WWE's 50 Greatest Intercontinental Champions of All Time
The Intercontinental Championship has been at times, prestigious and sought after and at times, an afterthought.
Wrestlers have used the title to springboard to world titles and the Hall of Fame.
Who wore the belt best? Who elevated its stature?
This is not a list of the greatest wrestlers who have held the title, but the greatest IC champs. Otherwise, there is no way Jeff Jarrett would rank higher than Ricky Steamboat.
The wrestlers are judged based on how many times they won the title, how long they held it, how many classics they produced as champion and what impact they had on the championship's legacy.
50. Wade Barrett
1 of 50IC Title Reigns: 1
Total Days as IC Champ: 89
Unfortunately for rising star Wade Barrett, he won the IC title in an era where it was rarely defended on pay-per-view.
Barrett's two PPV defenses were against former Corre ally Ezekiel Jackson.
At Over the Limit 2011, Barrett lost by disqualification, but escaped with the title. A month later, Big Zeke forced him to submit with the Torture Rack.
Barrett's reign saw few singles matches, as his affiliation with the Corre controlled much of what he did during that time.
His days with Nexus and the Corre behind him now, Barrett is poised to show off his brilliance as a singles competitor.
The Intercontinental Championship was Wade Barrett's first WWE singles title and most likely won’t be last.
49. Kane
2 of 50IC Title Reigns: 2
Total Days as IC Champ: 57
Kane's relationship to the already well-established Undertaker helped him bypass the usual floating around in the mid-card part of his career.
His two IC titles reign were not stepping stones, but instead resume-padders.
He'd already won the WWE title, though he only held it for one night.
Both of his reigns were short (37 and 20 days, respectively) and his last briefly put the title on the shelf.
When Triple H defeated him for the IC title at No Mercy 2002, the belt was briefly merged with the World Heavyweight Championship.
48. British Bulldog
3 of 50IC Title Reigns: 1
Total Days as IC Champ: 59
A transitional champion between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, Davey Boy Smith won the title in one of the finest IC title matches ever.
In front of a packed Wembley Stadium, Smith and Hart put on a career-defining performance that was SummerSlam '92's main event.
Unfortunately, he didn't do much beyond that dramatic win.
After two months as champion, Smith lost the title to Shawn Michaels on a November edition of Saturday Night's Main Event.
Any shot of Smith repeating as champion was hurt tremendously when he was released for receiving shipments of HGH.
Intercontinental Championship matches to brag about:
47. Santino Marella
4 of 50IC Title Reigns: 2
Total Days as IC Champ: 162
Santino's debut saw him win the Intercontinental Championship against Umaga. He has continued to collect WWE gold in spite of his underdog status.
As he has continued to do in his career, Santino infused comedy into matches and promos, never ceasing to entertain.
Neither of his reigns afforded him much of an opportunity to showcase his skills. Here's hoping his shot with the US title sees him given more of a shot to electrify the fans.
46. Kurt Angle
5 of 50IC Title Reigns: 1
Total Days as IC Champ: 35
In a short run, Kurt Angle drew a tremendous amount of heat from the fans with his cocky, self-righteous attitude.
He was also the European Champion at the time, calling himself the Eurocontinental Champion. His run was brief, but powerful, exposing fans to a future icon.
He lost both titles in an amazing match at WrestleMania 2000.
Intercontinental Championship matches to brag about:
vs. Chris Jericho No Way Out 2000
45. Kerry Von Erich
6 of 50IC Title Reigns: 1
Total Days as IC Champ: 84
Had Kerry Von Erich come to the WWE earlier, he might have been one of the best IC champs we've ever seen.
Instead, WWE fans saw him after his motorcycle accident. Von Erich wrestled well considering he had an amputated foot, but he was clearly not what he used to be.
He beat Curt Hennig for the title at SummerSlam 1990 and held onto it for three months.
His run with as IC champion was mostly uneventful, but fans dug him, and he continued to show great promise that would never fully materialize.
