Who was the last REAL IC Champ?

[Marky-Marc]

Let me explain.

Back in the day, this Intercontinental Champiosnhip was used to propel stars into the main event. it normally made you the 2nd top guy in the compant below the WWE Champion. Then i think the Attitude Era ruined this and the fans were always itching for something, newer, edgier, and better.

Stars like Mr. Perfect, Ultimate Warrior, and Randy Savage held the Intercontinentalt Title and you just knew that sooner or later, they'd be WWE Champ (Perfect is an exception I guess). But what I'm asking is, before the Attitude Era started playing hot potato witht the damn thing and giving it to the likes of the Godfather and D-Lo Brown, who was the last IC Champ to hold it and made you think, "Yeah, that guy is going to be a huge star"?

After a lot of thought, I'm going with Stone Cold Steve Austin. When he won it from Owen at Summerslam 1997, even though he got badly hurt that night, you just knew that this was a small stepping stone to the WWE Championship. he just needed to pay his dues and bide his time a little before he would jump to the main event scene. Perhaps he was also the man who ruined the IC Title? The way he would throw it into the ring, verbally admitting he didn't care about it, then winning it from the Rock and handing it over to him on Raw saying it meant nothing to him, maybe this made the fans not care about it also? You could comment on that if you;d like but my main questions are:

Who to you was the last REAL IC Champion?
Why do you think the IC title lost the luster it had in the 80s and 90s?

 

[Coco]

If your standard is that a real Intercontinental Champion is one who's about the be launched into the main event, I reckon the last real Intercontinental Champion was CM Punk. Of course his reign with that belt was awful and he'd already been World Heavyweight Champion, but he was destined to get back there again and soon at that. If your standard is someone who had a lengthy climb to the top and hadn't been World Heavyweight Champion yet, I offer up Jeff Hardy. He may be floundering in a silly heel role in TNA now, but he rose the main event status and became the hottest thing in wrestling as Intercontinental Champion. He put everyone on notice while he was holding that belt.

I'd also reckon that Dolph Ziggler is a very hot property right now, and has a tonne of momentum from his last week against Cena and slew of superb matches against Morrison, Mysterio, Kofi, and Bryan. After an awesome, underrated match at TLC and a career affirming week against the face of the company, I don't see how Ziggler isn't main event bound. He may very well fit your silly definition of a real Intercontinental Champion as he's no doubt going to be a made man in the future.

 

[Marky-Marc]

If your standard is that a real Intercontinental Champion is one who's about the be launched into the main event, I reckon the last real Intercontinental Champion was CM Punk. Of course his reign with that belt was awful and he'd already been World Heavyweight Champion, but he was destined to get back there again and soon at that. If your standard is someone who had a lengthy climb to the top and hadn't been World Heavyweight Champion yet, I offer up Jeff Hardy. He may be floundering in a silly heel role in TNA now, but he rose the main event status and became the hottest thing in wrestling as Intercontinental Champion. He put everyone on notice while he was holding that belt.

I'd also reckon that Dolph Ziggler is a very hot property right now, and has a tonne of momentum from his last week against Cena and slew of superb matches against Morrison, Mysterio, Kofi, and Bryan. After an awesome, underrated match at TLC and a career affirming week against the face of the company, I don't see how Ziggler isn't main event bound. He may very well fit your silly definition of a real Intercontinental Champion as he's no doubt going to be a made man in the future.

What exactly is silly about it? Reading it again it kinda sounds like I did make my own definition of an IC Champ but i didn't mean it like that. It's just for the sake of a discussion. I want to know who was the last guy, while the IC Title still meant a lot, to shoot up the ladder. Not Punk because he was already a World Champ. Jeff could work but in 2007 the title was still pretty watered down, after all that was the year Santino won it after coming out of the crowd.

And while I agree with what you stated about Ziggler (hopefully he's a made man, I'm a big fan) he isn't main event yet so I was looking for opinions on who was the guy in the past, while the IC Title was still that "just below WWE Title" status.

 

[Edjones26ssd]

Randy Orton I had a pretty good title run as IC Champ Before He became World Champion at Summerslam in 2004. He went from IC Champ to World Champion and never went back.

