Gunther's main roster run was admittedly going quite well even before Vince McMahon resigned in disgrace, but rumours had circulated that the old s*d was tiring of one of his new toys and looked set to doom with the Intercontinental Champion with rank anti-America sh*t before Triple H took charge and kept the train on the tracks.
Imperium are a stable reborn under 'The Game's steady hand, and Gunther is a nailed-on banger factory when he puts his title on the line in a major setting. His Clash At The Castle war with Sheamus was WWE's match of the year, and the rematch was just a notch below. Shinsuke Nakamura and Rey Mysterio made for outstanding TV opponents, and the quality contest in which he secured the belt against Ricochet may well be topped by an impending rematch set to air after this went to press.
And just briefly on the belt - Gunther's elevated the status of the secondary strap beyond anything it's been in forever. With Imperium as his muscle out front and 'The Game' clearly supporting his run behind the scenes, Gunther's pulled off a show-not-tell trick that just about Intercontinental Champion since 2003 has failed to do before him. The man has made the title, just as it should be.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