Von Erich's whole career, and his career as the IC title holder, will always be a story of what if.
44. Roddy Piper
7 of 50IC Title Reigns: 1
Total Days as IC Champ: 77
There is not a wrestler as talented and iconic with as few championships on his resume as Roddy Piper.
For much of his career, he played Hulk Hogan's foil, but never took the WWE title from him.
In a way, this Intercontinental Championship reign was WWE showing their gratitude and offering Piper some scraps. Fans will continue to believe that he deserved at least one world title run.
His IC title reign was short and emotional.
Winning it at the '92 Royal Rumble was an uplifting moment and only few months later he was asked to help propel the career of his real-life cousin, Bret Hart, at that year's WrestleMania.
Intercontinental Championship matches to brag about:
43. Ricky Steamboat
8 of 50IC Title Reigns: 1
Total Days as IC Champ: 65
Chris Jericho has often cited Ricky Steamboat as the reason he wanted so badly to be Intercontinental Champion.
Steamboat won in it dramatic fashion in one of wrestling's finest matches ever.
WWE and fans both wanted to see the Dragon carry the belt for a long time. The ever-popular babyface has always been one of the greatest in-ring performers we've ever seen.
Those plans changed when Steamboat told WWE he'd like to take some time off, mostly to spend time with his newborn son.
That set the scene for one of the biggest upsets in WWE history when the Honky Tonk Man defeated him in 1987.
Steamboat had the look, the charisma and the incredible ring work to be the greatest IC champion ever.
While it would have been a magnificent ride watching him defend it for months and months, you have to respect the man for dedicating so much time to his family.
Intercontinental Championship matches to brag about:
42. Val Venis
9 of 50IC Title Reigns: 2
Total Days as IC Champ: 83
Val Venis won his first IC title in 1999, a year where the championship changed hands an astounding 11 times.
That first reign was just a month long.
In his second time with the belt, he was given more time to show off his skills as a performer. Venis impressed, especially with his bouts against Rikishi.
Intercontinental Championship matches to brag about:
41. Umaga
10 of 50IC Title Reigns: 2
Total Days as IC Champ: 118
Umaga held the IC title for much of 2007, interrupted by a three-month Santino reign.
The Samoan Bulldozer didn't defend his title in all that many high-profile matches because of his involvement with the Vince McMahon vs. Bobby Lashley feud.
As monstrous as Umaga was made to look at the onset of his career, losing the title to an underdog like Santino hurt his image.
He seemed primed for a lengthy stay in the main event picture feuding with Triple H and Batista, among others.
Drugs derailed his career and ultimately took his life at age 36.
40. Kevin Nash
11 of 50IC Title Reigns: 1
Total Days as IC Champ: 138
Kevin Nash went from being Shawn Michaels' bodyguard to a multiple title holder in a matter of months.
At the end of 1994, Big Daddy Cool held both the Intercontinental title and the Tag Team Championship with Michaels.
His reign didn't include a ton of memorable defenses. The IC championship was mostly used as a way to break up Diesel and Michaels' alliance and propel Nash's singles career.
Soon Diesel was challenging for the WWE title, the IC championship in his rear-view.
39. Steve Austin
12 of 50IC Title Reigns: 2
Total Days as IC Champ: 65
The price to become Intercontinental Champion for the first time was steep for Steve Austin. He suffered a broken neck during his match with Owen Hart, but still managed to win.
The title was vacated. Austin won it again just three months later.
While his second reign was not especially long, he did use it to catapult his career.
To spite the Rock and Mr. McMahon, Austin threw the championship into the New Hampshire River. As much as this helped him build his defiant character, it hurt the value of the IC title.
What did it say about the championship if a man was willing to forfeit it and toss the belt into a river?
Intercontinental Championship matches to brag about:
38. Drew McIntyre
13 of 50IC Title Reigns: 1
Total Days as IC Champ: 161
Drew McIntyre first full-length run with WWE saw him receive a major push and the storyline admiration of Mr. McMahon.
