Gunther to lose the Intercontinental Championship 3 days before breaking a major record because of former WWE Champion? Exploring the possibility

Gunther has become the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion of the modern era. The current record for the longest title reign is held by The Honky Tonk Man, who was champion for 453 days. If The Ring General crosses September 7, 2023, as champion, he will etch his name in history as the longest-reigning IC Champion of all time. But will that happen?

John Cena returned to WWE on last week's SmackDown and was also a part of Payback. The former world champion will be a permanent fixture of the company's programming over the next few months. Fans have wanted to see Cena and Gunther square off, and their feud could finally begin on Monday's RAW.

Gunther is set to defend the IC Championship against Chad Gable on this week's RAW. With Imperium constantly interfering in his matches to help him win, John Cena could help Gable even the odds, leading to The Ring General losing the gold. This potential outcome could also set up a massive match between the Austrian and Cena.

Another indication that The Cenation Leader could soon kickstart a bitter rivalry with The Ring General is that he is set to face Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser of Imperium at Superstar Spectacle. He will team up with Seth Rollins to take on the heel duo on September 8. The 36-year-old is already a top name in the company, and a feud with Cena could help elevate him further.

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Gunther wanted to face John Cena at WrestleMania 39

The reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion appeared on Steve Fall's Ten Count before this year's WrestleMania. Addressing the speculation about a potential matchup against John Cena at The Show of Shows, The Ring General said he was open to the idea.

"John Cena is one of the legends. Because he’s not really active at the moment anymore, he just pops up, but when he does, if the chance is there for me, I’ll gladly take it. [Cena is] one of, if not the most popular babyface in this sport of all time. I think I would be a great counterpart to that. I would love to do it,” said Gunther.

While the match did not take place this year, it could happen at WrestleMania 40. John Cena also posted a photo of Gunther on his Instagram handle, leading to speculation about the former WWE Champion possibly facing The Ring General soon.