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