'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABgf/2gAIAQEAAAAAkhD/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD/9oACAECEAAAAD//xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAE/9oACAEDEAAAAFf/xAAgEAABAwQCAwAAAAAAAAAAAAACAQMEAAUREgYhUYKh/9oACAEBAAE/AG7a1J4jfzZBw1hSxOMR67kBdpn0RcpWkjx9Sv/EABcRAAMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAhH/2gAIAQIBAT8AinrP/8QAFhEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgAB/9oACAEDAQE/AEMV/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The Intercontinental Championship is a creation of kayfabe in its purest form. After WWE officially withdrew from the territorial system and became a world wide phenomenon, they employed a massive roster of top Superstars.
Obviously, not all of these famous wrestlers could be WWE World Champion. A mid card belt was needed. Since WWE rival, the NWA, had the United States Championships as their mid card title, the WWE decided to go one better and create the Intercontinental championship, signifying the best wrestler in both North and South America.
The reason the Intercontinental championship is mired in kayfabe is due to how the first champion was crowned. Pat Patterson was the first champion, but he didn't pin a single person to get the belt.
The WWE decided to forgo the usual tournament format of crowning a freshly minted title's first owner, and decided to pretend that it had happened instead.
After Patterson, a virtual who's who of wrestling legends have held the Intercontinental Championship. Macho Man Randy Savage, The Rock, Chris Jericho are a few names who have held the prestigious title.
Over the course of its long and storied history, there have naturally been some fantastic bouts contested for it. Here are some of the finest, in chronological order.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the article belong to the writer and doesn't necessarily represent Sportskeeda's stand.
#1 Ricky the Dragon Steamboat vs. Macho Man Randy Savage (C)
The Time: March 29 1987
The Place: WrestleMania III
The Angle: When people talk about the Intercontinental Championship, it's a good bet that this match will come up, for very good reasons.
The build up angle to the culminating title bout was nothing short of brilliant, and included wrestling legend George the Animal Steele. Steele had been making advances in his own innocent child like way towards Miss Elizabeth, the manager (and real life wife) of Macho Man Randy Savage.
Fellow babyface Ricky Steamboat became involved, trying to help his friend Steele, and for his troubles had his larynx 'crushed' (kayfabe) when Macho Man leapt off the top rope and landed on him with the ringbell.
After Steamboat 'recovered' from the assault, the match was booked for the IC title at WrestleMania 3.
Why it's considered to be great: There's no question that Andre vs. Hogan was the match that got everyone jumping off their seats, but this bout completely stole the show. Savage and Steamboat meticulously planned their bout, which turned out to be everything a pro wrestling match should be. Drama, technical acumen, and thrilling dives from the top rope all conspired with the stellar angle to make this perhaps the most beloved IC title bout of all time.
#2 Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig (C) vs. Bret "The Hitman" Hart
The Time: August 26, 1991
The Place: SummerSlam 1991
The Angle: In 1991, angles were built differently. The main thrust of the story was that Bret Hart and Curt Hennig were both claiming to be the best technical wrestler in the world, with Bret viewed as an underdog.
This was the start of Bret's main event build up, and most of the time that journey starts with an Intercontinental championship reign. Mr. Perfect was the perfect 'gatekeeper' for Hart to defeat and continue his climb to the top.
Why it's considered to be great: Simply put, this match is a masterwork of technical wrestling with plenty of drama thrown in for good measure. At one point, a frustrated Mr. Perfect tried to run away from the ring (because he couldn't lose the title on a count out) but Bret Hart dragged him back so fiercely that Perfect's singlet was torn.
Hart and Hennig were at the top of their game here, in their respective primes and it shows in this cornerstone of IC title history.
#3 Bret Hart (c) vs. The British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith
The Time: August 19, 1992
The Place: SummerSlam live from Wembley Stadium.
