"Future WWE World Champion!" - Twitter erupts as Gunther breaks 18-year-old record and makes history

WWE Superstar Gunther recently made history after becoming the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion of the 21st century.

The Imperium leader won the title on SmackDown last year in June after defeating Ricochet. Since then, he has successfully defended his gold against Shinsuke Nakamura, Braun Strowman, and Sheamus, amongst others.

Gunther has been champion for 245 days, overtaking the previous record held by Shelton Benjamin at 244 days in 2005. The top champion on SmackDown achieved the remarkable feat less than two weeks after making history at Royal Rumble.

Gunther was the first to enter the match and was the last to be eliminated, lasting inside the ring for an hour and eleven minutes. His impressive performances allowed him to break two massive WWE records in the first two months of the year.

Fans were quick to hail the SmackDown Superstar for his impressive run on the main roster. Many called him a future World Champion, while others praised him for elevating the mid-card title to new heights.

Here are some of the best reactions to Gunther making WWE history:

Gunther comments on a potential WWE match against Brock Lesnar

One of the biggest highlights of the men's Royal Rumble match was a brief confrontation between Brock Lesnar and Gunther. The two superstars took a moment to size each other up, instantly generating fans' interest. Many labeled it a big money match and said they could see it at WrestleMania.

Gunther spoke about potentially facing Lesnar on The Rob Brown Show and said:

"I think that moment was everything I needed with Brock out of that, to be honest. I think the people want to see that, and that's something that has to happen down the line. I don't know if our individual paths are there at the moment to go there, but in the future that has to go down for sure."

Gunther is currently enjoying a dominant run on SmackDown, but things could still get better for him on the Road to WrestleMania. He is now on course to chase The Rock's record for the longest Intercontinental Championship reign at 264 days. Additionally, if Gunther can keep his title until WrestleMania, he will hold the record for the longest-reign Intercontinental Champion in WWE's history.

Do you think Gunther will break the record? Let us know in the comments section below!