 

[owen8472]

well have to agree with the water down of the IC titlte but there also no real set up guy anymore like back in the day who ever was going for the wwf title had to go against jake the snake roberts before they where alowed to face hogan or who ever was champ like the warrrior. IC title was a great ttitle for the midcarder to build rep before he goes to main event status that has changed alot since people like chris jerico who buy the way is the greatest IC champ ever. the talent level of known names have droped off or retired from the wresling. like chris jerico, HBK THE ROCK. these 3 where best at selling the IC tile was worth somthing not just a prop title. my top 5 ic champs since 1980!
5: mr perfect
4: brett hart
3: hbk
2: rock
1: chris jerico

 

[4-Real]

The Intercontinental Championship lost its luster after the millennium because it had got to the point where there were so many main eventers, that there was nobody left to elevate to that status. The main event picture in 2003 was very crowded. It contained The Rock, Triple H, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho, Brock Lesnar, Kurt Angle, and arguably Kane and Chris Benoit. Then there were guys like Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio, and Edge lurking in the tag scene. So since there was no need to "elevate" guys at the time, the Intercontinental Championship became a haven for top notch mid card matches.

If you ask me, I'd say the last Intercontinental Champion was Shelton Benjamin. When they were on, like, his second or third reign, it became clear he would never see the light of the main event. But that doesn't change how great of a champion he was. His first reign went for around eight months between '05 and '06, and the matches he had with Chris Jericho, Rob Van Dam, Christian, and even Maven were very good. If you think I'm out of my mind, watch his match with Jericho from the inaugural Taboo Tuesday. Definitely one of the better matches of the year. It's just whenever I think "Intercontinental Champion," I think of Benjamin. In retrospect he was a very good champion.

 

[Coco]

Jeff could work but in 2007 the title was still pretty watered down, after all that was the year Santino won it after coming out of the crowd.

The title being "watered down" means nothing. As is the case with anything in wrestling and entertainment, the belt means exactly what it's being sold as in that moment. In that moment, Jeff Hardy was taking that belt to the moon. Thus, the title was the star building belt of days gone by. As such, Jeff fits your definition of a real Intercontinental Champion. It "could" work because it does.

 

[Marky-Marc]

The title being "watered down" means nothing. As is the case with anything in wrestling and entertainment, the belt means exactly what it's being sold as in that moment. In that moment, Jeff Hardy was taking that belt to the moon. Thus, the title was the star building belt of days gone by. As such, Jeff fits your definition of a real Intercontinental Champion. It "could" work because it does.

Even though you think you're right, you're not.

If Ziggler came out on Smackdown and said "this is the IC title and it is more prestigious than any other championship in the world" That would mean that it is because that's how they're selling it? No, championships have prestige and history for a reason. When Jeff held it at that time it didn't mean a lot. it means more now with Ziggler holding it than it did in 07 because they were still giving it to people who didn't deserve it and constantly switching it. So, it doesn't work.

 

[MOExecution]

To be honest...
I think the last REAL IC Champion is our current IC Champion Dolph Ziggler. At first I thought Dolph Ziggler was going to win the championship and just hold on to it as a prop like The Miz did with the United States Championship, but that is not the case. Dolph Ziggler has held the IC Championship for four months now and unlike other IC Champions before him he has defended the title frequently against stars like Kofi Kingston, MVP, Kaval, and Jack Swagger. He also has had some very good matches with Daniel Bryan and John Cena. I am very satisfied with the way that WWE and Dolph Ziggler has handled Ziggler's reign and to be honest I actually see him as a threat now compared to Four Months ago. Dolph Ziggler's reign actually in my opinion brought some importance and prestige back to the championship. I know it may seem crazy, but Dolph Ziggler is someone to watch out for WWE are already testing the waters with him.

 

[Coco]

Even though you think you're right, you're not.

If Ziggler came out on Smackdown and said "this is the IC title and it is more prestigious than any other championship in the world" That would mean that it is because that's how they're selling it? No, championships have prestige and history for a reason. When Jeff held it at that time it didn't mean a lot. it means more now with Ziggler holding it than it did in 07 because they were still giving it to people who didn't deserve it and constantly switching it. So, it doesn't work.

That's Dolph Ziggler selling it. Not the same thing.

