At 454 days, The Honky Tonk Man’s WWE Intercontinental Championship legendary reign has gone unmatched in length for thirty-five years. However, one current WWE star is looking to shatter that record in just a matter of weeks if he can get through Drew McIntyre at WWE SummerSlam first: Gunther. The leader of Imperium has held the title for 420 days, and many have begun to speculate that The Honky Tonk Man’s record could finally come crashing down.
It will not be easy for Gunther, however, as McIntyre’s return at WWE Money In The Bank received a thunderous ovation, and the Scottish Psychopath looks more motivated than ever to get his in-ring career back on track. While McIntyre was away from the ring dealing with an injury, there were also reports that he was unhappy with creative, also setting back his in-ring return. McIntyre recently commented on those reports, noting that there was “some smoke” to the rumors, so perhaps being told he would be the one to end Gunther’s reign was a way to lure him back into the fold.
If McIntyre does take the title off of Gunther at WWE SummerSlam, it will be somewhat ironic, as Honky Tonk Man’s reign came to a quick end at WWE SummerSlam 1988 when a red-hot Ultimate Warrior defeated him in a matter of seconds. While it is unlikely that McIntyre will do away with Gunther in quick fashion, it is possible he will pick up a big SummerSlam win, much like Warrior did.
With this all in mind, yesterday, at the WWE SummerSlam media junket, I had the chance to ask Gunther how he felt about possibly breaking The Honky Tonk Man’s long-standing record for the longest WWE Intercontinental Championship reign.
“I mean, the closer that comes, the more you think about it, here and there because, like you, people talk about it,” he began. “But, at the end, I’m not too focused on it. I’m focused on Drew McIntyre tomorrow. I’m focusing on SummerSlam. That’s the big deal now. And once all is said and done, then I can maybe lean back and think about breaking the record or enjoy it when it happens. But as of now, that’s not a big focus for me.”
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