The Angle: Bret Hart had won the IC title at the previous year's SummerSlam, but it was time for him to begin to ascend to the main event picture. Bulldog was a huge babyface in this era, making this one of the rare face vs. face match ups in IC title history.
Despite Bulldog being a hometown hero, the gist of the story line was that he was an underdog, no pun intended. Bret Hart reportedly advised Vince McMahon to let the match go on last, unusual for a midcard title bout, and McMahon agreed, knowing that the home town of Bulldog would pop huge for the expected title change.
Why it's considered to be great: Many people criticized Bulldog over the years for being a big stiff, but this match proves that he was, in fact, an above average worker elevated to greatness by a top of his game Bret Hart.
When Bulldog reversed a sunset flip attempt and got the pin, the resulting crowd pop is one of the loudest of all time in WWE history.
#4 Heart Break Kid Shawn Michaels (c) vs. the Bad Guy Razor Ramon--Ladder Match
The Time: March 20, 1994
The Place: Wrestlemania X Madison Square Garden, New York, New York.
The Angle: IC strap holder Shawn Michaels was 'suspended' by the WWE (in reality he was nursing an injury) and Razor Ramon won the title in the interim. When HBK came back, he claimed to be the 'real' IC champion because he never lost the belt.
Obviously there could not be two IC champions, so the stage was set to determine who would be the undisputed champion. Both title belts were suspended above the ring, and the first man to scale a ladder and retrieve them would be recognized as the one, true IC champion.
Why it's considered to be great: For one thing, this was the first ever ladder match in WWE history. Razor and HBK put on an innovative, never before seen match up with sheer brutality and death defying falls as its hallmark. The finish is spectacular, as Razor toppled the ladder when HBK was inches away from winning. Michaels got tangled up in the ropes after racking his crotch on them, and Razor easily scaled the ladder and won the bout.
#5 The Rock (c) vs. Triple H--Ladder Match
The Time: August 30, 1998
The Place: SummerSlam 1998 from Madison Square Garden, New York, New York.
The Angle: What is it about SummerSlam and great IC title matches? They just seem to go together.
The build up to this match saw the ostensibly heel Rock attack Triple H with his IC title belt, damaging his knee (kayfabe) and hopefully making it impossible for Hunter to climb the ladder and get the belt.
This was the start of Triple H's build up toward the main event picture, and he was supposed to be the good guy, but there were a lot of Rock fans in the audience cheering for him as well.
Why it's considered to be Great: Let's not beat around the bush. Neither Rock nor Triple H are technical wrestling masters. But what they both excel at is psychology and story telling,and that's evident here. The two men traded brutal bumps with the ladder, beat the heck out of each other with chairs, and took nasty spills to the hard mat.
The finish involved the dearly departed Chyna delivering her patented low blow to Rock, allowing Triple H to climb the ladder and win the bout.
#6 Randy Orton (C) vs. Cactus Jack (Mick Foley)-- Hardcore match
The Time: April 18, 2004
The Place: Backlash live from Alberta Canada.
The Angle: During this era, the young rookie Randy Orton was a member of Evolution and went by the moniker "Legend Killer." He tormented Mick Foley for months until he inadvertently brought out the most dangerous of Foley's personas, Cactus Jack.
The build up was nothing short of brilliant, and the match helped get Orton over as more than just another pretty face.
Why it's considered to be great: Let's be honest; when Cactus Jack enters a ring, you expect him to take the brunt of the hardcore offense. But Randy Orton took just as many nasty bumps as Foley, including being slammed onto a pile of thumb tacks after Cactus Jack countered the RKO.
Both men were bloody and beaten senseless, but Orton managed to eke out a win with an RKO to a barbed wire bat. One of the best hardcore matches of all time in terms of psychology and sheer brutality.
Who knows what future generations will say about great Intercontinental title matches? Could we see names like AJ Styles and Ricochet on a similar list in the future? It very well could be.
Thanks for taking this trip down memory lane with us, and as always thanks for reading!
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