The Chosen One won the IC title from John Morrison at the tail end of 2009.
Besides a few matches with Kane and Morrison, McIntyre's reign didn't see him in a lot of action.
McIntyre is clearly brimming with potential, and his time as IC champ only showed us a glimpse of what he is capable of.
37. Chyna
14 of 50IC Title Reigns: 2
Total Days as IC Champ: 64
The first and only woman to hold the Intercontinental Championship did not do so as simply a novelty. Chyna more than held her own in the ring.
She and Chris Jericho co-held the title for 20 days after they both pinned each other on an episode of Smackdown.
She was an entertaining and groundbreaking IC champ. If any woman has a chance of following in her footsteps, it's Kharma.
Intercontinental Championship matches to brag about:
36. William Regal
15 of 50IC Title Reigns: 2
Total Days as IC Champ: 126
William Regal's IC title reigns may be another case where WWE used the championship as a way to show gratitude for a career's worth of service.
His first run saw him engaged in a compelling feud with Edge. Their styles combined to create some noteworthy matches.
The second time around in 2008-2009, Regal displayed brilliance yet again. After squashing Santino, he went on to feud with CM Punk.
Punk was clearly destined for great things and eventually wrested the championship from him on an episode of Raw.
35. John Morrison
16 of 50IC Title Reigns: 3
Total Days as IC Champ: 209
Because of his crowd-wowing skills and superb athletic ability, fans knew that John Morrison would eventually break away from the tag scene and venture on his own.
As Johnny Nitro, Morrison first won the IC title from Shelton Benjamin in 2006.
He held it for three months before he and Jeff Hardy traded the title back and forth at the end of that year.
Though he held the belt for over 200 total days, Morrison's time as champ didn't do much to increase its prestige.
Morrison lost his third IC title with a whimper when Drew McIntrye beat him in a lackluster match at TLC 2009.
34. Ken Shamrock
17 of 50IC Title Reigns: 1
Total Days as IC Champ: 125
Ken Shamrock brought an air of excitement and legitimacy when he came to the WWE from the world of MMA.
He ankle-locked his way to championship gold by defeating X-Pac in October '98 and held it until February of the next year.
During his lengthy IC title reign, Shamrock successfully defended the title against the likes of Mankind, Billy Gunn and Steve Blackman.
Intercontinental Championship matches to brag about:
33. Ric Flair
18 of 50IC Title Reigns: 1
Total Days as IC Champ: 155
Leave it to Ric Flair to gleefully and raucously celebrate winning the IC title after he'd already won a mountain of world championships.
After beating Carlito at Unforgiven 2005, Flair continued his career resurgence and continued to display his greatness.
He thrived in a feud with Triple H.
Awarding him the Intercontinental Championship was WWE's way of honoring Flair in the twilight of his career, and he wore the title with pride.
Intercontinental Championship matches to brag about:
32. Eddie Guerrero
19 of 50IC Title Reigns: 2
Total Days as IC Champ: 114
In typical Eddie Guerrero "Lie, Cheat and Steal" fashion, he won his first IC title by "accidentally" pinning his girlfriend, Chyna.
He made an entertaining champion.
His run saw him defend against Val Venis, Chyna and Road Dogg. Ultimately, he lost the belt to Billy Gunn who WWE thought deserved a singles push.
In retrospect, fans and bookers alike would have loved to seen a few more months of Latino Heat as IC champ.
His second reign was short, but included some spectacular matches with Rob Van Dam.
Intercontinental Championship matches to brag about:
31. Rey Mysterio
20 of 50IC Title Reigns: 2
Total Days as IC Champ: 128
Donning a Joker-inspired outfit, Rey Mysterio pinned JBL in just 21 seconds to become Intercontinental champ and Triple Crown Champion.
Mysterio won the IC title late in his career, having already held the World Heavyweight Championship and several tag titles.
