WWE Intercontinental Champion On Pace To Record Impressive Stat Not Seen Since Cody Rhodes

WWE has an extremely marketable star in the form of Intercontinental Champion Gunther and the main man of the "Imperium" faction is on track for a distinction that has not been seen in WWE for quite a long time.

According to their official tracker, Gunther has kept his grip on the title for 207 days, which is an extremely impressive achievement as the last time WWE had someone hold the title for this long was Cody Rhodes back in August 2011, staying atop the mountain for 234 days.

Branded as the "workhorse" title since many in the business recognize it as the last step before winning either the main WWE Championship or Universal title, Gunther already ranks within the top 15 in terms of days held in a single reign.

Gunther is also on track to beat the following superstars' records before equaling Rhodes' mark:

• Randy Orton, 2003 (210 days)
• The Ultimate Warrior, 1988 and 1989 (216 days, twice)
• Tito Santana, 1984 and 1985 (226 and 217 respectively)

WWE has built Gunther up into a monstrous opponent for anyone who would dare challenge him and his match with Sheamus at the Clash at the Castle pay-per-view earned its five-star rating and is widely considered one of WWE's top matches in 2022.

Currently, Gunther is in a program with Braun Strowman and the pair is on a collision course of epic proportions when they meet on the January 13 episode of SmackDown over the title.

Watching two big men duke it out is always a fun spectacle for pro wrestling fans and is part of the appeal of the industry, though it is extremely likely that Gunther will retain this time around.

Holding the Intercontinental Championship for a little bit over half a year is an impressive feat on Gunther and WWE's part as it certainly does not feel stale and it is only helping to establish the former NXT UK standout on the main roster.

Putting "The Ring General" in a short program with Rhodes would have been possible had the latter not been injured in a true "passing of the torch" moment that industry fans love, but they could share a moment during the 2023 Royal Rumble on January 28.

With the belief that Rhodes is going to be the overall winner of the men's match, WWE could book to have both men remain among the final four and have commentary play up the importance of the encounter taking place instead of a formal match.

Though those plans are still not set in stone, Gunther's reign feels as if it will become the next one to reach Roman Reigns status.

Other than Rhodes and those previously mentioned, the only ones ahead of Gunther are the likes of Shelton Benjamin (244 days), The Rock (264 days), Mr. Perfect (280 days) Greg Valentine (285 days), Randy Savage (414 days) and the record-setting Honky Tonk Man (454 days).

If booked to perfection and fans continue to show support for his reign, Gunther just might be the man to finally set a new record with the Intercontinental Championship.