If WWE tells us that the King of the Ring is a huge deal, it is despite guys like Mabel, Billy Gunn, and William Regal having won it, the winner essentially getting nothing for his trouble, and the tournament happening very infrequently. If the WWE tells us that Undertaker's streak is meaningful, it is. If the WWE tells us that Benoit is primarily a technical wrestler despite spending most of his WWE career as a top notch brawler, people buy that story. Part of the WWE's job is to sell these fables to the marks who fancy themselves to be more than that. Your lack of respect for their ability to create fact out of thin air is laughable. If they say a belt is a kingmaker and draw on it's history to prove that point, it becomes fact just as it did when Jeff Hardy went to the moon with the belt. Things are important when the WWE tells us they're important. That's a fact. As such, the Intercontinental Championship was very important when Jeff Hardy held it because it was on the hottest guy in the company at that point.

 

[GideonGodsend]

id say um... dolph ziggler, i guess facing john cena in the main event twice isnt enough these days? why does everyone complain about the prestige of a belt, how many people are in the WWE? and how many belts are there? if someone has a belt its a big deal. doplh run has been great, but who had it before him, john morrison: great run. rey mysterio: great run. chris jericho: great run. JBL: great run. and mcintyre and kofi's runs weren't to shabby either so the prestige if the IC belt is right where it should be

 

[JGlass]

Let me explain.

Back in the day, this Intercontinental Champiosnhip was used to propel stars into the main event. it normally made you the 2nd top guy in the compant below the WWE Champion. Then i think the Attitude Era ruined this and the fans were always itching for something, newer, edgier, and better.

I don't know if this is true. In 1987, was Honky Tonk Man the second biggest superstar in the company? I don't think so.

Stars like Mr. Perfect, Ultimate Warrior, and Randy Savage held the Intercontinentalt Title

And Honky Tonk Man

and you just knew that sooner or later, they'd be WWE Champ (Perfect is an exception I guess).

Mr. Perfect is the exception? Okay, let's look at IC Champs from it's inception to the Attitude Era, shall we? Pat Patterson, Ken Patera, Don Muraco, Tito Santana, Greg Valentine, Ricky Steamboat, Honky Tonk Man, Rick Rude, Mr. Perfect, Kerry Von Erich, The Mountie, Roddy Piper, British Bulldog, Marty Janetty, Razor Ramon, Jeff Jarrett, Bob Holly, Goldust, Ahmed Johnson, Marc Mero. Owen Hart also falls into this category, but I won't count him because he in all likelihood would have been WWF Champion one day.

What were we talking about again? Oh yes, the IC Title and how if you held it in the late 80's/early 90's you were guaranteed to be a WWF Champion.

But what I'm asking is, before the Attitude Era started playing hot potato witht the damn thing and giving it to the likes of the Godfather and D-Lo Brown, who was the last IC Champ to hold it and made you think, "Yeah, that guy is going to be a huge star"?

See above.

Who to you was the last REAL IC Champion?

Both literally and fitting into your twisted definition of "real", it has to be Dolph Ziggler. The dude has made the IC belt worthy of terrific matches with the likes of Kofi Kingston, Kaval, Rey Mysterio, and Daniel Bryan. He has held on to the belt for months and people are aching to see him lose it. He's made the Intercontinental Championship picture very interesting for his entire reign. That said, so did Kofi, JoMo, Rey Mysterio, and Jericho.

 

[TheRKOViper]

There have been a lot of great runs. However, none of them are "prestigious" type runs. There have been a lot of great feuds over the title recently with Kofi, Ziggler, etc. but neither of these guys are thought of main eventers. In my opinion the last GREAT feud was when HHH and The Rock were feuding over this title as if it were the World Heavyweight Championship.

Creative needs to keep putting the emphasis on this title.

I think a reason it has lost its prestige a little is because there is no singles title below it (Unless you count the US Championship), but they are on seperate shows. There used to be the Cruiserweight Title and the European Title for the low-mid card guys to fight over. They need another title lower than the IC.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

The title being "watered down" means nothing. As is the case with anything in wrestling and entertainment, the belt means exactly what it's being sold as in that moment. In that moment, Jeff Hardy was taking that belt to the moon. Thus, the title was the star building belt of days gone by. As such, Jeff fits your definition of a real Intercontinental Champion. It "could" work because it does.