During his reign, despite his injuries accumulating, Mysterio shined, especially in matches against Chris Jericho and Dolph Ziggler.
His reign may have continued to impress had he not been suspended for violating the WWE Wellness Policy.
Intercontinental Championship matches to brag about:
30. Goldust
21 of 50IC Title Reigns: 3
Total Days as IC Champ: 168
Goldust first won the Intercontinental Championship by defeating one of its greatest champions in Razor Ramon.
His unique character brought a compelling bizarreness to the title's history.
After winning the IC title, he introduced the memorable Marlena to WWE fans.
In matches against Savio Vega, The Undertaker and The Ultimate Warrior, Goldust brought his special brand of entertainment to the WWE Universe.
Goldust also held the title briefly during the hot-potato game WWE played with it in 1999.
29. Dolph Ziggler
22 of 50IC Title Reigns: 1
Total Days as IC Champ: 160
During a five-month reign as IC champ, Dolph Ziggler had successful defenses on pay-per-view against Kaval, Kofi Kingston and Jack Swagger.
Ziggler made for a brash, riveting champion.
Clearly headed for true greatness, Ziggler made the most of every opportunity WWE gave him. Many times, his IC title defense was the best match of the pay-per-view.
28. Owen Hart
23 of 50IC Title Reigns: 2
Total Days as IC Champ: 132
Unfortunately, fans associate Owen Hart's Intercontinental title run with the botched Tombstone piledriver that broke Steve Austin's neck.
Hart at the time was an entertainingly nasty heel. After defeating Rocky Maivia, the Rocket told great stories in the ring in matches against bigger guys like Psycho Sid and Ahmed Johnson.
His reigns would have been longer had he not been pushed to the side for the sake of Stone Cold's push.
His tragic death in 1999 prevented from seeking a third IC championship and perhaps a shot at the WWE title.
Intercontinental Championship matches to brag about:
27. Jeff Hardy
24 of 50IC Title Reigns: 4
Total Days as IC Champ: 329
Jeff Hardy probably didn't cry too long about only holding his first IC title for six days in 2001. That same year he also won the Hardcore Championship and Light Heavyweight Championship.
Hardy went on to win the IC belt three more times with progressively longer reigns.
Though his "total days as champ" count is higher than several men above him on this list, Hardy ends up here because none of his reigns were all that memorable.
His feuds with Umaga and Johnny Nitro were solid, but ultimately forgettable. In hindsight, the best fit for Hardy has been the tag team division and matches with ladders involved.
Intercontinental Championship matches to brag about:
26. Edge
25 of 50IC Title Reigns: 5
Total Days as IC Champ: 171
Don't judge Edge's contribution to the Intercontinental Championship by his first reign.
He won the title from Jeff Jarrett in '99 only to lose it the very next day. Perhaps WWE just wanted to shock people or maybe they changed their mind about pushing Edge as a singles star.
More substantial reigns came in 2001 and 2004. Edge had intriguing feuds with Christian and William Regal.
The always-entertaining Edge gave it his all in the ring and cracked us up outside of it.
Intercontinental Championship matches to brag about:
25. Christian
26 of 50IC Title Reigns: 3
Total Days as IC Champ: 128
Christian's reigns as Intercontinental Champion cemented his status as a superb singles performer.
In matches with his kayfabe brother Edge and Booker T, Christian showed off his impressive agility and why he earned the nickname Captain Charisma.
Near the end of 2002, WWE decided to end the IC title for good, merging it with the World Heavyweight Championship.
Wrestlers and fans alike hated the idea. This wasn't the European title or Canadian Championship that could just be forgotten.
Luckily, WWE changed their minds less than a year later and held a battle royal to determine the next IC champ.
Christian won that battle royal by last eliminating Booker T.
His fans would have loved to have seen his reigns go on longer, but each time he lost the belt, he did so in dramatic fashion. Some of his best work has been in matches where he lost the IC title.
