On September 10, Gunther will break the record for the longest intercontinental championship reign in WWE history.
That’s assuming that the Austrian chest-chopping machine isn’t pinned in the interim period, of course, but if he isn’t then Gunther will surpass the previous best of 454 days set by… well, we’ll find out in our rundown of the greatest intercontinental champions of all time shortly.
Stepping Up
How long Gunther will retain the gold remains to be seen.
He is the favourite in the Paddy Power sports odds to win the 2024 Royal Rumble, with a price of 2/1 making him the clear protagonist ahead of LA Knight (2/1), Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes (both 5/1).
Some bookmakers are offering odds on a number of matches at the January showpiece – not just the men’s battle royal, so punters can use a betting calculator to work out how much they might win on wagers placed on Gunther and women’s Royal Rumble favourite Liv Morgan, amongst other selections.
For Gunther, winning the Royal Rumble match would naturally propel him into the world title picture, which would presumably require him to drop the intercontinental gold. Having suffered a count-out defeat to Chad Gable on Monday Night Raw on August 21 – his first main roster loss, it seems as if the WWE writing team are already setting up Gunther’s probable ascension to main event status.
But he will likely go as the longest-serving intercontinental champion of all time. So far, who has he beaten to such an accolade?
The Honky Tonk Man (454 days)
Although he was quick to give himself such a label, The Honky Tonk Man can rightfully lay claim to being the greatest intercontinental champion of all time.
He wore the gold for 454 days after defeating Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat on an episode of Superstars back in June 1987.
Honky would lose throughout his tenure – albeit by count-out or disqualification so that he never lost the belt, with legendary feuds with Macho Man Randy Savage and Brutus ‘The Barber’ Beefcake, before his title reign came to a bizarrely quick end in a 31-second loss to The Ultimate Warrior at SummerSlam ’88.
Pedro Morales (425 days)
The Puerto Rican would make his in-ring debut in 1959, but would have to wait until the eighties for his crowning moment in the WWE.
Morales would become the organisation’s first-ever Triple Crown champion, following up his stints as heavyweight and United States strap-holder by claiming the intercontinental gold in December 1980.
Battles with Sgt. Slaughter, Larry Zbyszko and Stan Hansen confirmed Morales’ legendary status, although he would drop the title to Don Muraco in June 1981.
However, he would regain the gold in a rematch in November of that year, holding on to it for 14 months – the then intercontinental record – before losing to Muraco once again in January 1983.
Macho Man Randy Savage (414 days)
Before becoming arguably the most recognisable wrestler on the planet, Macho Man enjoyed a lengthy stint as the intercontinental champion.
He gained the gold after defeating Tito Santana in February 1986, before embarking on an unforgettable feud with George ‘The Animal’ Steele.
And it was The Animal who would eventually cost Savage the intercontinental title, interfering in his Wrestlemania III contest with Steamboat to hand The Dragon victory.
Will Gunther emulate these greats of the business by using the intercontinental belt as a springboard for bigger and better things?