I would have to concur with this line of thinking - the IC has risen and fell in terms of it's significance (to the extent that Triple H 'retired' it at one point). Even going with your last 'real' IC Champ, if we take the 'Santino standard' you expressed at Coco's choice - winners in the 12 months prior to SCSA included Dean Douglas (who was handed the belt), Goldust, Ahmed Johnson and Marc Mero! You mention the Warrior, Mr Perfect and Macho but it would be very hard to describe Tito Santana, Greg Valentine or (most famously) the Honky Tonk Man as Main Eventers.

The last real rub victory of the IC belt IMO was also Jeff Hardy but not the reign Coco was speaking of - I'm thinking of when he won the belt from (at that time) 4 time former WWF Champion Triple H. He may have only held it a week, but beating someone of Trips status just left you feeling - that kid's going to be World Champ some day.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

When it comes to what makes a "real" Intercontinental Champion, I do think that Coco brought up some good points. The IC title used to be seen as a stepping stone to the WWE Championship but there are already other means of becoming a contender for a World Championship that bypass the IC title. For instance, there's the existence of the United Staes Championship, #1 contender matches and, of course, winning MITB. The IC title does have a long and prestigious history. Have their been some lame runs with the title? Of course there have, that's true for any championship out there and is one of the few constant factors in wrestling. Winning the IC title doesn't always mean that you're going to be WWE Champion or that you're going to be a WWE Championship contender, but that doesn't mean that the title isn't prestigious or that being IC champ can't make you a star.

For me, a "real" Intercontinental Champion also means a champion that makes you care about what's going on in the IC title picture. You want to watch him give promos, you want to see his feuds and you want to see his matches. If you don't give a shit about that stuff, then that means that the wrestler holding the title hasn't done his job. In my opinion, since WrestleMania 25, the IC title has bloomed back into the realm of being a very relevant title. Mysterio became the champ at WM 25 and, over the course of the summer, had great feud and a series of fantastic matches for the title against Chris Jericho. John Morrison won the title from Mysterio and he did a good job as IC champ. It wasn't the greatest but it definitely wasn't bad and here he is, a little more than a year later, the #1 contender for the WWE Championship. Drew McIntyre had a long run with the title and I'm a little mixed. I like McIntyre but maybe it was too soon to put the title on him. Still, given his status as a newcomer and carrying the title for about 5.5 months, he did the best that he could and he's improved a helluva lot. Kofi's second run was a little on the short side, a little over 2 months, but it was decent. Dolph Ziggler is an extremely hot commodity right now. He's really stepped up his game since becoming champ, has had a bevy of great matches as champ and, given his performance against Cena last week, I have no problem seeing Ziggler in the main event.

 

[Defekt]

Shawn and Razor in 1995.

In 1995 the champions were Razor Ramon, Jeff Jarret, and Shawn Michaels. While Razor and Jarret, may not have gone on to world championship reigns in WWE, at the time they held the IC title they were extremely over. IC title matches were enough to main event the B house shows back then. The WWE also only had 3 belts at this time, and most wrestlers, even popular ones, would go their whole careers without ever winning one of them, so getting any gold around your waist put you in another league.

1996 was a glimpse of things to come. Goldust, Ahmed Johnson, HHH, The Rock, and Mark Mero won the title. While The Rock and HHH may have gone on to be two of the biggest wrestlers ever, in 1996 they were anything but over. The IC champion was supposed to be one of the very top guys in the organization, and none of these guys fit that build.

1997 and 1998 were better years. Owen Hart, Stone Cold, The Rock, Ken Shamerock, and Triple H held it that year. All 5 guys were over by this time, and any one of them were potential world champions. But also, by this time the WWE had added two more titles, so holding a belt didn't come with the same aura it once did.

In 1999 the value of the belt diminished greatly, as it started being held by guys mostly destined for life in the midcard. Even when that wasn't the case, the belt was now used more as a stepping stone, than an accomplishment in itself.

If I had to pick the last REAL IC champ, I would probably go with either Shawn Michaels or Razor Ramon in 1995. Both these guys were super over when they won the title, and it was a big deal for them to hold it. When Shawn won the title in 1995 he was probably the most over guy in the company, and Razor wasn't far behind him.

