History was made last Friday when Gunther became the longest-reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion of all time. Friday was day 455, topping the Honky Tonk Man’s 36-year record.
Honky Tonk Man won the title from Ricky Steamboat in June 1987 and lost it to the Ultimate Warrior at the inaugural SummerSlam in 1988.
Gunther beat Ricochet on the June 10, 2022 edition of SmackDown to win the title. In the main event of the 9/4/23 episode of Raw, Gunther defeated Chad Gable to ensure he would break the record.
Seeing a dominant wrestler carry the workhorse title to record-breaking success is nice. Honky Tonk Man could draw more heat than a furnace on Elm Street. However, his work in the ring looked too phony to take him seriously.
I know, I know, that was the point.
Gunther went by WALTER and made his WWE debut for NXT UK in January 2019 and won the NXT UK Title four months later. Gunther held the title for two years and four months before losing it to Ilja Dragunov in August 2021.
The Austrian native wrestled a handful of house shows before taking off for the remainder of 2021. Gunther signed on with WWE full-time in January 2022, moved to the United States, and wrestled for NXT. Gunther changed his name from WALTER, lost weight, and got in excellent shape during his four months in Orlando.
April served Gunther well again as he was called up to the main roster and drafted to Monday Night Raw. Two months later, Gunther captured the Intercontinental Championship.
Between his time as UK Champion and Intercontinental Champion, Gunther has spent more of his tenure with a title belt than without. That’s quite the accomplishment; some wrestlers never win a title.
Gunther’s title defense against Chad Gable was the latest in an impressive list of I.C. title matches. With each outing, bouts with Ricochet, Shinsuke Nakamura, Rey Mysterio, Drew McIntyre, and Kevin Owens increased Gunther’s stock.
The feud between ‘The Ring General’ and ‘The Celtic Warrior’ Sheamus produced different kinds of memorable matches. Their match at Clash at the Castle not only won several match of the year honors but is the crown jewel of Gunther’s I.C. Title resume.
The great intercontinental champions have that legendary night that sets their reign apart from everyone else’s. Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Ricky Steamboat, Razor Ramon, and The Miz earned theirs.
Clash at the Castle against Sheamus was Gunther’s night.
Now that Gunther holds the record for the longest title reign, the question is, who will dethrone him? WrestleMania 40 feels like the right time and place. Here are the five most likely candidates.
5.) Bron Breakker: Rick Steiner’s kid will do great things on the main roster. Perhaps, history repeats itself, and Breakker takes a page out of the Ultimate Warrior’s playbook and beats Gunther in a shocking squash match to get him over as the new badass on the block.
4.) Brock Lesnar: Many would feel a multi-time world champion vying for the Intercontinental Title is a step down for the “Beast Incarnate.” Think about it, though. Gunther vs. Lesnar is a dream match that could increase the title’s profile even more than it’s already been raised.
3.) Sheamus: Before he feuded with Gunther, Sheamus didn’t have much street credit with diehard fans. After he feuded with Gunther, Sheamus felt like a new man. “The Celtic Warrior” is never out of the hunt when it comes to wearing gold. Another go-around with Gunther could bring him the one title that had eluded him.
2.) Chad Gable: Gunther broke the record at Gable’s expense. However, despite the loss, Alpha Academy’s head coach became a sentimental favorite. Gable is working his way back up the ranks to earn another title shot and winning it on the “Grandest Stage” writes itself.
1.) LA Knight: “Let me talk to ya!” LA Knight’s popularity doesn’t just suggest but flat-out demands that he leaves WrestleMania 40 with one of the two world titles. Unfortunately, not everyone can be a world champion.
All signs point to Cody Rhodes finishing his story against Roman Reigns for the Undisputed Universal Title. WWE is all in on Seth Rollins as the World Heavyweight Champion, and he will likely cross paths with Money in the Bank winner Damien Priest before long.
LA Knight is white-hot, but it’s hard to see him jumping the line at the expense of Rhodes and Priest. Plus, the potential arrival of a certain Chicago-made punk essentially gobbles up one of the two main event spots at WrestleMania.
Gunther’s run as Intercontinental Champion has ensured that whoever beats him for the title will be a moment equivalent to a world championship victory. It sounds like a job for the megastar. “YEAH!”
Eleven years ago, I wrote a blog listing the ten best intercontinental champions ever. Now that Gunther holds the record, who gets bumped off the list?
RingsideLogic.com 