kaiser has been one of WWE’s most dominant alliances, but Kaiser has now opened up about the true reason behind their split on television.

Appearing on the Kennt jeder podcast with Hamad Firdousi, Kaiser revealed that the decision was not handed down by WWE management, but instead something he and Gunther chose to do themselves. He reflected on their shared journey, from their days in wXw’s Ringkampf through to forming Imperium in WWE.

“I think I have never said this in public, but it was Gunther’s and my idea,” Kaiser admitted.

He went on to explain how the roles within Ringkampf influenced the dynamic of Imperium, with Gunther positioned as the leader while Kaiser worked primarily within the tag team scene.

“You see, Imperium originated in wXw as Ringkampf, even though it was set up differently. We were all on the same level, but with different characters. Timothy Thatcher was the roughneck for the dirty work. I was the arrogant young boy. WALTER (Gunther) was the slaughterer to kill everyone. Imperium was a different dynamic. Gunther was the main guy and I was part of the tag team.”

Kaiser credited working with Gunther as a major boost to his career but admitted that it also boxed him into a limited role.

“Gunther is insane, he unlocks something in people that only few can. You need to know your place. My job was to make his act better and not take anything away. But at some point you want more and you get to a point where you want more. But if you keep walking behind Gunther, I remain the tag team guy. We realized something needs to change, so we did.”

The German star admitted that breaking away was a gamble but one he felt was necessary to grow.

“Of course there is a risk. But in America you need to bank on yourself and on your skills. You need to have the balls to do that. You will get that chance, you need to use it. I would say for myself I did just that.”

Kaiser has since adopted the El Grande Americano persona while Chad Gable recovers from shoulder surgery, with Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate joining him under masks. Gunther, meanwhile, has been sidelined since SummerSlam after undergoing nose surgery but is expected to return soon.