10 Precise Turning Points Where WWE Did The Impossible
7. Gunther Paying Off An Accidental 25-Year Story
Just about every Intercontinental Champion from roughly 2003 to 2022 said they'd bring the belt back to its former glory. It became such a trope that the champions representative of the celebrated era became cliched for their legendary contributions.
Picture a Dolph Ziggler, or a Kofi Kingston, or a Cody Rhodes, Wade Barrett or a Seth Rollins and imagine them with the title. They’re talking about Bret Hart, Mr Perfect, Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon. They’re not talking about themselves, and neither do most fans as a result. The Miz was a rule-proving exception and Chris Jericho won the thing about fifty times, but all the runs over two decades bled together in a listless chase for midcard acclaim that never really looked in sight.
Without ever talking anywhere near as big a game, Gunther simply went and actually did it.
Wrestling is a collaborative process of course. The likes of Ricochet, Shinsuke Nakamura, Rey Mysterio and especially Sheamus deserve immense credit for their roles opposite the Imperium leader during his tenure with the gold, as does Triple H. As head of creative for the bulk of the run, he’s preserved and protected his Champion. But Gunther’s warranted the support through his unexpectedly awesome main roster tenure.
Few signings from WWE’s late-2010s gobbling up of the indie darlings were given less chance of succeeding than the former WALTER. That he’s done so with a chalice more poisoned than a Bray Wyatt toxic juice becomes more of a generational achievement with every passing day.