Trust me, no one ordered Summerslam '95 to watch Diesel beat that fat mess Mabel.

 

[MMK]

The reason the Intercontinental Title isn't what it used to be is because it isn't the second most important title anymore. Back in the 80's and 90's the IC title was second only to the WWE title. But that all changed in 2002 when they brought in the World Title from WCW, thus making the IC title a third tier title.

The World Championship is to today's wrestling what the IC title was in the 80's and 90's. It's the second most important title given to the second most important guy in the company. Thats the role the IC title used to play once upon a time. But not any more.

So to find the last real IC champion you'd have to go back to before 2002 when they brought in the World Title.

So around the year 2000,2001 was the last time the IC title really catipulted a guy to main event status. Im thinking of guys like Eddie Guerero, Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit, and Kurt Angle. They were the last four guys to hold the title when it really meant something. When there was still some prestige to it.

The IC title was once the second biggest prize in WWF. Now in WWE, it falls behind the World Title, Money In The Bank, and even the US title, which was promoted to WWE's flagship show RAW while the IC title was demoted to Smackdown. Winning the US title or the Money In The Bank is now a much greater indication that a wrestler will be a future WWE champion than the IC title is. Former US champions like Miz and Cena have all gone on to bigger and better things, as has every Money In The Bank winner.

 

[Marky-Marc]

I don't know if this is true. In 1987, was Honky Tonk Man the second biggest superstar in the company? I don't think so.

It is true. There were definitely people who didn't fit the description but yes, back then, the title was used this way.

And Honky Tonk Man

Beating a dead horse.

Mr. Perfect is the exception? Okay, let's look at IC Champs from it's inception to the Attitude Era, shall we? Pat Patterson, Ken Patera, Don Muraco, Tito Santana, Greg Valentine, Ricky Steamboat, Honky Tonk Man, Rick Rude, Mr. Perfect, Kerry Von Erich, The Mountie, Roddy Piper, British Bulldog, Marty Janetty, Razor Ramon, Jeff Jarrett, Bob Holly, Goldust, Ahmed Johnson, Marc Mero. Owen Hart also falls into this category, but I won't count him because he in all likelihood would have been WWF Champion one day.

What were we talking about again? Oh yes, the IC Title and how if you held it in the late 80's/early 90's you were guaranteed to be a WWF Champion.

Thank you for proving you know how to look up the history of the IC Title, glad I could give you something to do today.

Both literally and fitting into your twisted definition of "real", it has to be Dolph Ziggler. The dude has made the IC belt worthy of terrific matches with the likes of Kofi Kingston, Kaval, Rey Mysterio, and Daniel Bryan. He has held on to the belt for months and people are aching to see him lose it. He's made the Intercontinental Championship picture very interesting for his entire reign. That said, so did Kofi, JoMo, Rey Mysterio, and Jericho.

I should have added to my OP that I'd like your opinions to reflect accuracy because the guy has gone on to win the WWE Championship since his IC run. Nevertheless, I agree that Ziggler has been a great champ, however, based on what I am asking, he doesn't fit into the realm of possibilities.

 

[The Eighties]

The Rock's 9 month reign that included feuds with Ken Shamrock and Triple H over the title would probably get my vote, as it prepared Rock for the WWF title perfectly.

There could be a case made for Orton's 2004 run as well, and I'd not be surprised that when we look back in a years time Dolph Ziggler is the answer to this question.

 

[Adalam]

Wow, glad to be on the same page with people here. Dolph Ziggler is the best definition of Real IC Champ. The only reason he should lose the belt right now is if they push him permanently into the main event. They tested him out already with the belt still on him against John Cena, which was a pair of pretty good matches. They need to see how much heat Ziggler can generate on his own though. Vickie can only help him so much. If he can get tons of heat on his own, then that will help the belt more than a manager doing it for him.

 

[Marky-Marc]

That's Dolph Ziggler selling it. Not the same thing.

