Gunther Surpasses Huge Milestone Ahead of WrestleMania 40
Gunther has already established himself in the WWE history books as the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion of all time and still counting. After his win over Jey Uso in a house show on March 10, Gunther checked off another major accomplishment, totaling 100 successful defenses of the belt. In addition, he has now racked up over 650 days as the champion. In mid-February, Gunther passed most total days with the belt in his first-ever possession with it. The belt was created in 1979 and has been held by 89 different superstars, but no one, even in combined total, has held it for more days than Gunther.
He first got the belt on June 10th, 2022, after defeating Ricochet on an episode of Smackdown. Since then, Gunther has established himself as a dominant champion. The storylines leading to his fights have been straightforward, creating the sense that Gunther is a strict, fighting champion. The idea of Gunther being unbeatable has been in circulation, as no opponent in his way has come near besting him.
The next test for Gunther will come at WrestleMania 40. The contract between his fight against Sami Zayn has just been finalized and the stage is set for the two to square off. Last year, Gunther retained his title at WrestleMania 39 in a triple-threat match against Drew McIntyre and Sheamus. He aims to have that same success, remaining cocky and confident ahead of his title match. The question becomes: When will the historic streak end? And is Sami Zayn the answer?
