Gunther Becomes Longest-Reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion of All Time
09/08/2023 05:00 am EDT
Gunther has been synonymous with domination throughout his WWE run. The Ring General made his debut at NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool in January 2019, confronting then-WWE UK Champion Pete Dunne. Just three months later, Gunther defeated Dunne to take the gold, ending the Bruiserweight's historic reign at 685 days. Dunne's run proved to be nothing to Gunther as he cruised past it, holding the now-retired championship for 870 days. After a brief stint in the Florida-based NXT, Gunther took his talents to WWE's main roster, capturing the WWE Intercontinental Championship just two months after his debut.
Gunther Breaks 35-Year Record
The Ring General's reign is sacred.
Today marks Gunther's 455th day as WWE Intercontinental Champion. This milestone eclipses WWE Hall of Famer Honky Tonk Man's 454-day reign, making Gunther the longest-reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion of all time.
The road to this milestone was paved with numerous obstacles. Gunther had hard-hitting feuds with the likes of Sheamus, Drew McIntyre, Chad Gable and others en route to reaching 455 days.
Gunther's reign is relatively unprecedented upon a glance at WWE's history books. Since Honky Tonk Man set that record back in 1988, no WWE superstar has even come within 100 days of breaking it. This century, only five WWE superstars have had WWE Intercontinental Title reigns that went over 200 days.
- Shelton Benjamin – 244 days
- Cody Rhodes – 236 days
- Randy Orton – 210 days
- Shawn Michaels -202 days
- Shinsuke Nakamura – 201 days
When Could Gunther Make History Again?
Considering he has rarely shown signs of slowing down as champion, many have pondered the possibility that Gunther could leave WWE WrestleMania 40 as a double champion.
As of this writing, Gunther is the odds-on favorite to win the Men's Royal Rumble Match in January. A victory there would give him a world title match of his choosing at WWE WrestleMania 40. If he continues this run as WWE Intercontinental Champion, Gunther could emulate the Ultimate Warrior by heading into the Showcase of the Immortals with the WWE Intercontinental Title and leave with both that prize and a world championship.
"If I get the chance to be in the Royal Rumble, then I aim to win it. I think that's a possibility," Gunther told ComicBook.com in August. "Yes, because I don't plan on losing the Intercontinental Championship."
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