At WWE WrestleMania 40, Sami Zayn defeated Gunther to become the new Intercontinental Champion, ending Gunther’s historic 666-day reign. Gunther has been considered one of the most dominant Intercontinental Champions in WWE history, elevating the title to new heights during his nearly two-year reign. While there have been arguments that Gunther was ready to move on from the midcard championship, he needed a loss to finally make that leap to the next level.
Surprisingly, Gunther’s clean loss to Zayn came as a shock to many fans, as Gunther had been portrayed as an unstoppable force in WWE. His transformation into one of the best heels in the company with stellar character work and high-quality matches had solidified his status as a top star. Despite previous plans by WWE’s creative team to potentially “bury” Gunther’s character, the Triple H regime recognized his immense potential and built him up as a formidable force in the company.
Prior to his loss at WrestleMania 40, Gunther had only been pinned once in the past two years, showcasing his dominance as a main roster star. However, Zayn’s victory over Gunther not only ended his reign but also propelled Zayn to a new level of stardom. This clean victory solidified Zayn as a lovable babyface in the eyes of fans and marked the beginning of a new chapter for Gunther in his quest for the world title scene.
While Gunther had successfully restored the prestige of the Intercontinental Championship, the title still pales in comparison to the World Heavyweight or Universal titles in WWE. Despite Gunther’s focus on defending his IC title with honor, he has remained a relative afterthought in the world title picture. However, with top stars like Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins potentially leaving, Gunther could become a vital asset for Raw and potentially emerge as the top star on Monday nights.
As the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion in history, Gunther’s loss to Zayn at WrestleMania 40 signaled the end of an era and opened up new opportunities for him in the main event scene. With a need for fresh main eventers in WWE, Gunther’s defeat only confirmed that he is ready for bigger challenges and a shot at the top titles in the company. As he moves on from his reign as Intercontinental Champion, Gunther’s legacy as a dominant force in WWE will be remembered, while his future as a potential world champion remains within reach.
