5 best Intercontinental Championship matches in Summerslam history 

Summerslam has had a long tradition throughout the years of hosting memorable Intercontinental Championship matches. While the Wrestlemania main event is seen as the high point of any Superstar's career -- challenging for, or defending -- the IC title at Summerslam is a sign that the company's management see you as an integral part of the mid-card division with a bright future.

When done correctly, Summerslam and the IC title ought to go hand in hand. In one sense, both are seen as stepping stones to something bigger: show the fans your worth at the biggest party of the Summerslam and Vince McMahon will know you can be trusted to main event Wrestlemania. Do well with the Intercontinental Championship and you will soon be trusted to represent the company as its world champion.

With Summerslam 2017 just around the corner, here is a list of five of the best IC title matches in Summerslam history:

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#1 Dolph Ziggler vs. Rey Mysterio - Summerslam 2009

Great match on a solid card

For all the criticism the WWE used to get during the height of the PG era, 2009 was actually a pretty solid year for the company which had more than its fair share of quality feuds and matches. Summerslam 2009 was a key example of this.

While not every match on the card delivered, it did enough overall to be remembered as a very strong Summerslam show. One match in particular that helped this event overall was the opening match between Dolph Ziggler and Rey Mysterio for the Intercontinental Championship.

For those fans who look at the career of Dolph Ziggler as a bit of a wasted opportunity, it's matches like this one here that explain why people think this way about him. Dolph was a fresh talent back in 2009, coming out of some difficult gimmicks and ready to set his sights on a singles career.

Going after the Intercontinental Championship at Summerslam should really have been a stepping stone for Dolph, and in many ways, that's exactly what it was.

Facing an established talent like Rey Mysterio would only help matters. The two had excellent chemistry throughout and knew how to build a wrestling match from bell to bell. The fluidity of the action served as a visual masterpiece and really gave hope to a lot of people that Ziggler would be the next break out star for the company.

The finish of the match was questionable, with Rey ultimately going over, but that didn't take away from the action too much. The match did exactly what it needed to do as an opening bout, which is to get the crowd hyped up and wanting more from the other matches on the card.

Despite the PG era not being the best period of time for the WWE, this match really ought to be remembered as one of the highlights.

#2 The Rock vs. Triple H - Summerslam 1998

Attitude Era at its finest

When you're talking about WWF throughout 1998, there's not a lot you can say against the overall quality of the action or booking decisions. When their backs were against the wall and they needed to launch a fightback against a powerful rival, the WWF managed to consistently pull a phenomenal match, card and/or feud out of their hats.

Summerslam 1998 is the perfect example of this, most notably due to the sheer quality of its Intercontinental Championship match between The Rock and Triple H.

While Austin and McMahon were busy fighting it out in the main event scene, the mid-card division was bulging with talent and there were a number of guys ready to take that next step.

Triple H and The Rock were two of those individuals and their feud during this year was a real launching pad to bigger and better things for them both. Triple H had D-Generation X, The Rock had the Nation of Domination, and they just couldn't help but make magic between them.

This match was also an example of how good the WWF used to be in terms of manoeuvring guys around the different divisions. The Rock was clearly ready to enter the main event scene and go after Austin's championship, whereas Triple H needed the mid-card, IC title spot to help solidify his future status. Therefore having the DX leader go over here helped the company put some of its pieces in place for the years to come.

Whether or not this match stole the show is an interesting discussion topic. They had to contend with Austin and Undertaker in the main event over the WWF Championship, but I doubt too many people would put up an argument against anyone who thought this match did end up stealing the show.

If your main four PPVs of the year are about building and solidifying new stars, and if the IC title is ultimately about giving the rub to a younger, fresher talent destined for great things down the road, then this is very much the epitome of what a Summerslam IC title match is supposed to be.

#3 The Ultimate Warrior vs. Rick Rude - Summerslam 1989

Ready to climb to the top

There will always be an element of subjectivity when it comes to talking about professional wrestling matches. Comparing the 1980s WWF to the modern day WWE, for example, is a tricky business considering how different the style of matches were, as well as the cultural backdrop of the two eras.

While there might have been better IC title Summerslam matches in terms of in-ring technical wrestling, little can compare to Ultimate Warrior vs. Rick Rude from Summerslam 1989 when it comes to spectacle and sheer entertainment.

