GUNTHER has proven himself to be one of the most dominant WWE superstars of this generation. However, his reign as the WWE Intercontinental Champion, which stands as the longest in history, came to an end at WrestleMania 40 when Sami Zayn defeated him at The Show of Shows.
In a recent interview on The Gorilla Position, The Ring General reflected on his unprecedented championship run. When asked if holding the title for such an extended period was always the plan, GUNTHER admitted that he was not aware of WWE’s decision regarding his lengthy title reign.
He further elaborated that there were no explicit discussions about breaking records or the length of his reign and throughout his reign, there wasn’t a formal conversation about its duration.
Despite the lack of initial planning, GUNTHER believes his natural disposition and previous experience as the record-breaking NXT UK Champion primed him for championship success.
“No, not really. It was week by week or match by match and I never got told I was going to hold it for the longest time ever. I don’t know if that was initially the plan. When I became the Intercontinental Champion, it was still under Vince [Vince McMahon]; it wasn’t under Triple H. He came in a little bit later and took over. The conversation never really happened. I think over time, and how I carried myself as NXT UK Champion before, I think I’m the kind of wrestler that is really made for being a champion, if that makes sense. I’m going to represent it well.”
GUNTHER recently declared himself for the King of the Ring tournament set to take place next month, in an effort to recreate his dominance over the WWE landscape that he did during his time as the WWE Intercontinental Champion.
What are your thoughts on GUNTHER not being aware of the tenure of his historic title reign? Sound off in the comments!