9 WWE Superstars who defined the Intercontinental Championship in each era

From being unified and retired to main-eventing pay-per-views, the Intercontinental Championship has had its fair share of ups and downs over the years. The Championship is, as hailed by many, the stepping stone to the main event. Though some former Intercontinental Champions have gone on to become the main event stars, the title has served as the glass ceiling for many.

The title came into existence on September 1, 1979, when Pat Patterson unified (in kayfabe) the North American Heavyweight and South American Heavyweight Championships. Since then, more than 80 wrestlers have earned the privilege of calling themselves your Intercontinental Champion, but the reigns of only a few will go down in history as the most memorable ones. So, without further ado, let us take a look at the stars that defined the Intercontinental Championship in different eras:

Honorable Mentions: Dolph Ziggler, The Rock, and Randy Savage

#1 The Golden Era (1982-1992) - The Honky Tonk Man

The longest-reigning Intercontinental champion of all time

A lot of legendary Superstars from the Golden Era are responsible for establishing the title and making it prestigious in the first place, most notably Bret Hart, Pedro Morales, and Mr. Perfect. But, none of them compare to The Honky Tonk Man. The Hall of Famer held the title just once, but that single reign was enough to make him immortal in WWE history. The one-half of Rhythm and Blues holds the record for being the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion ever at 454 days.

Jake Roberts was supposed to win the prestigious title from Tonk Man, with the latter being only a transitional champion. Jake, however, failed many drug tests following WrestleMania III, which led to a change in plans, with Hulk Hogan's persuasion leading to a memorable reign for Honky the Tonk Man.

His record-setting reign ended at SummerSlam 1988 when The Ultimate Warrior squashed him in just 31 seconds to win the title. His reign was much more memorable because of his habit of getting himself counted out or disqualified to retain the title that caught the attention of the fans.

#2 New Generation Era (1992-1997) - Razor Ramon

Razor Ramon will go down in history as one of the most savage wrestlers of all time. His gimmick, complete with the toothpick in his mouth, was one that impressed fans and critics alike. He was one of the greatest heels of WWE before he jumped ship to WCW and founded the legendary nWo stable alongside Hulk Hogan and Kevin Nash. A four-time Intercontinental Champion, Razor Ramon has held the title for a total of 437 days. The biggest reason for Razor Ramon being the wrestler that defined the title in this era was his legendary rivalry with Shawn Michaels.

For those who don't know, Shawn Michaels was reportedly not ready to lose the Intercontinental Championship, leading to the company stripping the title off him. Defeating Rick Martel in the finals, Ramon won the Intercontinental Championship for the first time in his career, only for Shawn Michaels to return and stake his claim at being the legitimate champion, leading to the first-ever ladder match in WWE.

The bout, which took place at WrestleMania X, was awarded a five-star rating by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, setting the standard for the ladder matches that followed.

#3 The Attitude Era (1997-2002) Edge and Chris Jericho

These two made the title relevant in the best era of WWE

This era was undoubtedly the best era that the company has ever seen. The Attitude Era saw many memorable moments taking place, with the rise of stars like Stone Cold Steve Austin and D-Generation X, and the introduction of the Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match. One can not forget about the Montreal Sc***job, and how that led to the creation of the evil character known as Mr. McMahon.

By the time this era came to an end, the Intercontinental Championship was not in existence, undergoing unification with Triple H's World Heavyweight Championship. With the Invasion storyline taking up the majority of screentime in 2001, there were even lesser chances for the title to be showcased.

But, Chris Jericho's five reigns and Edge's four reigns with the title did enough to restore the title's prestige. The most memorable moment of Y2J's reign was his feud with Chyna, with the two of them even being co-champions till Royal Rumble 2000. Edge's run as the Intercontinental Champion saw him unifying the title with the WCW United States Championship, retiring the latter at the Survivor Series 2001 PPV. These two men, through their in-ring prowess and exceptional mic skills, made the title relevant in a time when WWE's dominance over WCW was the main storyline.

With Edge making his return to the ring recently, is there a chance that he wins the title again? Be sure to voice your opinion in the comments box!

#4 Ruthless Aggression Era (2002-2008) - Shelton Benjamin and Jeff Hardy

"What is the one quality that you possess that makes you think that you can walk out here and come to the ring and face the very best in the business?"

