Fans were initially hesitant when Gunther made his debut on WWE’s main roster, especially given Vince McMahon’s track record of poorly handling NXT call-ups. His last foray on the main roster saw him eliminated within seconds from NXT’s Survivor Series team, so there was little optimism for his run. Things started fairly well, but recent reports per WrestleVotes (via GiveMeSport.com) suggest that if Vince McMahon hadn’t stepped down from control over the company, then he was set for a burial and to be sent back down to NXT. However, with Triple H now in command, Gunther has seen himself rise the ranks to become a dominant Intercontinental Champion. It may very well be too soon to make such a sweeping statement as this, but there could be an argument already for Gunther being the best Intercontinental Champion of all time.
The Intercontinental Championship Has Had An Up And Down History
There have been many phenomenal wrestlers who have held the Intercontinental Championship over the years. An extensive list of Hall of Famers have had reigns with the belt, including “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, Bret “The Hitman” Hart, and many more. Back in the day, the title was second only to the WWE Championship, with it often being referred to as the “workhorse” title in the company. There were good matches, strong reigns, and a legacy created early on which managed to last throughout several generations, even amongst the belt’s ups and downs.
Over the last decade and a half, the title has seen its fair share of highs and lows, with there being some questionable wrestlers winning the gold, and a complete lack of care or consideration from the creative team at times. Examples can be taken from nearly every year of WWE neglecting the title at some point; forgetting it exists, or booking the champion to constantly lose. It has felt at times that the Intercontinental Championship has been irredeemable, going down a bad hole of irrelevance and average reigns.
Gunther’s Reign As Intercontinental Champion Has Been Great So Far
When considering the quality of Gunther’s Intercontinental Championship reign, it is hugely important to take context into account. When he won the Intercontinental Championship, it was experiencing a torrid time. Ricochet was the champion, and he was barely on television - even missing WrestleMania 38 despite holding a hugely historic prize. Due to the poor list of recent reigns, there was little expectation even with how strongly Gunther had been booked since joining WWE’s main roster.
However, Gunther’s presentation was strong, with him remaining a constant presence on weekly television, even when he wasn’t wrestling. Gunther has fairly frequently defended the gold on television, defeating the likes of Ricochet, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Rey Mysterio thus far during his time as champion. Whilst it isn’t week in and week out, all of his defenses have been built up for at least a week or more, making the matches feel substantial and important. Out of all his mini-feuds so far, the most pivotal one to his success as champion has been against Sheamus.
The match between the two powerhouses at the Clash At The Castle PPV was an instant classic, even receiving a full 5-star rating from Dave Meltzer, per profightdb.com. There have been some decent IC Title matches over the last few years, but they have come few and far between. In the case of Gunther, his matches have been consistently strong. It is hard to remember the last “classic” match for the belt, aside from this match against Sheamus.
Gunther Has Brought Prestige Back To The Intercontinental Championship
Gunther may be a large competitor, but he certainly fits the bill of “workhorse” champion. His matches have all been good, with that set to continue, and he looks like an absolutely dominant competitor, even though he is a heel. Since joining WWE’s main roster, he is yet to be pinned or submitted, which is proving to be a successful way of making him feel like a stronger champion, proving that wins and losses do in fact matter.
The argument for Gunther being the best champion of all time is due to the fact that he has added so much prestige back into a title that was perhaps experiencing its worst blip in years. The way he almost instantly managed to bring it back to prominence needs to be applauded, and it feels as though that whenever he does lose the prize, it will do wonders for the individual who beats him. It may be too soon to say for sure where Gunther stands against other great champions, but he is certainly on course to be strongly considered in that conversation.