Intercontinental Championship matches to brag about:
24. Kofi Kingston
27 of 50IC Title Reigns: 3
Total Days as IC Champ: 192
The always-exciting Kofi Kingston may prove to be a great IC champion who never gets a run with the world title.
His lack of mic skills and character depth has held him back from the WWE mountaintop so far, but as Intercontinental Champion, his other-worldly athleticism camouflaged those faults.
His first reign came thanks to his defeat of one of the best IC champs ever in Chris Jericho.
Some of his best work came against Dolph Ziggler, who Kingston both lost the title to and regained it from.
Kingston's reigns saw him show off his acrobatic skills, and he always seemed on the edge of true greatness.
Intercontinental Championship matches to brag about:
23. Triple H
28 of 50IC Title Reigns: 5
Total Days as IC Champ: 196
Triple H's first two Intercontinental title reigns preceded his prime and the remaining reigns came after he was a well-established main event star.
In 1998, after he and the Rock's classic ladder match, Triple H had to vacate the title due to injury. The next time he won it, the belt was simply a means to show how dominant he and tag partner, Steve Austin were.
Triple H's contribution to the IC title legacy is complicated.
His first reigns gave a rising star a chance to prove himself. He did great work with the Rock.
In 2001, he briefly held the titles twice with few noteworthy defenses.
He is one of the biggest stars to ever hold the belt and made it look important by even seeking it. He was also the man to (temporarily) kill the championship off in 2002.
Intercontinental Championship matches to brag about:
22. Cody Rhodes
29 of 50IC Title Reigns: 1
Total Days as IC Champ: 236
At Hell in a Cell 2011, Cody Rhodes unveiled an Intercontinental Championship belt that brought back memories of the classic 1980s design.
That gesture symbolized his efforts to bring back life into a title that had lost some of its prestige over the years.
Though he wasn't booked to defend the championship as often as fans would have liked, Cody looked impressive every time he did.
In defeating Randy Orton, Sheamus, John Morrison as well as a host of men in an impromptu battle royal, Rhodes looked stronger and stronger.
When he finally lost it to Big Show at WrestleMania 28, it wasn't just a meaningless title change. Big Show's win elicited real emotion.
Suddenly, the belt meant something again.
21. Ken Patera
30 of 50IC Title Reigns: 1
Total Days as IC Champ: 231
The second-ever Intercontinental Champion, Ken Patera held the title for most of 1980.
He won it from and lost it to two WWE Hall of Famers, Pat Patterson and Pedro Morales, respectively.
Patera was a cruel heel who was hard to turn away from. In a way, his character was a prelude to Kurt Angle's Olympic braggart years later.
His work as IC champ could be considered the best of his career, drawing the most heat and excelling in the ring.
Intercontinental Championship matches to brag about:
20. Rick Rude
31 of 50IC Title Reigns: 1
Total Days as IC Champ: 148
As talented on the mic and in the ring as Rick Rude was, he deserved an even longer run with the Intercontinental title.
Unfortunately for him, WWE had their mind set on pushing Ultimate Warrior. Rude won the title from Warrior at WrestleMania V only to lose it at SummerSlam of that same year back to Warrior.
His feud was highly entertaining and Rude got the best ring work out of the Warrior than anyone ever has.
Plus, no one can forget his spray-painted tights that featured the IC title belt.
Intercontinental Championship matches to brag about:
19. Greg Valentine
32 of 50IC Title Reigns: 1
Total Days as IC Champ: 285
An underrated performer, Greg "the Hammer" Valentine was a convincing heel who won the IC belt just as WWE began to explode nationally in the early '80s.
He won the title from Tito Santana and would eventually lose it back to him some nine months later.
In between, Valentine defeated Junkyard Dog at WrestleMania I and had some intense and terrific matches with Santana.
After losing the championship to Santana, Valentine became so enraged that he destroyed the title belt.
