Current champion makes WWE history following the Royal Rumble
Having a long reign with a championship means that WWE Hall of Famers will have their reign eclipsed.
Current WWE Intercontinental Champion Gunther has officially reached 235 days since winning the title back on the June 10, 2022, episode of SmackDown, where he defeated then-champion Ricochet, according to WWE.com. That means he has officially cracked the top 10 of longest singular reigns in the history of the championship.
Gunther's reign has taken the 10th spot from Hall of Famer Pat Patterson's initial reign, where he won the Intercontinental Championship in the fictitious Rio de Janeiro tournament that began the title's lineage. Another person that was tied with Patterson's reign was the 2023 men's Royal Rumble winner Cody Rhodes as he held the Intercontinental Championship in 2011.
Next up on the list is Shelton Benjamin, who had a 244-day reign from 2004 to 2005. It will definitely be interesting to see how long The Ring General can hold onto the championship.
Who currently holds the longest WWE Intercontinental reigns in history?
The longest singular reign for the Intercontinental Championship is the Honky Tonk Man, who held the championship for 454 days. Many wrestlers have tried to surpass the length of his reign, but there is a bit of a gap.
Second is Pedro Morales with 425 days, and then Macho Man Randy Savage with 414 days. In order for Gunther to officially break the Honky Tonk Man's record of a single reign, he will need to hold the Intercontinental Championship until Friday, September 8 of this year.
Gunther just had an impressive showing in the 2023 Royal Rumble match, as he lasted 71 minutes and 25 seconds before being eliminated by the winner Cody Rhodes at the conclusion. It will be interesting to see what Gunther is able to do as Wrestlemania gets closer.
Would you like to see Gunther break the Honky Tonk Man's record of 454 days as WWE Intercontinental Champion? Let us know in the comments section below.