If WWE tells us that the King of the Ring is a huge deal, it is despite guys like Mabel, Billy Gunn, and William Regal having won it, the winner essentially getting nothing for his trouble, and the tournament happening very infrequently. If the WWE tells us that Undertaker's streak is meaningful, it is. If the WWE tells us that Benoit is primarily a technical wrestler despite spending most of his WWE career as a top notch brawler, people buy that story. Part of the WWE's job is to sell these fables to the marks who fancy themselves to be more than that. Your lack of respect for their ability to create fact out of thin air is laughable. If they say a belt is a kingmaker and draw on it's history to prove that point, it becomes fact just as it did when Jeff Hardy went to the moon with the belt. Things are important when the WWE tells us they're important. That's a fact. As such, the Intercontinental Championship was very important when Jeff Hardy held it because it was on the hottest guy in the company at that point.

This is also wrong.

WWE can try to tell me what is an isn't prestigious and who I should and shouldn't cheer for, but ultimately it is up to me. Hence why Stone Cold turned face and Bret Hart turned heel at WM 13, because the fans chose that. Creative can lay a design of how they want something to go, but it is how the angle is perceived over time that provides us with an accurate understanding of how something (a championship reign for example) will be viewed in the future.

By your rant, it means that you do whatever WWE tells you to do, stand sit, cheer, boo, laugh, cry. I don't do that. If you want to say that the prestige of the Intercontinental Title is only based on who currently hold it, you're dumb. So if a #16 seed in the NCAA Tournamnet miraculously runs the table and wins the tournament, that the championship means nothing because a shitty team won it? No, the championship has a legacy and over the last ten years atleast, WWE has ruined the legacy of the IC Title. It has been since built up again over the last maybe 2 years, but it certainly doesn't vary based on who holds it. So when they gave the title to D-Lo Brown, Vince decided to do that because he didn't care if the fans thoguht it was laughable? No, ignorant.

 

[RicSpade]

Well if you really want to look at it like the King of the Ring Viscera when he was Mabel was in the main event scene for half a year, Billy Gunn was trying to get out of the tag team picture but his backstage behavior I'm sure held him down from being main event. And William Regal was on his way to main eventing with Triple H and then he got hit with the wellness policy, so saying the IC title doesn't elevate you now a days is well garbage.

IMPO I have to say the last real IC champ was Jericho, and I'm not saying none of the guys that have held it before or after him isn't an IC champ but when you have a guy who can say I'm a multi-time Tag Champ, World Champ and I am the man with the most reigns as IC champ, and I can lose this belt to just about anyone and still be the top heel in the company, well that says something. I would've said Santino but people didn't like the whole Honka-meter and honestly as many guys as he beat each week, he never made it where I wanted him to be.

 

[Coco]

This is also wrong.

Except it isn't.

WWE can try to tell me what is an isn't prestigious and who I should and shouldn't cheer for, but ultimately it is up to me. Hence why Stone Cold turned face and Bret Hart turned heel at WM 13, because the fans chose that. Creative can lay a design of how they want something to go, but it is how the angle is perceived over time that provides us with an accurate understanding of how something (a championship reign for example) will be viewed in the future.

Yes, what the fans think plays a factor to a point. John Cena wasn't pushed down people's wind pipe as the popular tale goes. He got over on connection with the audience. Same goes for Batista, Bret Hart, Steve Austin, etc. But that isn't to say that when the WWE says jump, most people won't either jump or be forced to deal with WWE pressing the issue incessantly. Eventually, straight up marketing can and does wear people down. I never implied such ploys mean that the audience can't still occasionally make decisions for itself, but I would go as far as to say that WWE has such an unsettlingly Orwellian hold over the thoughts of it's fans that it often negates the arrogant notion of choice you espouse. Monday Night Raw is still the best wrestling out there in most people's eyes because, despite years of mediocrity, you're told it is. Shawn Michaels is the best worker not because he really is but because we're told he is and because he's often given more opprotunity and freedom to back that up than the rest of the roster. WWE creates perception, it doesn't just happen. As such, they create people's perception of the Intercontinental Championship every Friday on SmackDown when Matt Striker runs down the strap's storied history. You might not buy it, but the masses do. They eat that shit up with a spoon.

By your rant, it means that you do whatever WWE tells you to do, stand sit, cheer, boo, laugh, cry.

I don't. I make my own choices based on what's out there. That doesn't mean I'm too stupid to see what's really going on.

I don't do that.

I couldn't care less what you do.

If you want to say that the prestige of the Intercontinental Title is only based on who currently hold it, you're dumb.

