The WWE Intercontinental Championship wasn’t defended at last year’s WrestleMania, but this year is a different story, with GUNTHER holding the title.
WWE Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER recently sat down with Ariel Helwani of BT Sport to discuss a wide variety of subjects ahead of his match at WrestleMania 39. When asked if his mindset after winning the Intercontinental Championship was to bring value and prestige back to the title, GUNTHER confirmed that was his approach.
“Yes. 100%. That was my approach. I was like, I get this opportunity now, and I’m gonna make the absolute most out of it,” GUNTHER said. “Like make it mean something again because you’re right, like the last few years, it wasn’t a very popularly presented title.
“But often, it is on the one that holds the title to make the change again, and yeah, I was successful doing that. I think when people talk about the Intercontinental Championship match on the card, it’s seen in a very different light than it was in the last few years.”
When asked if it blows him away to be mentioned in the same sentence as other great Intercontinental Champions like Honky Tonk Man and Macho Man Randy Savage, GUNTHER said it doesn’t because, to him, it doesn’t make any sense in his mind.
“It doesn’t blow me away because it doesn’t feel like it, if that makes sense. Right? Because you grew up with all those names, and out of nowhere, you’re in the mix of it. It feels a little bit like a guest appearance if that makes sense.
“But from a distance, obviously, It’s great. It’s amazing to see that, and just be able to do my part in the history of that championship is — yeah, it’s a privilege, I think, and take that very seriously.”
When asked if he’s satisfied with where he’s taken the Intercontinental Championship in the last year, GUNTHER said he believes it’s still a work in progress.
“I mean, it is a work in progress. I think and the times have changed, too,” GUNTHER said. “But I think I accomplished that to a big degree now because we are at WrestleMania; it’s the biggest WrestleMania ever, and it is a match that people are excited for. They’re looking forward to it.
“I think it’s surreal too because I am in that position if I think where it was three, four or five years ago, it’s a big leap. But that’s something to go back to that before. You cannot think like that in the moment. You have to be focused on the task, and that’s what I tried to do, and I think I accomplished that in that way to make this the after the main title; this is the most important title in the company.”
READ MORE: GUNTHER Reflects Upon His First Year On The WWE Main Roster
What do you make of GUNTHER’s comments? Have you enjoyed the rise of the Intercontinental Championship back to prominence in WWE? Let us know your thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below.
If you use any of the quotes above, please credit WWE on BT Sport with a link back to this article for the transcription.
