Patterson held the belt for around seven months before dropping it to Ken Patera.
Over the next few years, the IC Championship became known as the “workhorse” title awarded to the best technical wrestlers in the promotion whilst the Heavyweight Championship was contested among larger, more limited performers such as Bob Backlund, Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior.
The likes of “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Ricky “the Dragon” Steamboat, Bret “Hitman” Hart, Mr. Perfect and Shawn Michaels all enjoyed significant reigns with the IC Championship, contesting brilliantly memorable and entertaining match ups.
The title lost significance in 1999 when the Vince Russo inspired booking saw the title change hands a ridiculous 11 times. The title had only changed hands a total of 49 times in the prior 20 years!
The result of this destructive booking was that the IC Championship lost its lustre and its owners did not gain anything by holding it.
Attempts have been made ever since to attempt to rebuild the prestige of the title with varying success.
2018, however, has been an excellent year for the title. Roman Reigns entered the year as the reigning champion and lost the strap in an exciting contest with The Miz on the 25th-anniversary episode of Raw. Miz entered Wrestlemania as champion where Seth Rollins won the belt in the best match of the night in a triple threat encounter also featuring Finn Balor.
Rollins main evented the Extreme Rules pay per view, marking the first time a singles bout for the IC title has main evented a pay per view event since Summerslam 1992.
The IC title is back where it belongs. The following slideshow looks at the five very best matches contested for the IC Championship.
#5 The Rock vs Triple H - Summerslam 1998 (August 30, 1998)
The Rock entered Summerslam 1998 as the Intercontinental Champion. He had held the title since December 1997, becoming a bonafide main eventer in waiting.
Triple H, for his part had held the title before, but to much less fanfare in 1996 under his previous Greenwich blue blood character. As the leader of the renegade D-Generation X stable, Triple H had gotten over like never before and was on the fast track to the main event himself.
There was plenty on the line at Summerslam 1998. The pair traded finisher attempts early on before bringing the ladder into play, brutalising each other with it. Triple H baseball slid the ladder into Rock’s face busting him open.
D-X and the Nation got involved, each helping out their man. Finally, it was the “Game” who scaled the ladder successfully to win the title for a second time.
One of the best ever matches for the IC title and probably the last time, for a number of years that the Championship meant anything significant.
#4 Razor Ramon vs Shawn Michaels - Wrestlemania X (March 20, 1994)
Another Ladder match with the Intercontinental title on the line heralding from Madison Square Garden.
Four years before the Triple H/Rock classic, Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon, contested the first (televised) Ladder match in WWE history.
The story, leading up to the bout was sound and based in reality. Michaels had tested positive for steroids in September 1993 and been stripped of the IC title, he had held since June.
The storyline reason given was that Michaels had not defended the belt within the required 30-day timeframe. Razor Ramon had won the vacant strap and when Michaels returned, he still declared himself the true champion.
It all came to a head at Wrestlemania X, when Michaels collided with Razor. Utilising the ladder as a weapon, in such a way that had never been seen in mainstream wrestling before, the superstars thrilled the live crowd and the millions watching at home.
The finish came when Razor tipped the ladder, with Michaels on it, over and Michaels’ foot became tangled within the ropes. Unable to break free, Michaels watched on aghast as Razor scaled the ladder to win and retain the IC title.
#3 Shawn Michaels vs Razor Ramon - Summerslam 1995 (August 27, 1995)
It was a match so good, that they did it twice. The Shawn Michaels vs Razor Ramon Ladder Match at Wrestlemania X was so thrilling, that WWE attempted to recreate the magic a second time.
It was a move that paid off. Building upon the electrifying, innovative moves they had utilised in their first collision, Michaels and Razor upped the ante in the second, making their re-match superior to the classic original.
Both men attempted their finishing moves early before involving the ladder into the match. This match went almost 10 minutes longer than the first one and it was the better for it.
One of the many memorable moments saw Michaels attempt to replicate his famous splash from the top of the ladder; however this time around, Razor had it scouted and avoided it.
Finally, Razor attempted a Razor’s Edge but Michaels backdropped him to the floor which enabled Michaels to climb the ladder and at the second time of asking, grab the title.
A true classic; one of the very best matches WWE has ever produced.
#2 Mr Perfect vs Bret “Hitman” Hart - Summerslam 1991 (August 26, 1991)
Bret “Hitman” Hart came of age as a singles performer in a featured bout at WWE’s Summerslam 1991 pay per view.
In yet another Intercontinental Championship classic contested inside Madison Square Garden, this bout pitted Hart versus IC Champion, Mr. Perfect.
Together, Hart and Perfect contested one of the best ever non-gimmicked matches in history.
In a technical stunner, Hart and Perfect engaged in hold and counter hold wrestling, thrilling the New York crowd.
In a terrific near fall, Perfect hit his patented Perfectplex which Hart kicked out off. That never happened and led to more increasingly electric near falls between both men.
Finally, Hart countered a Perfect legdrop, by grabbing the leg and locking in the match-winning Sharpshooter.
Hart celebrated with his mother and father post-match in an emotional moment. Beautiful finish to an incredible match.
#1 Bret “Hitman” Hart vs The British Bulldog - Summerslam 1992 (August 29, 1992)
Still one of the greatest matches in company history, over a quarter of a decade on, The British Bulldog’s career peak came when he defeated Bret “Hitman” Hart to win the Intercontinental Championship at Wembley Stadium in London, England.
Atypically, WWE decided to book the Intercontinental Championship match ahead of the Heavyweight title clash between “Macho Man” Randy Savage and The Ultimate Warrior as the headline attraction to capitalise on Bulldog’s incredible popularity in his homeland.
In front of a massive crowd of 80,000 adoring fans, Bulldog thrilled them all as he and Hart contested a stunning technical masterclass, boasting counter after counter.
The smaller, more technical Hart and the more power move based Bulldog meshed perfectly as a pair. The finish came after over half an hour of engrossing action when Bulldog countered a roll-up attempt to pin Hart’s shoulders down for the match-winning three count.
Bulldog celebrated the win with his wife, Diana Smith, who was also Hart’s sister. Hart after some soul-searching finally congratulated his brother in law in a heartwarming moment.
No IC title match has ever come close to this masterpiece.
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