It is also quite easy to overlook just how important this overall feud was for the WWF at the time. Due to his presence in the ring and his ability to connect with fans, Vince knew that Warrior was going to be a signature star for him going into the final years of the 80s, and hopefully beyond.

However, due to his rather limited wrestling credentials, there were very few men in the company who could help Warrior climb to that next level.

Rick Rude, in this sense, was a godsend to the WWF back in 1989. He was able to get the best out of Warrior in a way nobody else could, except maybe Randy Savage.

For starters, the two characters were pretty much chalk and cheese, Rude the arrogant ladies man and Warrior the intense cartoon character brought to life.

This helped to further the Warrior character, letting people know who he was and what he was about. Their styles were also very different, but in a way that complemented each other as opposed to making their contact look too awkward.

And for all of Warrior's limitations, this was actually one of his better matches that many of the more gifted athletes would have been proud of. When you're the Ultimate Warrior, a little does go a long way, and on this occasion at least, Warrior gave it all he had.

This was another example of the IC belt being used correctly. It wouldn't be long after this match that Vince was getting ready to book Warrior vs. Hogan for Wrestlemania 6, and being featured here against Rick Rude for the second tier title was the perfect stepping stone.

#4 Bret Hart vs. Mr Perfect - Summerslam 1991

The early New Generation

Even before the height of the New Generation Era, fans could already sense a slight change in the air when it came to the direction of the WWF in 1991. You still had the main players in place, but Vince being the shrewd business man that he was, knew he would have to start looking to the future and more than anything else, he needed to make sure his supporting mid-card was still going to be up to scratch.

This is where stars like Bret Hart and Mr Perfect would come in. Bret had been a staple of the company's tag-team division along with Jim Neidhart for a number of years and was now ready to go it alone.

Mr Perfect was consistently proving himself to be one of the most gifted technical wrestlers the company had ever seen. It was going to be pretty difficult for these two not to have a spectacular match.

Bret vs Perfect for the IC title at Summerslam is one of those matches the older generation fan will always think back to. In a nutshell, this was the direction the company were about to take, and after so many years of seeing guys like Hogan and Warrior posing and running into each other for 10-15 minutes, fans were ready for a change.

Traditionally speaking, the Intercontinental Championship is supposed to be the so-called 'work horse' belt that plays back up to the bigger money matches in the main event. It's a dynamic that dates back to Wrestlemania 3 with the Savage and Steamboat affair that almost stole the show from Hogan and Andre. Bret and Perfect were continuing this into the 90s, helping the WWF cater to a wider selection of fans.

If you're a fan of good, old-fashioned, mat-based wrestling with high impact moves, submission holds and counters, this really is a match you need to go and check out.

#5 Bret Hart vs. The British Bulldog - Summerslam 1992

The best of the best.

For anyone who wonders why so many of the older generation fans miss the days of the Intercontinental Championship holding almost the same, if not equal importance to the world title, they need only go back and watch Bret Hart vs. The British Bulldog from Summerslam 1992 and they will soon understand.

The event came from Wembley Stadium, England, still to this day one of the fastest selling PPVs in the company's history. Having a signature PPV in a foreign country was always going to be a risky business, but considering the WWF had the perfect candidate to lead the way in The British Bulldog, the risk was worth taking.

All the different factors came together perfectly, fans wanted to see their hometown hero Davey Boy take his place as one of the company's main players and the IC title already carried enough weight for it to legitimately main event the show, leap frogging Ultimate Warrior and Randy Savage for the WWF Championship in the process.

The sight and sound of 70,000 British fans exploding with joy when Bulldog pinned Bret is still one of the biggest 'pops' we've ever seen and helped cement the company's presence in the UK, which is still to this day one of their most important markets.

This match also had a compelling family feud surrounding it. Davey Boy was Bret Hart's brother-in-law at the time and the rivalry between the two split the Hart family down the middle. Owen and the rest of the brothers were siding with Bret while Davey Boy's wife was just hoping neither men would get too hurt.

For all the many great IC title matches we've seen at Summerslam, this match in 92 will never be surpassed owing to the unique and prestigious occasion. We might see better wrestling matches or higher stakes on the line, but in terms of building the perfect cocktail of storyline, athletic prowess and fan interaction, Summerslam 92 will forever remain a peak display.