Sami Zayn has ended GUNTHER’s reign with the WWE Intercontinental Championship.

Their match, which went on second last during night one of WrestleMania 40, was fought with great intensity and emotion as the dictating champion controlled Sami for the vast majority of the match, all while mocking Zayn’s wife watching from the crowd. Multiple Powerbombs, Lariats, Splashes, and even a Helluva Kick of his own failed to keep Sami grounded before Zayn regrouped, Brainbustering GUNTHER atop the turnbuckles a la El Generico. One more Helluva Kick put ‘The Ring General’ down for good, winning his fourth Intercontinental Championship in the process.

GUNTHER first lifted the Intercontinental Championship on June 10, 2022. Dethroning Ricochet on SmackDown, the Austrian behemoth has since gone on a rampage across both SmackDown and Raw, crushing the likes of Drew McIntyre, Sheamus, Chad Gable, Braun Strowman, and Rey Mysterio along the way. Losing to Sami Zayn marked the 22nd televised defence of his reign but, astonishingly, the 106th including untelevised contests.

Sami Zayn’s last reign as Intercontinental Champion lasted only 21 days in March 2022; ironically, only Ricochet was champion between his and GUNTHER’s reigns.

What’s Next For GUNTHER?

Now titleless for the first time in almost two years, GUNTHER is heavily expected to move into the main event scene, with a potential World Heavyweight Championship challenge awaiting him on August 31 at Bash In Berlin. The former WALTER confirmed to Sports Illustrated that despite VISA issues having recently prevented him from working international live events, he should be cleared to wrestle at the Uber Arena (H/T Fightful):

“I’m applying for my green card. During that process, you can’t leave the country for a little bit. But the PLE is in August. It should be over by then."

Other names advertised for Bash In Berlin include Cody Rhodes, Rhea Ripley, Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre, and Bianca Belair.