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Gunther is set for one of, if not the biggest match of his entire career as he takes on Randy Orton in what will presumably be the main event of Bash in Berlin. In a recent Stuttgart live event, The World Heavyweight Champion scored his third victory in a row against an opponent who historically has had his number.
Gunther was absent on RAW this week - leaving Randy Orton to cut a solitary promo hyping their matchup. The Ring General even confirmed that he would miss RAW as he was in Europe for WWE's Tour ahead of Bash in Berlin. Considering how he is from Austria, a very nearby nation, it only made sense for him and the German Ludwig Kaiser to join the SmackDown roster on the tour.
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In another epic match in WWE's Live Event in Stuttgart, Gunther defeated Ilja Dragunov for the third time in three days - partially avenging his loss to The Mad Dragon 1,103 days ago at NXT Takeover: 36 in 2021. That clash saw Dragunov end The Ring General's 870-day run as NXT: United Kingdom Champion.
Interestingly enough, the duo are now 7-6-1 against each other, with Dragunov having 7 wins while their very first match in Germany in 2015 ended in a double-countout.
Gunther's Intercontinental title replica sold for a high price and it's already sold out
Long Championship reigns are nothing new to the World Heavyweight Champion, so you shouldn't be surprised if he has the title intact for a very long time. That was exemplified on a big stage when he became the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion in WWE history at 666 days - a reign ended by Sami Zayn only a few months ago at WrestleMania 40.
To commemorate his reign, WWE released a limited edition replica of the Intercontinental Championship held by the Austrian - with only 300 pieces up for sale. Priced at a whopping $749.99, it sold out quickly.
If he can hold on to the title for nearly as long, it should be enough to make him the greatest World Heavyweight Champion in the recently introduced lineage from 2023.