Intercontinental Championship matches to brag about:
18. Rob Van Dam
33 of 50IC Title Reigns: 6
Total Days as IC Champ: 211
Inventive moves and jaw-dropping athleticism had fans nuts about Rob Van Dam regardless of what belt he held.
He won and lost the IC title three times in 2002, never quite getting any momentum.
Even in defeat, he amazed and entertained. Van Dam lost to Hall of Fame-quality talent in Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho, so the losses didn't weaken his image too severely.
The highlight of his six reigns was his feud with Eddie Guerrero.
Those two men clicked in the ring, and Eddie's charisma made up for Van Dam's underwhelming mic skills.
Intercontinental Championship matches to brag about:
17. Jeff Jarrett
34 of 50IC Title Reigns: 6
Total Days as IC Champ: 297
Despite winning world titles later in his career, Jeff Jarrett's peak was during his IC title runs.
He won the belt three times in 1995 and three more times in the crux of the Attitude Era.
Jarrett won it so often, he for a time became synonymous with the title. He held the record for most Intercontinental reigns until Chris Jericho surpassed him.
Double J is a perfect example of why the title was created in the first place.
He thrived as a mid-card performer and IC champ. As a main eventer, in either WCW or TNA, he flopped.
Intercontinental Championship matches to brag about:
16. Shelton Benjamin
35 of 50IC Title Reigns: 3
Total Days as IC Champ: 354
The springy, dazzling athlete and former All-American has the physical tools to be one of the greatest wrestlers we've ever seen.
A decisive lack of star power has kept him from world championship-level success, but the Intercontinental title was clearly the right title for him.
He wasn't asked to become the face of the company, but instead entertain in the ring with match after match.
As impressively long has his first reign was (244 days), its impact is weakened by the lack of a true feud.
Benjamin put on highly entertaining matches against Maven, Christian and Chris Jericho. But there was little build up for any of them.
Still, Benjamin could boast that he had the longest IC championship run of the century, that is, until Cody Rhodes bested him.
Intercontinental Championship matches to brag about:
15. Randy Orton
36 of 50IC Title Reigns: 1
Total Days as IC Champ: 210
Randy Orton burst into the spotlight soon after his WWE debut by pinning Rob Van Dam for the Intercontinental title.
His reign would last for seven months, with Orton's star power exploding on the screen.
Specifically, it was his feud and hardcore match with Mick Foley that made Orton's greatness obvious to fans. The match made him look gutsy and further legitimized his championship reign.
The Legend Killer put on great matches, building a resume that made him worthy of being called a legend himself.
Intercontinental Championship matches to brag about:
14. Pat Patterson
37 of 50IC Title Reigns: 1
Total Days as IC Champ: 223
Though his first reign (first in the title's history) ended over 30 years ago, Pat Patterson still ranks as one of the greatest IC champions ever.
The Hall of Famer set the bar high for future champions by riling up fans and putting on great shows against Bob Backlund, Ted DiBiase and Ken Patera.
In reality, he should still be champion because when Patera pinned him for the title in 1980, Patterson's left foot was on the ropes.
That injustice is more than made up for, though, by the fact that Patterson won the title by winning a fictional tournament in Brazil.
13. Chris Benoit
38 of 50IC Title Reigns: 4
Total Days as IC Champ: 142
The length of Chris Benoit's Intercontinental Championship reigns should count for more as he seemingly defended the title every night.
Big Show, Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho all challenged him and Benoit brought his trademark intensity and top-notch in-ring performance.
The matches he had with Jericho in 2000 and 2001 are among the best matches for the IC title ever.
Intercontinental Championship matches to brag about:
12. The Rock
39 of 50IC Title Reigns: 2
Total Days as IC Champ: 339
The Rock's first go-round as IC champ unimpressed fans. He was Rocky Maivia then, a one-dimensional character that smiled and said the right things.
And though his second reign began with Steve Austin forfeiting the title to him, the Rock's star power elevated the belt to new heights.
