Imperium, the faction consisting of Gunther, Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci is one of the most prominent factions on WWE programming. All three members of the faction have had success in the company across several brands, including NXT. In between the ropes, the faction can put on a certified classic on any given show.

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As the WWE continues to find a new focus on factions, Imperium has naturally benefited from the shift in direction. With their current rise in prominence on the main roster, there are things that WWE fans who have only recently been introduced to the faction should know.

10 Group Was Originally Known As Ringkampf

Imperium wasn't completely a WWE invention. The presentation and style of the group has its origins on the European wrestling scene as the stable Ringkampf. The group originally consisted of Gunther, Ludwig Kaiser, Timothy Thatcher and Christian Michael Jakobi.

The use of Dvořák's Allegro con fuoco as a theme, the hand-behind-the-back posing and catchphrase of "the mat is sacred", all began with Ringkampf and were carried over to WWE when Imperium formed. Imperium's evolution from Ringkampf remains one of the few seamless transitions from the independent scene to the WWE.

9 Debuted In 2019

In May 2019, Imperium made their debut on WWE television as a unit. Gunther was a solo act, defending his NXT UK Championship against the man he won it from originally, Pete Dunne, on an episode of NXT UK.

Kaiser and Vinci (then known as Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner), interfered in the match on Gunther's behalf. Afterwards the trio formed Imperium, becoming the premiere faction in NXT UK and firmly establishing Gunther as the top heel on the brand.

8 Kaiser and Vinci Were A Tag Team Before Forming Imperium

Sometimes factions form with every wrestler involved linking up together for the first time. This wasn't the case for Imperium. When it comes to their formation in WWE, Kaiser and Vinci were already a mildly successful tag team in NXT UK, known as the European Union.

The European Union had many similarities to Ringkampf, carrying a regality about them. They treated wrestling as a pure sport instead of sports entertainment, which is an attitude that was present in Ringkampf and remained the core belief of Imperium after their formation.

7 Alexander Wolfe Was Kicked Out Of The Group

In modern day WWE, Imperium is a three-man group, exactly as it started. What new WWE fans might not know is that for most of the faction's run in the company, there was a fourth man. Alexander Wolfe, who once was a part of the Sanity faction with Nikki Cross, joined the group in June 2019.

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Wolfe remained a recognizable member of the group for two years, until he was eventually kicked out of the group in May 2021. After losing a match to Killian Dain on NXT, was attacked and kicked out by Kaiser and Vinci. This was a way to right him off of television due to his contract expiring the next month, only for him to be released a day later.

6 Members Went Through Name Changes

WWE is no stranger to changing the names of established wrestlers into something that better fits their brand. It's a practice that many wrestling promotions participate in, but WWE has become notorious for it over the years. Each member of Imperium found themselves at the mercy of name changes after years with their established names in the company.

Walter became Gunther, Marcel Barthel became Ludwig Kaiser, and Fabian Aichner became Giovanni Vinci. For Kaiser and Vinci, their previous names were made specifically for their WWE tenure, but despite this, their names were changed again. Although fans were frustrated at the changes, especially in the case of Gunther, over time the names have managed to stick.

5 Kaiser And Vinci Are Two-Time Tag Champs

Though Gunther has enjoyed an acclaimed reign as WWE Intercontinental Champion, he isn't the only member of Imperium to have tasted championship gold. Together, Kaiser and Vinci are two-time NXT Tag Team Champions.

Their first reign came in May 2020, when the pair defeated Matt Riddle and Timothy Thatcher (who was a substitute for Pete Dunne), on an episode of NXT. The duo later lost the titles to Breezango a few months later, but would regain them at NXT Halloween Havoc 2021 by defeating MSK. Although MSK ended up winning the titles back from them, their two reigns as champions can't be denied as being full of great matches.

4 Vinci Walked Out

Although Vinci currently is a member of Imperium, there was a time when the faction came crashing apart due to him walking out. Tag partners walking out in the middle of a match is a well known trope in wrestling, but came as a shock when it happened to Imperium on the April 5th 2022 episode of NXT.

During a match against the Creed Brothers, Vinci walked out on Kaiser, leaving him high and dry to lose to the younger tag team. Afterwards, Vinci embarked on his own singles career in NXT with his new name and gimmick, and a pursuit of the NXT North American Championship.

3 Reunited At Clash At The Castle

It's always fun when factions and tag teams reunite in wrestling. Breakups happen for a variety of reasons, but the reunion always brings smiles to the faces of wrestling fans. Such a reunion occurred at WWE's Clash at the Castle event with Imperium.

For months, Imperium had been gone, while Gunther and Kaiser were on SmackDown as a duo. However, at Clash at the Castle, the faction reunited with Vinci joining Kaiser before Gunther's entrance. The dissolution of Imperium was viewed by many as an act of the Vince McMahon regime, while the new Triple H regime seemingly undid the decision and brought back the popular faction.

2 Feuded With The Undisputed Era

When a great faction is done right, it can be a magical thing. Factions give every individual member a chance to bring something to the table, and combine their efforts into making a successful collective. Perhaps no two factions to come out of NXT have done that as well as Imperium and Undisputed Era.

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The two factions feuded in 2020 in the build up to the Worlds Collide event, and showed exactly what they were the best factions in NXT. With two contrasting styles and collective personas, it was a perfect mix-and-match that highlighted the appeal of faction warfare.

1 Gunther's NXT UK Championship Reign Lasted 870 Days

In the modern era of wrestling, it's hard for champions to hold their titles for hundreds of days. In the older days, reigns lasting 400+ days were quite common, but such reigns now are few and far between. Gunther's singular NXT UK Championship reign became one unheard of in the modern era, ending at 870 days.

As the face of the NXT UK brand, Gunther put on hard-hitting match after match, dominating the competition and standing his ground as the final boss of NXT UK. When the reign finally came to an end at the hands of Ilja Dragunov at NXT TakeOver 36, it was rightfully treated as a momentous occasion.