5 greatest Intercontinental Championship matches in SummerSlam history

For many years during the infancy of the SummerSlam series, the Intercontinental Championship remained one of the biggest parts of the company. As the WWE began to become a more global brand in the 1980s and 90s, the storylines built around the IC title was a featured part of the brand. To this day, the IC title match between Ricky Steamboat and the "Macho Man" Randy Savage is one of the greatest matches not only in WrestleMania history, but ever.

Whether it was continuing to establish a star to the main event status, or highlighting an already-popular star, the Intercontinental Championship was certainly a must-see part of the SummerSlam cards.

As the years progressed the title still created many memorable moments to help establish and continue to establish stars, as well as cement some of the greatest matches in the history of the series.

For the past 32 years, there have been a total of 24 IC title matches. Interestingly, the first five years all resulted in a title change. Shawn Michaels was the first person to break this streak, going into the event as champion and defeating Mr. Perfect by countout. Throughout the span of the series, names such as Shawn Michaels, Mr. Perfect, Dolph Ziggler, and The Miz entered the IC title match multiple times as champion, while others such as Razor Ramon and The Ultimate Warrior came in multiple times as challenger.

In the midst of the title changes and memorable moments, there are five IC title matches that stand out above the rest. Although actual in-ring quality is a factor in determining which ones are among the best, the overall storyline of what led to the match, as well as the fan reaction during and after the match, are also very important the the selection process.

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#5. The Ultimate Warrior vs. Rick Rude – SummerSlam 1989

1989 was the second installment of the SummerSlam series. The reigning Intercontinental Champion was "Ravishing" Rick Rude, and he was defending the title against The Ultimate Warrior. A year prior, The Ultimate Warrior was the mystery opponent against the Honky Tonk Man, and he ended his record IC title reign of 454 days.

With the help of Bobby Heenan, Ultimate Warrior's IC title reign ended at WrestleMania V. Warrior gained an opportunity to regain the title at SummerSlam.

The match was not the greatest from bell to bell, but the excitement was feverish. Ultimate Warrior, as usual, heightened the energy of the crowd with his electric entrance, gaining early support heading into the start of the match. The match went back and forth, but in the end, Ultimate Warrior was able to regain the championship, and the ovation was thunderous. Roddy Piper made an appearance as well, which distracted Rude.

Ultimate Warrior maintained the championship all the way until WrestleMania VI, where he competed against Hulk Hogan in a title vs. title match. Warrior won this match, temporarily becoming a double champion. Back then, wrestlers had to relinquish a title when they became double champion, so Warrior was forced to end his IC title reign after defeating Hogan.

#4. The Rock vs. Triple H – SummerSlam 1998

While Stone Cold Steve Austin was leading the pack as the WWE Champion, the Intercontinental Championship scene focused on the rivalry between the Nation of Domination – led by The Rock, and D-Generation X – led by Triple H. One of the most memorable moments during this feud was DX impersonating The Nation during the July 6 edition of Raw, which is certainly one of the funniest moments in the history of Monday Night Raw.

A few weeks later at Fully Loaded, The Rock and Triple H competed against each other in a two-out-of-three falls match for the title. After both Rock and Triple H split a fall, the match ended in a thirty-minute time limit draw. The feud continued after a ladder was involved on an episode of Raw by The Rock, which led to Triple H challenging him in a ladder match at SummerSlam.

The match was very impressive, and really showcased the ability in the ring of both competitors. The story arc significantly added an important emotional element in this match, which made it even more memorable. The conclusion of the match saw Triple H gain the win following a low blow from Chyna to The Rock while he was on the ladder.

#3. Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon – SummerSlam 1995

The matches between Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon were undoubtedly some of the best series of matches in IC title history. Michaels was stripped of the IC title on the September 27, 1993, episode of Raw. Razor Ramon won the title that night by winning a battle royal, lastly eliminating Rick Martel.

Michaels rescinded on his forfeiture of the title, which led to a ladder match at WrestleMania X. The ladder match at WrestleMania X has been widely viewed as one of the greatest ladder matches ever, and even one of the most memorable matches in WrestleMania history. The match ended with Razor Ramon successfully climbing up the ladder for the win, holding both IC titles.

Razor only held the title for a few weeks before losing it to Diesel, but was able to gain it back at the 1994 SummerSlam pay-per-view. Razor then feuded with Jeff Jarrett, losing the IC title to him. At the In Your House pay-per-view on July 23, 1995, Michaels defeated Jarrett, regaining the IC title.

Razor was able to gain an opportunity to compete against HBK for the IC title at SummerSlam. This time, however, Michaels was able to win and retain the championship.

#2. Bret Hart vs. Mr. Perfect – SummerSlam 1991

Bret Hart vs. Mr. Perfect is a wrestling technician's dream, and certainly a match to show during any in-ring training session. Not only was this match fantastic, but it also occurred still in the era where babyfaces and heels mattered tremendously. Curt Hennig was at the top of his game in the IC title scene, coming into SummerSlam with a seven-month title reign.

In 1991, Hart branched out as a singles competitor, and began building his resume as a successful star apart from the Hart Foundation tag team. At SummerSlam 1991, he had his opportunity to shine as a singles competitor, and show why he is the "best there is, best there was, and best there ever will be."

If there is any match that had a lot of emotion in it, it would be the match between Bret Hart and Mr. Perfect at SummerSlam 1991. The match latest nearly 20 minutes, with Bret locking in the Sharpshooter for the win, which received an amazing ovation. This was the starting point of Bret Hart creating a Hall of Fame career, and becoming a multi-time world champion.

#1. Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog – SummerSlam 1992

There is not another Intercontinental Championship memorable moment than Bret Hart defending the title against the "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith. To this day, this is the only SummerSlam that has occurred outside of North America, as well as the only pay-per-view of the series that was headlined featuring the Intercontinental Championship.

Both British Bulldog and Bret Hart came inside the Wembley Stadium in London, England, as fan favorites. However, the Bulldog had the advantage of the hometown crowd, and this momentum led to arguably the biggest moment of his pro wrestling career. The crowd of reportedly over 80,000 people all became unglued when British Bulldog pinned Bret Hart to win the IC title, and this moment – and match – became an instant classic.

Unfortunately, for the British Bulldog, his title reign only lasted for two months, as he lost it to Shawn Michaels at Saturday Night's Main Event. This would be the pinnacle of his WWE career, as he would never regain the IC title. However, Bulldog was victorious in the greatest IC title main in SummerSlam history, and his accolades earned him an induction into the 2020 WWE Hall of Fame.