Gunther breaks character to praise longtime rival and former WWE Champion

WWE Intercontinental Champion Gunther heaped praise on The Miz after their hellacious match at Survivor Series.

The longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion continued his historic run as he took down The Miz this week at Survivor Series. Gunther caught him in the Boston Crab, forcing the former WWE Champion to tap out and bring the match to a close.

During the Survivor Series press conference, the champ made it clear that he had a lot of respect for The Miz after their matchup. He acknowledged that his initial impression of The A-Lister was wrong and he was indeed a tough competitor inside the ring. The Ring General made it clear that Miz is a guaranteed top-tier future Hall of Famer.

"I mean, everything aside, I can be very satisfied with today. I've been in the ring with a two-time Grand Slam Champion somebody that is around forever here. I think he's a guaranteed Hall of Famer down the line. It was a challenge for me because, I mentioned it before, I'm not the typical superstar that is made out of the classic WWE mold. So wanted to have that challenge. I told him last week that I don't think he belongs in the ring and in this sport. He proved today that he does, just not with me. That's what I think."

You can watch the full press conference here:

It will be interesting to see who lines up next to face Gunther for the Intercontinental title.

What did you think of Survivor Series? Sound off in the comments section below.

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