GUNTHER's historic Intercontinental Championship reign has come as a surprise to many, but not to the man himself.

Later this week, GUNTHER will break the record for the longest Intercontinental Championship reign in WWE history. GUNTHER's reign began on the June 10, 2022, episode of WWE SmackDown with a victory over Ricochet.

On this week's Raw, GUNTHER retained his championship against Chad Gable in the main event of the show. Speaking after the match, GUNTHER made it clear why he's not surprised to break the Honky Tonk Man's record that has stood for three decades.

"I'm not surprised. From the moment I won this prestigious championship, I saw the vision. I envisioned this very moment. That I am the one to redefine history. Redefine the legacy of the Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship.

"I heard them talking, heard them discussing their childhood heroes: Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, the Honky Tonk Man, Steve Austin, The Rock. The reality is, when that bell rings, they all can come, line up, and lace my boots. Because as long as I'm alive, there's no man born yet to take this title off me."



With his legacy as Intercontinental Champion firmly established, many predict it is just a matter of time before GUNTHER moves into the World Championship scene. Speaking last month, the Austrian said that now is not the right time to challenge for a World Championship, but remained open to the idea.