"Ruthless Aggression!"

These famous words marked the start of an era that many of us grew up watching. With Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock leaving WWE in the initial stages of this era, a lot of new Superstars received an opportunity to prove their worth in the ring. Stars like Randy Orton, John Cena, Batista, Rob Van Dam, and Eddie Guerrero used this opportunity to rise to fame. The draft was introduced, which led to the revival of both the Intercontinental Championship and the United States Championship in 2003. While many Superstars, most notably Chris Jericho, Christian, and Rob Van Dam did their bit to make the title prestigious, it was the reigns of Jeff Hardy and Shelton Benjamin that brought the title into the limelight.

Both held the title for more than 300 days each, adding to the prestige of the title. Benjamin got his first title victory when he was selected by the fans to face the then-Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho at 2004's Taboo Tuesday event. His rivalries with Carlito, Rob Van Dam, Ric Flair, and Johnny Nitro were essential in making the title picture must-see.

Hardy's reigns saw him competing against Umaga, Triple H, Randy Orton, and Chris Jericho. Given the talent involved, one can be sure that these rivalries were crucial in elevating the title in this era. With Hardy reportedly getting a big push on SmackDown, is there any chance that he wins the IC title again?

#5 PG Era (2009-2013) - Cody Rhodes

Cody Rhodes introducing the new title design

This era saw many changes come about in WWE's edgy content. John Cena was still the company's biggest star, leaving the rap gimmick behind and taking up the 'Never Give Up' shtick. This era witnessed the legendary rivalry between Randy Orton and John Cena, along with the rise of the Authority. Rock too returned for a brief run, and the brand system came to an end, with Superstars now being able to show up on both RAW and SmackDown.

The title changed hands about 20 times in this era, with many Superstars winning the title. One particular Superstar's reigns, however, will always be remembered from this era. We are talking about is the Executive Vice President of AEW, Cody Rhodes.

Rhodes had two reigns with the title, which summed up to a total of 256 days. It was during his initial reign that Cody changed the title design, which was identical to the title held by The Honky Tonk Man, with the black strap replaced with a white one. Rhodes feuded with Randy Orton, Big Show, John Morrison, and Booker T, and these feuds of his were instrumental in making the title relevant again.

#6 The Reality Era (2014-2016) - The Miz

This era was a relatively shorter one for the WWE but was one that fans look back at with fondness. From Daniel Bryan's triumph at WrestleMania 30 to the ending of The Streak and the first-ever Money in the Bank cash-in at WrestleMania, this era was yet another golden period in the history of wrestling. The mid-card became more relevant than ever, with the first-ever Tag Team Elimination Chamber match, the New Day boosting the tag team division and the involvement of Rusev and John Cena making the United States title picture more relevant than ever.

Also Read: 5 Superstars who can defeat Sami Zayn to win the Intercontinental Championship

It was during this era that The Miz started excelling in his role as a super heel, with his exceptional mic skills working in favor of the title's prestige. Rivalries with stars like Christian, Dolph Ziggler, Rey Mysterio, and Chris Jericho made the title relevant again and set the standard for the title in the era that followed.

#7 The New Era (2016-Present) - The Miz and Seth Rollins

The start of this era was marked by The Miz's Intercontinental Championship victory over Zack Ryder on the night after WrestleMania 32. What followed was one of the most memorable reigns with the title, with Miz's verbal altercation with Daniel Bryan on an edition of Talking Smack making The Miz and the hottest prospect in WWE. His feuds with Dolph Ziggler and Roman Reigns were main-event caliber and did a lot to restore the title's credibility.

The title moved over to RAW in the 2017 Superstar Shake-up, and with the red brand's World Champion Brock Lesnar being absent for long durations, this title was featured extensively and was named the Workhorse Championship. Following The Miz's iconic reign, the mantle of keeping the title relevant fell on the able shoulders of Seth Rollins, whose feuds with Elias and Dolph Ziggler led to the title main eventing a PPV for the first time since Backlash 2001.

With The Artist Collective now in possession of the title, will the group be able to restore the title's prestige? Be sure to voice your opinion in the comments box!

Which wrestler, according to you, defined the Intercontinental Championship? Be sure to voice your opinion in the comments box!