PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — WWE is returning to Peoria, Illinois this Saturday!

WMBD’s Matt Sheehan had an exclusive interview with WWE’s Intercontinental Champion, Gunther, ahead of this weekend’s show.

Gunther (real name Walter Hahn) is a professional wrestler from Austria. He currently performs on Friday Night SmackDown, seen every Friday night on WYZZ (FOX) from 7:00-9:00 p.m. CT.

Gunther is set to face Sheamus on Saturday night, in what should be an extremely physical matchup.

“As usual with the live events, they’re a little more interesting for the live audience. As a fan, it’s always worth it to visit the TV type things like Raw and Smackdown because it’s a very different experience,” Gunther said. “But for myself, wrestling has always been about the live experience for people in the venue. At the live events, that’s where the focus is. We’re there to entertain everyone in the crowd. You don’t have to focus on the cameras or TVs.”

Gunther said Sheamus is one of the best opponents he’s ever faced.

“I’m glad we can take that match on the road,” Gunther said. “I think we both have a very similar style. We’re both very physical. That’s what fans can expect.”

The 35-year-old superstar said a champion should be a “fighting champion,” putting their titles on the line.

“Me holding the title means whenever it’s decided by the promoter, I have to be in the ring and defend my title to the best of my ability. That’s what I want to do. I want to put on the most exciting match as possible for the fans and do my bit in the history of that title to contribute to its’ prestige.”

Gunther tells Sheehan his “dream match.”

“If I had to pin it down to one name, I’d say it’s Brock Lesnar at the moment,” Gunther said. “When I was young and watching WWE, I enjoyed watching his matches. Later on when I progressed in my career, I was able to watch wrestling and analyze how people work. He’s always been somebody I was impressed with. He’s one of the best to ever do it. I think that’s the biggest possible challenge for me at the moment.”

See Gunther’s comments on facing Brock Lesnar here!

WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event is at the Peoria Civic Center on Saturday, Nov. 12. The show starts at 7:30 p.m.

You can find all the details on the Peoria Civic Center’s website.