Gunther to break huge record in his first reign as a world champion? Exploring the possibility

Gunther took the next step on his path to greatness at SummerSlam, when he defeated Damian Priest and became the World Heavyweight Champion. It is another achievement on a long list for The Ring General as he finally won his first major world title in WWE. And now that he is champion, could the higher-ups book him to be the greatest champion of all time and have him break a huge record?

The record in question belongs to none other than the legend himself, Bruno Sammartino. Of course, this record is the one that has stood strong for a whopping 53 years and counting, and it is the longest reign in WWE history. Sammartino was the champion for 2,803 days and since then, many have tried and failed, as no superstar has ever managed to reach those heights. Even the second-longest reign set by Hulk Hogan was 1,329 days short. But, the big question is, could Gunther be the one to break it?

Now, given the sheer magnitude of the task, the answer to that question should flat-out be "No". After all, the likes of Hogan, Roman Reigns, John Cena, and more have all failed in this endeavor. That being said, Gunther has a knack for holding onto titles for quite a while. It's hard to forget that he, until recently, was the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion in WWE history. Furthermore, although it has now been unified with the NXT Championship, The Ring General also holds the record for the longest reign as the NXT United Kingdom Champion.

It's clear to see that Triple H and the WWE higher-ups hold the new World Heavyweight Champion in high regard. Considering this, and his history with titles, there is an outside chance that he does make a run that could challenge Sammartino's record. But, this is all just speculation and there is no telling what the future holds for the new champion.

Gunther must now focus on Bash in Berlin and his first title defense

Before Gunther can worry about breaking more records, he must first focus on Bash in Berlin. The PLE will be The Ring General's first real test as champion as he will go head-to-head with The Viper, Randy Orton. It will be his first-ever title defense and could set the tone for his reign as champion.

The 36-year-old learned the news regarding his first opponent as champion last night on Raw. Much to his surprise, Orton's music hit, and The Apex Predator strolled down to the ring where he made his challenge. His logic is that The Ring General didn't beat him 'cleanly' in the finals of The King of the Ring Tournament, and that makes him eligible for a title shot. Fortunately, the champion agreed and now the match is set for 31 August 2024.

It will be interesting to see how The Ring General deals with the pressure of his first-ever title defense as a world champion. But, knowing him, he will definitely give Orton a run for his money. Whether he will be victorious though, is something that remains to be seen.