GUNTHER defends Intercontinental Championship in a brutal encounter

GUNTHER successfully defended his Intercontinental Championship against Sheamus in a brutal match.

At WWE Clash at the Castle, Sheamus faced GUNTHER in what many fans are calling the match of the year. Although the Intercontinental Champion emerged victorious, it kicked off a feud between the Brawling Brutes and Imperium.

A couple of weeks ago, WWE announced that the two men would fight on the season premiere of SmackDown. The match was as brutal as expected. It was a slugfest filled with vicious punches and offenses.

BIG FIGHT FEEL

@Gunther_AUT @WWESheamus #SmackDown https://t.co/Xp0KWK2bJy

Good evidence of the brutality of the match can be seen in the scars of both athletes. However, that didn't stop either man from taking the fight to each other as fans in attendance couldn't stop chanting, "this is awesome."

Sadly, this match couldn't exclude any controversial elements. During the match, Sheamus hit the cloverleaf on GUNTHER and the latter tapped out. However, the referee waived it off, much to the dismay of Sheamus and the fans. After the strange moment, Imperium ran to ringside to rally their leader.

However, Brawling Brutes intervened, and the four men started brawling on the outside. During this time, Ludwig Keiser handed a shillelagh to the former NXT star, who hit Sheamus as he proceeded to deliver the Brogue Kick. This helped the Intercontinental Champion pick up the win.

#AndStill the Intercontinental Champion, @Gunther_AUT!

#SmackDown https://t.co/NYSSUgZncZ

It looks like things will get even more physical during the Good Old Fashioned Donnybrook match at WWE Extreme Rules when both these factions face each other.

Do you want to see Sheamus vs. GUNTHER III? Sound off in the comments section.