4 epic Intercontinental Championship matches which happened at SummerSlam

Throughout history, the Intercontinental championship has been defended by the very best. At SummerSlam, Seth Rollins will face Dolph Ziggler for the WWE Intercontinental championship (IC), cementing its legacy. It is clear that the IC championship has elevated careers. Big named stars such as The Rock, Chris Jericho, and The Miz owe their success to this championship.

The SummerSlam pay-per-view has afforded arguably some of the best Intercontinental championship matches in WWE's History. Coincidently the first few SummerSlam events thrived on these matches. This was primarily because the WWE Championship was not defended until SummerSlam 1990.

Let's explore these matches further!

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#4 Bret Hart vs Mr Perfect at SummerSlam 1991

Mr Perfect and Bret Hart always stole the show

At SummerSlam 1991, Bret Hart and Mr Perfect conducted one of histories greatest matches. Moreover, it sparked the rise of Bret Hart's career outside of tag team wrestling. It further proved that wrestlers of smaller sizes could perform at higher levels.

Hart and Perfect exhumed excellent technical wrestling, arguably the best in the business. At SummerSlam 1991, they portrayed an absolute wrestling clinic, parts of which can be seen in the video below. They entertained fans with epic bouts of submission and mat wrestling. Their match set the precedent for future Intercontinental championship matches. This Sunday, Daniel Bryan faces The Miz at the SummerSlam pay-per-view. Coincidentally, they share wrestling similarities with Hart and Perfect, although their rivalries are completely different.

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#3 Shawn Michaels vs Razor Ramon at SummerSlam 1995

Shawn Michaels went on to win the WWE Championship in later years

At SummerSlam 1995, Shawn Michaels competed against Razor Ramon in an epic Ladder match. Their first Ladder match had taken place during WrestleMania X. Both Ladder matches helped build the Intercontinental Championship's prestige, showing how much both the stars were willing to sacrifice to get the title.

Perhaps The Miz is the only wrestler to have equally elevated the championship.

In 1995, the Intercontinental championship was equal to the WWE Championship. The Ladder match at SummerSlam was crucial to its development. Ramon and Michaels took aerial manoeuvres to new heights, never before seen. In the end, Michaels was victorious, as can be seen in the video below.

#2 Triple H vs The Rock at SummerSlam 1998

This was arguably one of the greatest Ladder matches

In 1997, The Rock had risen to join The Nation of Domination (NOD), whereas, Triple H was dominating WWE as part of D-Generation X (DX). In 1998 their paths crossed. It ignited a war between the two rival factions leading to a collision between the two leaders at SummerSlam 1998. Only one year shy of WWE Championship success, Triple H and The Rock were both upcoming superstars.

Their Ladder match was the launching pad which elevated them to this success. They would unleash devasting moves and utilize the Ladder. Considering their multiple interactions since 1998, this match is a classic. The match between Seth Rollins and Dolph Ziggler seems to be eerily similar with both stars steps away from Superstardom, arguably already superstars. Moreover, they both represent the future.

#1 British Bulldog vs Bret Hart at SummerSlam 1992

British Bulldog would perform excellently at Wembley

In 1992, Bret Hart was set to take over from Hulk Hogan. It would mark the beginning of a new generation of wrestling. However, Hart had excellent matches before becoming WWE Champion. At SummerSlam 1992, one of these matches occurred.

The British Bulldog was an upcoming wrestler in 1992 and shared similarities with Hart. Firstly, both were from tag team success and to top that they shared a comparable technical wrestling style. Moreover, they were both a part of the famed Hart wrestling family.

During their match at SummerSlam, the UK fans were torn in half to support Hart and Bulldog. It was an excellent show of pure wrestling talent, which can be seen in the video below. In the end, Bulldog would defeat Hart to win his first and only Intercontinental championship. This PPV also marked the second time the championship was in the main event.