Former champion's mega plan to result in Gunther's title loss and WWE star's return after 3 years? Exploring impact and magnitude of major swerve

Gunther is approximately ten days away from becoming the longest-reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion of all time. The Ring General needs to be undefeated till September 7 to hit the incredible milestone.

Having said that, the Austrian star must not turn a blind eye to a potential threat in the form of the current longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion of all time. While Honky Tonk Man is no physical match for Gunther, he could still jeopardize the latter’s title reign with his mind games.

It is possible Honky Tonk Man could confront The Ring General after he breaks his record as it pertains to the prestigious championship. The confrontation could cause the WWE Hall of Famer to bring Heath Slater back to the company after three years and set up a potential match with Gunther.

The last time Slater and Honky Tonk Man crossed paths, the former 3MB member ended up with a guitar shot to the head. Slater had interrupted the WWE legend on the March 4, 2013, episode of WWE RAW. They could've mended fences by now.

Watch the segment below:

The former WWE star has expressed his interest in returning to his former workplace. Below is the part from his interview with ECW legend Francine on her Eyes Up Here podcast, where Slater talks about a potential return to his former promotion.

“I know if I can get another three-year run, I could probably be set with them. ... I've got another five to seven years that I feel like I could do this. So if they ever offered, you know, I mean, it's the biggest place in the world to perform at and I was there for my whole career, pretty much," he said. [H/T TheSporster]

Slater is currently under contract with IMPACT Wrestling. The deal is reportedly set to expire in October.

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Have Gunther and Heath Slater crossed paths in the ring?

To answer the question, no. Gunther and Heath Slater haven’t wrestled a match against each other. The Ring General was wrestling on NXT UK when Slater got released from WWE as part of budget cuts amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The former Walter is set to defend his Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship against Chad Gable next week on RAW. The two previously met for the title on the August 21, 2023, episode of Monday Night RAW.

It remains to be seen if Master Gable will be the one to dethrone Gunther for his title and spoil his plans for the record-breaking run.

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What are your predictions for the match? Let us know in the comments section below!