Highlights
- Gunther's reign as Intercontinental Champion has brought renewed prestige to the title, making him one of the most important champions in its history.
- Gunther's matches as Intercontinental Champion have consistently delivered top-notch performances, showcasing his in-ring talent and leaving a lasting impression.
- Gunther's impressive body transformation demonstrates his dedication to improving himself and becoming a total package WWE superstar, making him a strong contender for future World Championship opportunities.
The WWE intercontinental Championship is one of the most prestigious titles in professional wrestling history. Since the belt was introduced on September 1st, 1979, it has been held by some of the biggest and best pro wrestling superstars of all time. As one of the oldest titles in the WWE, the belt has been the subject of countless iconic feuds and matches and has often proved to be the final stop on the journey to a WWE superstar reaching the very top of the mountain and becoming WWE Champion.
The current holder of the legendary title, Gunther, is already well on his way to being one of the most important Intercontinental champions of all time. Having surpassed 400 days as the champion, he looks poised to become the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion of all time. Gunther's a top contender to surpass the bar that was set by The Honky Tonk Man who won the belt on June 2, 1987, and held it for 454 days before finally dropping the title to The Ultimate Warrior. Most recently, Gunther surpassed Randy Savage to become the third longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion in WWE history, besting Savage's 414-day IC title reign. Gunther is on his way to surpassing Pedro Morales's 425-day reign in a few days if he makes it past Drew McIntyre at SummerSlam 2023.
6 The Ring General has renewed the prestige of the WWE Intercontinental Title
The WWE Intercontinental Championship has famously been one of the biggest and most important titles throughout the company's history, and a big stepping stone leading to the main event. It has to be said however that the title has seen a big fall from grace in recent years. The superstars to hold the title are not at fault, either, with some big names such as AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy, and Sami Zayn among the names to hold the belt in the 2020s. The problem was a combination of the pandemic and bad booking, resulting in the belt seldom being featured as an important title in major storylines.
Gunther has changed that completely and has given the belt a renewed prestige. Since winning the title on June 22, 2022, Gunther has consistently been featured as a top superstar, overcoming top names such as Sheamus and Braun Strowman on his journey. He brings attention to the title and the WWE has put a lot of stock in him being a representative of the iconic belt. There is a very high likelihood that even when he drops the strap, he will be remembered as the superstar who breathed new life into the Intercontinental Championship and returned it to importance for years to come.
5 Gunther has the most 5-star Intercontinental Championship title defenses
While there have been countless incredible Intercontinental championship matches throughout history, for decades, only one has ever been rated 5 stars by Dave Meltzer. That match took place at WrestleMania 10 on March 20, 1994, between "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels and the late, great Razor Ramon. The match was a masterpiece and way ahead of it's time and not only set the standard for ladder matches, but also showcased the true importance of the Intercontinental Championship as a main event caliber title. The second 5-star match happened almost three decades later and involved Gunther battling Sheamus at Clash at the Castle in Cardiff, Wales, on September 2, 2022. Months later, Gunther would again be featured in a 5-star match with the Intercontinental Championship up for grabs.
During Night Two of WrestleMania 39 on April 2, 2023, Gunther successfully defended his title against Sheamus and Drew McIntyre in an absolute classic. Many believed this one to be the show stealer and the match received a 5-star rating from Dave Meltzer, becoming the first triple threat match in WWE history to receive a five-star rating. This match featured a combination of great talent and in-ring chemistry between the wrestlers involved, as well as the renewed importance of the championship. This was a classic Intercontinental Championship match held at the biggest event of the year, and there's a decent chance that people will be talking about this one for another 30 years in the same way they do with Michaels vs Razor.
4 Gunther is a genuine main event level superstar
Gunther has always been main event level wherever he turned up. The Ring General is world traveled and has honed his craft for the better part of two decades. No matter his position on the card over the years, he has always carried himself like a main event level superstar. Gunther looks the part, he is believable, and he brings with him a unique intensity that makes his appearances must-watch. This is the case not just on television or premium live events, but also at smaller live shows. If Gunther, when he was known as Walter, was advertised for a match on the Indy circuit, you could be assured that his appearance would leave you wondering why he wasn't signed to WWE yet.
