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Gunther beat Drew McIntyre at SummerSlam on Saturday to retain the Intercontinental Championship and move closer to the longest IC title reign in WWE history.
This was a hard-hitting, physical match with both men getting their shots in.
WWE @WWE
With the #ICTitle on the line at #SummerSlam, @DMcIntyreWWE & @Gunther_AUT look to batter each other! pic.twitter.com/Ef04Enzxav
WWE @WWE
A relentless @DMcIntyreWWE is determined to recapture the #ICTitle from @Gunther_AUT at #SummerSlam! pic.twitter.com/r2jwqMDfjN
WWE @WWE
THIS IS AWE-SOME!!! 👏👏 👏👏👏@DMcIntyreWWE & @Gunther_AUT are destroying each other in Detroit at #SummerSlam with the #ICTitle on the line! pic.twitter.com/HWtPTBEKi4
McIntyre looked for the win after hitting the Claymore, but the champ kicked out. Gunther later used a splash, lariat and a powerbomb in succession to get the pin.
The Ring General entered SummerSlam having held the intercontinental title for over 400 days after winning it in June 2022, and he largely dominated everyone who stepped in his path.
Prior to Saturday, the biggest challenge of Gunther’s reign may have come at WrestleMania 39 when he faced both McIntyre and Sheamus in a Triple Threat match that proved to be the hardest-hitting bout on the card.
Gunther retained by pinning McIntyre, which led to The Scottish Warrior disappearing from WWE programming for the next three months.
The Scot’s hiatus came to an end last month at Money in the Bank in London when he confronted Gunther following a successful title defense against Matt Riddle.
In the weeks that followed, McIntyre joined forces with Riddle to combat Gunther and his Imperium stablemates, Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci. That included McIntyre and Riddle beating Kaiser and Vinci in a tag team match on Raw.
The following week, McIntyre was away to film for a movie, leaving Riddle to face Gunther in a singles match, which the latter won.
Following his victory, Gunther cut a promo about his superiority and expressed his belief that he is the greatest intercontinental champion of all time. He also took the opportunity to call out McIntyre.
Upon his return the next week, the Scot stepped up to The Ring General, and their Intercontinental Championship clash was made official for SummerSlam.
While he was pushed to the limit, Gunther escaped with his title reign intact, and he is now a one month away from surpassing The Honky Tonk Man’s longstanding record of 453 consecutive days as IC champion.
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