As it’s de rigueur with many professional wrestling web sites as of late, I really feel we have to discuss a present WWE champion.

Extra particularly, one who’s at present on a record-breaking run. Flanked by a faction of allies, this champion runs roughshod by means of a rogue’s gallery of a few of WWE’s best, abandoning a path of dominant wins and critically acclaimed matches. I, after all, am talking about Gunther, whose present run as Intercontinental champion attracts extremely shut parallels to the Undisputed Common championship run of Roman Reigns, as I hope my cheeky introduction succeeded in stating. Nevertheless, the similarities about them go in utterly alternative ways.

Gunther (you don’t have any thought how troublesome it’s to maintain my pinky finger from hitting caps lock because the reflexive lead-in to typing WALTER) is the beneficiary of a call by inventive maestro “Papa” Paul Levesque final yr, who made it an goal to rehabilitate the WWE Intercontinental Championship. It’s, in any case, a title whose lineage was by no means tampered with. Outdoors some questionable belt designs over time, the title has remained true to its historical past and preliminary imaginative and prescient. After being booked into the abyss for the higher a part of two years, Levesque ensured that the IC title overhaul started with somebody who might make it really feel distinguished once more. An ideal activity for a dominant and fearsome Austrian freshly rescued from the demise throes of NXT UK.

It’s been so profitable that we’re approaching the second the place Gunther dethrones the all-time Intercontinental Championship run of the Honky Tonk Man. It’s troublesome not to attract parallels with Reigns right here, significantly when contemplating the emphasis that was placed on his “legendary” 1,000 days as Common/World/Undisputed champion. In contrast to an arbitrary quantity being handed off as a milestone, Gunther is on the cusp of bringing part of WWE historical past again into the fashionable period as he inches ever so nearer to the 454 days Wayne Farris chalked up within the late 80s. This can be a document e book second that not a single soul booked in WWF/E for 35 years has damaged. A milestone that not solely followers can wrap their heads round and get into, however helps form a legacy that has the potential to be round for a decade or two. The intangible facet of Roman’s 1k days appears to be important solely to essentially the most hardcore of followers.

Nonetheless, we’ve a case right here the place two males have “made the title.” Gunther’s push has objectively introduced the IC Title again to prominence and Roman’s has arguably made the Common Title right into a championship that lastly does carry some weight, particularly when juxtaposed to the WWE title’s legacy.

The paths taken to get there, nonetheless, have been broadly divergent.

WWE created a compelling and plausible champion in Gunther with out interminable promos, cavalcades of betrayals or folks being placed on trial. The success of Gunther’s push is constructed on essentially the most fundamental, confirmed and strong basis {of professional} wrestling: having him wrestle credible opponents whereas delivering nice to glorious matches on massive exhibits. 

In distinction, Roman’s matches have devolved into systematic rinse-and-repeat match buildings that fall into the necessity for deep interference to assert victory. Because it was noticed on a current episode of the Gents’s Wrestling Podcast, the formulation to Roman’s matches has now develop into so ingrained that followers don’t react to issues occurring till the ultimate stretch of a match, as a result of they know that’s the place the interference goes to occur and “occasions” will happen. Gunther’s no-nonsense strategy to matches retains folks on their toes until the very finish, performing in a method that usually cracks the WWE home type. His massive wins, most of the time, have “dominant” and/or “clear” as adjectives used to qualify the bout.

Some proponents of sports activities leisure would love me to imagine that making stars in wrestling is a tortuous, difficult affair that requires intricate narratives and causes to make folks care. However when you may have the fitting expertise in the fitting spots, it doesn’t should be troublesome. 

Regardless of their similarities, Gunther and Roman Reigns are two very completely different champions, reaping success relative to their place on the cardboard in very alternative ways.

Whereas Gunther is profitable now, and feeling like a simmering potential candidate for some prime spots within the firm, will probably be fascinating to see how he fares as soon as he inevitably loses the title after which should be given “one thing to do”; the clarion name for inventive to step in. There may be at all times the surface chance that WWE won’t attempt to repair one thing that isn’t damaged, however there’s greater than sufficient precedent to be cautious.