Gunther belittles top WWE star: "He doesn't know what it takes to be in my position"

At WrestleMania XL, Gunther will put his Intercontinental Championship on the line – a title he elevated to new heights while claiming the record for the longest reign back in 2023. Now sitting at 665 days and counting, the Ring General has proven himself to many as the greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time.

Gunther would be one of many to make that claim, and he believes that there are just some competitors who aren't ready to stand on his mountaintop and carry the responsibility he does every week.

As a guest on Friday's episode of The Pat McAfee Show, Gunther admitted that his WrestleMania XL opponent, Sami Zayn, is quite an accomplished athlete, but everything he's done pales in comparison to that of the reigning and defending champion.

"Sami is fantastic. I was always aware of him; I wrestled him several times throughout our careers. All of his accomplishments speak for themselves. But to be honest, nobody else has done what I have done. I created a new level of prestige for the Intercontinental Championship and myself. I don't think Sami can claim this for himself. He doesn't know how it is to be in my position. He doesn't know the pressure and what it takes to be in my position. And I think he's more dreaming than being realistic about this." [2:35:45 - 2:36:35]

Sami Zayn will get a chance to prove The Ring General and all other doubters wrong when he challenges for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania XL Night 1.

How does Sami Zayn's WWE title career stack up to Gunther's?

While Sami Zayn is a former three-time Intercontinental Champion, none of his reigns ever came close to 665 days. Combined, his title reigns add up to a measly 172 days. Add all the days that Sami Zayn has been champion, including the Intercontinental, Undisputed Tag Team, and the NXT Championship, and he has only held gold in WWE for 394 days.

Gunther's Intercontinental Championship run already dwarfs his challenger's title runs by itself, but when you add his time as the most dominant NXT UK Champion in history (a whopping 870 days), the Ring General has held championship gold for the majority of his WWE career. Regardless of what one may think of both of these men, the numbers speak for themselves.