During a reign that lasted over eight months, the Rock feuded with Austin, Ken Shamrock, Faarooq, showing off not only his impressive ring skills, but his unparalleled ability to cut a scathing promo.
The Rock we know and love developed and grew with the IC belt around his waist.
His popularity grew so quickly at this point that he outgrew the Intercontinental Championship and set his sights on the WWE Championship.
Intercontinental Championship matches to brag about:
11. Don Muraco
40 of 50IC Title Reigns: 2
Total Days as IC Champ: 541
Pedro Morales' great IC title reigns would have looked a lot different had he not had Don Muraco to feud with.
Muraco provided a worthy foil, and their battles were the first classics for the Intercontinental championship.
His lengthy reigns are often overshadowed by Morales'. The Magnificent One first held the belt for five months and then for over a year.
In addition to his work with Morales, Muraco brawled with Rocky Johnson, Tony Atlas and most famously, Jimmy Snuka.
He and Snuka fought over the IC belt in a steel cage where Snuka became a wrestling immortal when he leaped from the top of the cage.
Intercontinental Championship matches to brag about:
10. Tito Santana
41 of 50IC Title Reigns: 2
Total Days as IC Champ: 443
Simply counting up the days a wrestler held the title is not a true measure of their championship worth. Many champions went weeks without defending the title, not Tito Santana.
He defended it often and entertained each time out.
Santana faced Randy Savage, Terry Funk, The Iron Sheik and of course, Greg Valentine. Santana and Valentine's bitter feud over the title allowed two talented men to thrill fans night in and night out.
WWE fans went from 2004 (Shelton Benjamin) and 2011 (Cody Rhodes) before seeing someone hold the title for more than 200 days. Santana did it twice.
After losing his title to Savage, Santana floated around the tag team scene and had the unfortunate "El Matador" gimmick. His best years in WWE ended up being the ones where he wore Intercontinental gold.
Intercontinental Championship matches to brag about:
9. Honky Tonk Man
42 of 50IC Title Reigns: 1
Total Days as IC Champ: 454
While the Honky Tonk Man can boast about having the longest single reign in the title's history, his time as Intercontinental belt was not a glimmering era for it.
He certainly drew heat from the fans for his cheap tactics. He often intentionally lost by disqualification to retain the title.
Among the greats that have worn the belt, Honky Tonk is among the worst in terms of ring skills. Instead of seeing five-star bouts for the title, fans mostly grew irritated with his antics.
Still, he held the championship longer than anyone, and fans salivated every time they thought he might lose it. His work was not entertainment in the vein of Steamboat and Savage, but entertainment nonetheless.
8. Bret Hart
43 of 50IC Title Reigns: 2
Total Days as IC Champ: 290
Clearly a star on the rise, the former tag champ, Bret Hart, won his first WWE IC title in 1991 and didn't look back.
Like he did as WWE Champion, Hart fought often and with everything he had.
The Hitman drew the full potential of every match whether facing off against a faceless jobber or someone as great as Curt Hennig or Shawn Michaels.
WWE saw that he was bigger than the Intercontinental belt, and Hart was soon battling for the world title instead.
Intercontinental Championship matches to brag about:
7. Mr. Perfect
44 of 50IC Title Reigns: 2
Total Days as IC Champ: 406
There have been few more complete wrestlers than Curt Hennig. His ring execution, mic work and enthralling sleaziness made him a great IC champion.
It certainly didn't hurt to have the greatest manager of all-time in Bobby Heenan at his side.
In bouts against Davey Boy Smith, Roddy Piper and Tito Santana, Mr. Perfect showed again and again how big of a star he was.
Even with his back breaking down on him, he put on a classic when losing the title to Bret Hart at SummerSlam 1991.
Intercontinental Championship matches to brag about:
6. Shawn Michaels
45 of 50IC Title Reigns: 3
Total Days as IC Champ: 406
Like he did as champion, challenger, main event or opening match, Shawn Michaels stole the show more often than he didn't. The greatest performer we've ever seen brought that same energy and spectacle to his time as Intercontinental Champion.
