Gunther has become the longest-reigning intercontinental champion in WWE history, breaking a record that had stood for 35 years. Gunther officially surpassed Honky Tonk Man on Friday.
Gunther defended his intercontinental title successfully against Chad Gable on Monday Night Raw, marking the final hurdle in his path to breaking the record. He has now held onto the intercontinental championship for 455 days and will continue to extend that record at least through the week.
The Austrian superstar regards the professional wrestling ring as a “sacred mat” and has brought back prestige to the intercontinental championship. Gunther has put on several impressive performances since winning the title from Ricochet on June 10, 2022. One of his standout matches was a triple threat against Drew McIntyre and Sheamus at WrestleMania 39, which is widely regarded as one of the best matches in WrestleMania’s long history.
Honky Tonk Man’s reign as the intercontinental king was always seen as somewhat absurd. He was primarily known as an Elvis impersonator and played a comedy character, yet he held a title that was typically awarded to technically skilled wrestlers and those on the cusp of the main event scene. Interestingly, both Gunther and Honky Tonk Man have only held the intercontinental championship once.
Gunther also holds the record for the longest-reigning NXT United Kingdom champion, which he held for 870 days during his only reign.
