Gunther Ensures He'll Break the Record for Longest WWE Intercontinental Championship Reign on WWE Raw

Gunther will officially become the longest-reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion later this week!

By Connor Casey

WWE's record for the longest Intercontinental Championship reign has been The Honky Tonk Man's 454-day reign that lasted from June 1987 to to August 1988. However, Gunther officially ensured his current Intercontinental Championship reign will break that record later this week as he successfully defended the title against Chad Gable in the main event of this week's Monday Night Raw. Gable, who handed "The Ring General" a rare loss two weeks back via countout, put up a valiant effort as he nailed a Chaos Theory late in the match and was able to keep Gunther trapped in an Ankle Lock for well over 30 seconds. 

However, Gunther eventually managed to break free of the hold and planted Gable with a Sleeper Hold suplex, a powerbomb and a lariat for the pinfall. Gable's children were visibly in tears at ringside as they watched their father lose. 

Gunther on Making History as WWE Intercontinental Champion

Gunther has repeatedly been asked about leaving his mark on WWE's record books in recent interviews. When asked about becoming the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion of all time, he told Cincy 3:60 (h/t Fightful), "It would be, obviously, a great accomplishment and maybe the biggest accomplishment of my career, to that date. But also, there's still some time to go, and I try to focus on what's right in front of me and make the best out of that situation. I don't try to get caught up in the future with what ifs and what could happen, even though it's not that far away. I think once it's all said and done, I'll be able to lean back and enjoy it a little bit. It would be very rewarding and a big accomplishment."

Gunther already holds the record for the longest reign as NXT UK Champion (a title that is now defunct) at 870 days. How long until WWE crowns him as a world champion? Tell us your prediction in the comments!

WWE Payback 2023 Results

  • Becky Lynch def. Trish Stratus (Steel Cage Match)
  • LA Knight def. The Miz (John Cena as special guest referee)
  • WWE United States Championship: Rey Mysterio def. Austin Theory
  • Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships:  The Judgment Day (Finn Balor & Damian Priest) def. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn 
  • Women's World Championship: Rhea Ripley def. Raquel Rodriguez
  • World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins def. Shinsuke Nakamura
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