His presence on the card alone is enough to put butts in seats, as the old saying goes, and that is something that is often only attributed to main event level wrestlers at the top of the card. Gunther's matches almost always have a 'big match feel' and he is already at that level without yet holding a major world championship in the WWE, but right now, he doesn't need one. As the current Intercontinental Champion, him holding that belt is reason enough to consider that title revitalized as a main event level championship. His booking so far on the main roster is on par with someone who can become a top player in the company for years to come.
3 Gunther's matches are always top-notch
Gunther has always left it all in the ring no matter his position on the card and no matter his opponent. His in-ring talent seems to come natural and wrestling fans will be hard-pressed to find a Gunther match out there over the years that hasn't been impressive in one way or another. That is hard to say for any wrestler who has been wrestling for as long as he has, but that is the case for Gunther. He uses his size to his advantage and has adopted a powerful, hard-hitting wrestling style that is believable and impressive. But his style is not over-the-top in the way he delivers it, meaning he can have great chemistry in the ring with almost anyone of any size.
Gunther absolutely thrived over in NXT and is one of the few superstars to jump over to the main roster and pick up exactly where he left off over in development. This is because of his amazing ability to adapt to his opponent and deliver the best quality of match possible. Many fans first glimpse of Gunther's impressive in-ring abilities came during a 5-star classic against Tyler Bate at NXT: TakeOver Cardiff in 2019. However, even before joining WWE, Gunther put on an absolute clinic against top independent star Zack Sabre Jr. for PWG back in 2017. There's a high likelihood that Gunther has plenty more 5-star matches to come, and we are here for it.
2 His incredible body transformation shows true dedication
Gunther has always been known as a "meaty" wrestler throughout his career. He was influenced by hard-hitting stars of the past such as Stan Hansen and Big Van Vader to which Gunther's impressive in-ring style evolved, and his look also evolved from the big men of that era. However, after jumping to the main roster from NXT, fans started to notice Gunther's body changing. He was losing weight, getting leaner, and becoming more muscular. There was a belief that he was forced to do this by WWE, but it was later revealed to be entirely his decision.
When Gunther debuted on the main roster, he wanted to become more appealing to the mainstream audience. He wanted to show that he was open to adapt and evolve for television and represent the cream of the crop that the WWE has to offer. This shows unparalleled dedication to not only increasing his own stock, but also to the WWE. Gunther is in the best shape of his career right now and is a total package WWE superstar with the look, intensity, presence, and in-ring talent to become one of the biggest stars that the company has to offer for years to come.
1 He is already World Champion material
Gunther dominated in NXT without needing to claim the brand's top championship, proving that he's a force to be reckoned with. He had an amazing reign with the NXT UK title, and much like he is doing now with the Intercontinental Championship, he helped the belt earn recognition as a top-tier prize. Right now, Gunther doesn't explicitly need a run with the World Heavyweight Championship, but when the time comes for the WWE to pull the trigger on making him 'the guy', he is already there. Gunther's rise to prominence in the WWE is nothing short of historic, and in such a short space of time. He has only been with the WWE since 2019, and he's already a worthy name to hold the top championship of any brand.
Gunther is a very rare catch for the WWE. He doesn't need a world title, but a world title would benefit from having him hold it, and anyone locked in a world championship program with The Ring General stands to benefit from the fact. As far as believable contenders to the likes of Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins go, Gunther already tops the list. He is undoubtedly a future world champion in the WWE and right now, he is on track to not only be the best Intercontinental Champion of the 2020s, but also of all time. Gunther's Intercontinental title reign is the final stepping stone for him, and when he does eventually drop the belt, it certainly wouldn't come as a surprise to see him enter the World Heavyweight Championship or Undisputed Championship picture sooner rather than later.