How many days is Gunther away from breaking Honky Tonk Man's Intercontinental Title record in WWE? H

April 27, 2024

WWE star Gunther is closing in on Honky Tonk Man's historic Intercontinental Championship reign. He put in an emphatic performance at WrestleMania to retain his title, powerbombing his opponents, Sheamus and Drew McIntyre, on each other to negate any chance of a comeback.

The Ring General has run roughshod in WWE since his main roster debut on the April 8 episode of SmackDown last year. Provided that he was the longest reigning NXT UK Champion, the company had no hesitation in putting the IC Title on his waist. He dethroned Ricochet on June 10, 2022, and then defeated Shinsuke Nakamura, Sheamus, Braun Strowman, and many others to keep a stranglehold on the title.

Gunther's win over Sheamus and Drew McIntyre means he will cross 300 days as the champion this week. He holds the Intercontinental Championship for 296 days following his dominant performance at WWE WrestleMania 39. The longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion in 34 years has surpassed Greg Valentine, Randy Orton, and even The Rock. The Ring General needs to hold the Intercontinental Championship for 159 days to break Honky Tonk's Man record of 454 recognized days.

Honky Tonk Man's legendary reign is followed by other significant reigns by Pedro Morales (425 days) and 'Macho Man' Randy Savage (414 days).

Mathematically, Gunther needs to be the champion till September 9, 2023. The Intercontinental Champion could be tested at multiple upcoming premium live events, including Backlash, King and Queen of the Ring, Money in the Bank, SummerSlam, and Crown Jewel, which will be somewhere around November.

Gunther spoke about the impact he made as Intercontinental Champion in WWE

The 35-year-old SmackDown Superstar has had multiple high-profile matches in WWE. Last year at Clash at the Castle, he put on a great display of hard-hitting action against Sheamus.

The iconic Intercontinental Champion has since lived up to the expectations in each feud. He has also broken other records, such as the longest time spent in the Royal Rumble match.

During an interview with BT Sport, The Ring General revealed how he has influenced the WWE Universe with his Intercontinental Championship reign.

"The last years it wasn't a very popularly presented title. But often, it is on the one who holds the title to make the change. I was successful doing that, I think. When people talk about the Intercontinental Championship on the card, it's seen in a very different light than it was in the last years." [H/T Wrestling Inc]

Will Gunther be the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion in WWE history? Given his current performances and the company's backing, it could be a cakewalk.

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