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WWE Superstar Gunther is the promotion’s reigning Intercontinental Champion. Since its inception four decades ago, the title has been won and worn by numerous pro-wrestling greats.
The Ring General has been holding onto the title for over 200 days now and it is likely that the IC gold will stay with him for a while. This makes him one of the longest-reigning champions in the history of the title.
Provided that he continues to successfully defend his Intercontinental Championship, he could possibly beat other WWE Superstars who have lengthier title reigns. Take a look at these eight pro wrestlers who have had Intercontinental Championship reigns longer than Gunther.
Shelton Benjamin's record is about to be surpassed by Gunther
WWE Superstar Shelton Benjamin won the Intercontinental Championship from Chris Jericho back in 2004 at Taboo Tuesday. Due to a stipulation at the time, fans decided who would face him for the said championship, and Benjamin was the crowd favorite.
The Gold Standard reigned for 244 days before he was defeated by Carlito in June 2005. He managed to capture the title a couple more times, though these reigns were short-lived.
As mentioned, Gunther has been in possession of the belt for over 200 days now and was recently hailed as the third WWE Superstar to have reached such a feat since 2011. The other two were Shinsuke Nakamura and Cody Rhodes.
With the way things are going, there is a possibility that The Ring General might surpass the former Hurt Business member’s record.
The Rock's Intercontinental Championship reign is also likely to be broken by Gunther
Dubbed The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment, The Rock also captured the Intercontinental Championship and held it for a significant amount of time.
It was during his second reign as IC Champion that then-champ Stone Cold Steve Austin forfeited the belt to The Rock on an episode of Raw is War in December 1997. Just moments after handing over the belt, The Rattlesnake would deliver his signature Stunner to The Rock, knocking him out.
The Rock held it for 265 days before losing it in a ladder match against Triple H at SummerSlam in 1998. It is also plausible that Gunther could break this title reign as well.
Mr. Perfect
Like The Rock, Mr. Perfect experienced his longest Intercontinental Championship reign the second time he captured it at 280 days.
It is believed that his reign would have been even longer if it weren’t for the injuries he suffered at the time. Mr. Perfect ultimately lost the title to fellow legend Bret Hart at SummerSlam in August 1991.
Greg Valentine
As for WWE Hall of Famer Greg Valentine, he was five days longer than Mr. Perfect at 285 days. It is also worth noting that this was his first and only Intercontinental Championship reign.
Valentine won the title from another Hall of Famer, Tito Santana, back in 1984. However, Santana regained the title the following year in a steel cage match. WWE would introduce a new design for the IC belt as The Hammer dismantled the old one after the fight.
Don Muraco
Don Muraco captured the Intercontinental Championship during the early years of the title. He managed to win it a couple of times during his run, holding it the longest in his second reign at 385 days.
Like Greg Valentine, he too lost it to Tito Santana in February 1984. During his IC Championship reign, he successfully defended the title against the likes of Jimmy Snuka and Tony Atlas.
Muraco’s first reign as IC champ was also impressive as he managed to keep the belt for a good 156 days.
Randy Savage
The list has just entered the 400-day mark with Randy Savage. It was February 1986 when The Macho Man defeated Tito Santana. The win was shrouded in controversy as he snuck a steel object inside his attire that he used against Santana.
For 414 days, Savage’s first and only reign was indeed one of the longest. However, come WrestleMania 3 in 1987, he lost the title to Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat in what many consider one of the greatest WWE matches of all time.
Pedro Morales
Pedro Morales is the runner-up on this list with 425 days. His lengthy IC title reign began when he won it for the second time in November 1981. It all came to an end when he lost the belt to Don Muraco in January 1983.
His first reign was also a long one as he held the IC Championship for 194 days, which current champion Gunther only recently surpassed.
The Honky Tonk Man’s Intercontinental Championship reign was way longer than Gunther’s
Topping the list is The Honky Tonk Man’s Intercontinental Championship reign at 454 days. This record IC title run kicked off when the WWE Hall of Famer defeated Ricky Steamboat in June 1987.
However, it took less than a minute for The Ultimate Warrior to take it away from him, which ended what is now hailed as the longest IC title reign in the history of the promotion.
To that end, can Gunther surpass what The Honky Tonk Man achieved?
