Gunther Must Drop IC Title to Drew McIntyre at WWE SummerSlam to Take Next Level Up

Pro wrestling is a funny thing, in large part due to true statements like this:

Gunther is one of the best things in the sport and in order for him to keep ascending, his historic Intercontinental title run needs to end now.

Non-wrestling fans will likely find it wild that the only way for a star to keep climbing is by losing some gold around his or her waist, but so it goes—and especially for Gunther.

Heading into SummerSlam, Gunther just jumped up the record books again, surpassing Macho Man as the third-longest reign with the Intercontinental title. He needs roughly 40 days to surpass the longest-ever run, held by Honky Tonk Man at 453 days.

Given that context, it's pretty safe to presume WWE would like Gunther to break those records, especially when record-breaking has been such a theme recently under Triple H as a way to express dominance and modernize the books at the same time.

But, Gunther's opponent at SummerSlam is Drew McIntyre. Not too long ago, speculation ran rampant that McIntyre wouldn't return to WWE until the company had big plans for him. Understandable, given his workhorse effort of shouldering the entire company on his back in the audience-less era but not getting the big win over Reigns.

That signals a loss for Gunther and truthfully, there might not be a better set-him-down-gently moment possible if his title reign has to end. Before Gunther looked amazing in the same ring as Brock Lesnar at a Royal Rumble, McIntyre did the exact same thing. There are few better ways to lose, even clean than to go down at the hands of such a prestigious opponent.

A loss would, after all, set up Gunther for even bigger things while leaving the title in good hands now that he's firmly re-established it as a must-see attraction.

Maybe that big thing is a major faction-based showdown, with his Imperium storylining their way into a feud with Reigns' Bloodline, or whatever remains of it.

More intriguing would be Gunther splitting apart and going after bigger gold, of course. He's a natural heel to go after the title around Seth Rollins' waist. That would be a fun, prominent feud that might be able to extend all the way to the next WrestleMania.

A very top men's title on Gunther is just a no-brainer of a situation as he could occupy a final-boss sort of heel role. The guy to eventually overcome him would get a massive boost in the process.

And this isn't to say Gunther can't be a nice threat to Reigns' unified titles. He could undoubtedly make it work, but that Bloodline storyline still only feels right as a family-based feud that, after Jey Uso, should preferably move into a situation where Solo Sikoa is the next challenger, potentially backed by Paul Heyman.

A Gunther loss at SummerSlam doesn't have to necessarily mean he goes and contends for other titles, either. Look at Cody Rhodes since last year's 'Mania—a feud against Lesnar is just as high-profile as a top-title feud, if not more so.

There's certainly some unfinished business there between Gunther and Lesnar, too. His working a 'Mania feud with the Beast Incarnate would be a stunning showcase, especially in how it would get him in front of non-hardcore fans. While doing so, some of the logjams behind Rollins and Reigns' titles would clear, too.

Broken down like this, it would be a little shocking to see WWE prioritize Gunther's current streak and impact on the record books when the company won't luck its way into a better opportunity to hand him a loss that won't actually do him long-term damage. Because if he doesn't lose at SummerSlam, when does it happen? How much longer can he slot in this current role and jeopardize his momentum?

Much of the great successes in pro wrestling are merely about feel and proper timing. Right now, it feels like the right time for Gunther to take a loss, climbing the ladder in the process, regardless of what the record books say.