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WWE had an incredible year in 2023 with several memorable title reigns, but its latest "Hall of Champions" poster featuring Roman Reigns in the center drew criticism from the fans online.
As of this writing, the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion has held his gold for 1207 days. However, he is not the only one enjoying a historic championship reign. The RAW Superstar Gunther is the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion in the history of the Stamford-based promotion, enjoying an unmatched run on the red brand.
The Ring General has held the Intercontinental Championship for 560+ days and is widely regarded as one of the most dominant performers on the main roster. Gunther has regularly defended his gold on the red brand, most recently against The Miz on Monday Night RAW earlier this week.
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WWE took to Twitter to share a poster titled "Hall of Champions," asking the fans who they thought was the best champion in 2023. The post instantly drew fans' criticism, with several of them asking why Gunther was not featured in the poster.
The image features Roman Reigns in the middle, with the Women's World Champion Rhea Ripley and the WWE Women's Champion IYO SKY on either side. The fans critiqued the poster, questioning The Tribal Chief's inclusion.
The fans heavily criticized Roman Reigns' booking and said he should not be considered the top champion, taking into account he "does not show up." The WWE Universe argued that Gunther had been the best champion in the Stamford-based company this year, citing his regular title defenses on RAW and premium live events.
Some fans credited the Imperium leader for delivering memorable matches against each of his challengers, hailing him as the best alongside the World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins.
Check out some of the fan reactions below:
Roman Reigns was stunned by potential challengers on WWE SmackDown
Roman Reigns made a massive return on WWE SmackDown last week, where he named Solo Sikoa as the next Tribal Chief. However, he was confronted by Randy Orton, who was back to seek his revenge against The Bloodline. This segment set up a match between The Viper and Jimmy Uso in the main event of the blue brand.
Orton defeated Jimmy while LA Knight kept Solo Sikoa from interfering in the match. Reigns tried to attack The Viper but was left stunned to see AJ Styles return as well. The Phenomenal One took out The Tribal Chief before turning around to attack Knight.
The chaotic segment put AJ Styles as Roman Reigns' potential challenger in addition to Randy Orton and LA Knight. It will be interesting to see how The Tribal Chief navigates his way around his rivals on SmackDown as we inch closer to the 2024 Royal Rumble.
Do you think Gunther should have been featured on the Hall of Champions poster? Sound off in the comments section below!