Michaels had three separate reigns as IC champion, though he only lost the belt once.
He forfeited the title twice, once for a knee injury that his colleagues questioned the validity of and once after being attacked in a bar.
While obviously Michaels skyrocketed quickly from the IC title picture to the main event, one has to wonder how much greater his reigns could have been had those incidents not happened.
Intercontinental Championship matches to brag about:
5. Ultimate Warrior
46 of 50IC Title Reigns: 2
Total Days as IC Champ: 432
The way that the Ultimate Warrior won the IC title was a precursor to the dominance he'd show as champ.
Tassels flying, Warrior ran into the ring, roughed up the long-reigning Honky Tonk Man and won the title in a record 13 seconds.
Warrior proceeded to run through his opponents, men like Andre the Giant and Curt Hennig and Dino Bravo.
WWE saw him as Hulk Hogan's eventual replacement as top dog. Fans clung to him because of his energy and originality.
Very few of his matches as champ were very noteworthy though. The absence of significant ring skill and lack of improvement made his ring work predictable and blasé.
Rick Rude managed to draw the best out of him, and their feud was certainly the highlight of the Warrior's championship run.
4. Razor Ramon
47 of 50IC Title Reigns: 4
Total Days as IC Champ: 438
Razor Ramon held the IC title for much of the early '90s.
Though his nWo days would make him more famous, the Intercontinental Championship wins, losses and defenses were the high point of his career.
During his first reign, he famously took on Shawn Michaels in the ladder match that changed wrestling forever.
His time wearing the belt never lacked for entertainment. Razor battled Rick Martel, IRS, Jeff Jarrett and Goldust, making those matches better than they should have been.
Intercontinental Championship matches to brag about:
3. Pedro Morales
48 of 50IC Title Reigns: 2
Total Days as IC Champ: 619
Already a former world champ and tag team champ, by the time Pedro Morales won the IC belt, he was an established main-event star.
The title gained instant prestige and Morales become WWE's first Triple Crown winner.
Morales went on to set the record for the longest total reigns.
His feud with Don Muraco over the belt was one of the most compelling in IC title history. Drawing packed houses, Muraco defended against Jimmy Snuka, Billy Graham, Adrian Adonis and other greats.
Pat Patterson set the bar high for IC champs to come, but Muraco surpassed that level and very few men have come close to matching his accomplishments.
Intercontinental Championship matches to brag about:
2. Chris Jericho
49 of 50IC Title Reigns: 9
Total Days as IC Champ: 318
Though you have to factor reign length higher than number of reigns, Chris Jericho's record of being the Intercontinental Champion nine times is impressive.
No one even comes close in that department.
Jericho also put on some of the greatest ring work as IC champ as well. His ladder match with Chris Benoit at the 2001 Royal Rumble is one of the greatest matches in the title's history.
He won the belt before and after becoming a megastar.
His promos during all of his reigns were of course, top-notch. Combine his mic work with the number of classic matches he put on and one has to consider Jericho among the very best the championship has ever seen.
Intercontinental Championship matches to brag about:
1. Randy Savage
50 of 50IC Title Reigns: 1
Total Days as IC Champ: 414
In the year (plus) that Randy Savage held the IC title, he elevated its prestige.
Savage's over-the-top style and charisma made the belt cool.
His character drew fans in and his superb ring work kept them entertained. With Miss Elizabeth at his side, he battled George "The Animal" Steele, Hulk Hogan and Bruno Sammartino.
Though it was how he ultimately lost the title, his feud with Ricky Steamboat was the pinnacle of his reign.
No one has lost the championship with a more incredible match than Savage.
Fans will always debate whether Savage vs. Steamboat at WrestleMania III is the greatest match of all time, just as they will debate about whether Savage is the greatest IC champ of all time.
Intercontinental Championship matches to brag about:
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