Gunther Sets New Standard as Longest-Reigning Intercontinental Champion in WWE History

In an announcement made on Thursday, WWE celebrated Gunther's remarkable achievement of becoming the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion in the promotion's history. A social media graphic was posted to mark the occasion, and high-profile WWE executive Paul "Triple H" Levesque extended his congratulations to Gunther as well.

"Defining his own legacy. And this is just the beginning," Levesque wrote. "Congratulations to @Gunther_AUT on making history as the longest-reigning #ICChampion EVER."

The achievement for Gunther comes after holding the Intercontinental title for 454 days. Notably, the previous record-holder, Honky Tonk Man, also had a reign of 454 days but is officially recognized by WWE as having a 453-day reign. Honky Tonk Man first claimed the title from Ricky Steamboat in June 1987 and eventually lost it to Ultimate Warrior in August 1988.

Gunther initially won the Intercontinental Championship from Ricochet in a memorable bout on the June 10, 2022, episode of SmackDown. In a strategic move to solidify his record-breaking status, Gunther successfully defended his title against Chad Gable in this week's Raw main event. Fans can relive the epic showdown, as WWE has uploaded the full match to their YouTube channel.