When Santino held the belt, it meant nothing. When Jeff Hardy held it and went to the moon, it meant something. Point proven.

So if a #16 seed in the NCAA Tournamnet miraculously runs the table and wins the tournament, that the championship means nothing because a shitty team won it?

That's sports. This is entertainment. The legitimacy of fake championships is pure Hollywood. They can say whatever they want and still get the masses to buy it.

No, the championship has a legacy and over the last ten years atleast, WWE has ruined the legacy of the IC Title.

In the eyes of a minority which spends all day obsessing about the state of wrestling, maybe. Not in the eyes of the public at large.

It has been since built up again over the last maybe 2 years, but it certainly doesn't vary based on who holds it.

Blah, blah. Blah blah blah. Open your eyes and smell the coffee. You care far more about that build up garbage than most.

 

[JGlass]

First of all, Smarky Smark, if you're gonna try to quote and rebuttal me (I don't know if that's the official name, I'm making it up), at least do it right. In debates it often helps if you know what the fuck you're doing.

It is true. There were definitely people who didn't fit the description but yes, back then, the title was used this way.

More often than not the people who held the title didn't fit your description. Certainly, the belt was slightly more prestigious than it is today, but it was not the step you took before you challenged the WWF Champion. It was a midcard title in a day where there were fewer talented wrestlers and therefore the midcard carried some very entertaining stars.

Thank you for proving you know how to look up the history of the IC Title, glad I could give you something to do today.

You're welcome. I managed to pencil this in between a nap and beating a video game I've beaten twice already. Nonetheless, this totally disproves your theory that if you win the Intercontinental Championship you're a short time away from becoming WWF Champion. In fact, it would seem more often than not that you would NOT win the WWF Championship, no?

I should have added to my OP that I'd like your opinions to reflect accuracy because the guy has gone on to win the WWE Championship since his IC run. Nevertheless, I agree that Ziggler has been a great champ, however, based on what I am asking, he doesn't fit into the realm of possibilities.

Except for the fact that most Intercontinental Champs never go on to become a WWF/E champion. You're asking us to fill a stupid requirement that fits your definition, and your definition only. It would be like me asking you to tell me who the last "real" US Champ is, and the only "real US champs are united states born, had already won the tag titles, and wore tights in the ring. By your definition, the last "real" IC Champ would be Jeff Hardy, who won the belt on FOUR separate occasions before capturing the WWE Championship.

So basically what I'm trying to say if you need to reevaluate your opinion on what constitutes a "real" Intercontinental Champion. Right now, you either horribly worded your original post–and in that case you really shouldn't start ridiculous opinion based threads anymore–or your opinion is just horribly off target–and in that case you really shouldn't start ridiculous opinion based threads anymore.

More often than not the Intercontinental Champions spend their lives on the midcard with occasional trips to the main event, but the IC Title is rarely what elevates you to main event status. What raises you to main event status is hard work on the midcard and then putting on a solid feud with a main event superstar, and Dolph Ziggler has accomplished both these things. If you want an Intercontinental Champ who has shown signs of reaching the main event, you look no further than Dolph Ziggler.

 

[Honkey_Kong]

The IC title lost a lot of it's prestige when the Warrior won the WWF title from Hogan. After that, it became a mid-card experiment title that the lesser-knowns usually battled for. But that was by design.

Pre WM6, the people who held the IC title were not exactly no-names, I remember looking at them as legit champions at nearly the same level the WWF title was at. In fact during Savage, Rude and Warrior's reigns, you could argue the IC title was at the WHC level.

But this was all because of a matter of exposure. Back in the 80's, the WWF champion rarely ever wrestled on Superstars of Wrestling or Wrestling Challenge and if he did, it was almost always a tag match. All they did was cut promos and build up the feuds by getting attacked. The IC champ was an established star who every week was out there wrestling. Often times though, they were beating up jobbers. So the IC title was the workhorse of the federation.

But as some mentioned, the IC champ usually never became WWF champ. This is because the IC title wasn't a stepping stone. In the 1980's, it was it's own entity. In the 90's it served two purposes. It gave more exposure to future stars and it was an experiment to see how the future stars would be if they were pushed to the main event.

So since the purpose of the IC title was downgraded after WM6, I would say the last real IC champ was the Warrior.