WWE.com - The 25 Best Intercontinental Champions Of All Time

[Jack-Hammer]

WWE.com often does articles of "the greatest" this or "the worst" that and their latest lists their opinion of who the 25 greatest Intercontinental Champions are.

#25. Shelton Benjamin
#24. Cody Rhodes
#23. Stone Cold Steve Austin
#22. Jeff Hardy
#21. Goldust
#20. Jeff Jarrett
#19. The Rock
#18. Edge
#17. Greg The Hammer Valentine
#16. Triple H
#15. Rob Van Dam
#14. Don Muraco
#13. Shawn Michaels
#12. Pat Patterson
#11. Ravishing Rick Rude
#10. Tito Santana
#9. Randy Orton
#8. Pedro Morales
#7. Bret Hitman Hart
#6. Razor Ramon
#5. The Honky Tonk Man
#4. Mr. Perfect
#3. The Ultimate Warrior
#2. Chris Jericho
#1. Macho Man Randy Savage

These lists can sometimes be fun to talk about, debate, analyze, etc. Overall, it's a strong list and it's impossible to argue with some of the champs mentioned.

Personally, I'd have put Cody Rhodes a bit higher than #24 as his was really the first IC title reign in a long time in which the title had some real weight to it.

I'd have put Valentine & Santana on the lower end of the list, I certainly wouldn't have put Santana in the top 10.

I know HTM had the longest run in the history of the title, but I just never saw the guy as a great champion. I never thought he was particularly great in the ring and his gimmick as an Elvis impersonator was ridiculous. I will say that it made a lasting impression, if nothing else, so I could at least see it in the top 10.

While I was never a big fan of The Ultimate Warrior, the guy was definitely a memorable champion. The sight of him holding both the WWF & Intercontinental Championships up after beating Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania VI is an all time classic moment. So yeah, I can see it in the top 5.

In my opinion, Jericho is ranked much too high on the list. He's great and I know he's a 9 time IC champ, more than anyone in history. It's just difficult for me to take a number of title runs seriously beginning in the late 90s as the Attitude Era introduced the Hot Potato Era.

Just a personal preference, I'd have gone with either Perfect or Savage as the top 2. I could buy arguments for either guy being #1 because each side has a lot of validity. I'd probably have to give Savage the slight edge as he ultimately did make it to the top of the mountain by winning the WWF Championship whereas Perfect didn't.

 

[jacdnwarrior]

I usually hate lists that WWE does because I find their choices so damn wrong. I have no idea what they are judging these guys on. Is it solely mike skills, entertainer, feuds, ability in the ring. What's the critertia here ? I like some of the choices. I really don't think any performer who held the title after 80-90 should be in the top 10. The title had little more value than a party favor in the nineties (and now) as opposed to the eighties, where it was held in higher regard.

Looking at the list there is no way in hell Tito Santana, Don Muraco should be so low or beneath Honky Tonk Man, that's a travesty. These guys were involved in some of the hottest feuds, the company ever had. I know Honky Tonk Man (HTM), is the longest reigning champ and was a hated heel, but he was subpar in the ring and it was really only one feud that people cared about and that's the one he had with Randy Savage. Randy made that reign special by taking the guitar shot and having his wife, Elizabeth involved. Number 2 is Jericho which I understand since Jericho had nine reigns. The fact he had 9 reigns, is an insult to him. What's the point of that many reigns ? No man needs nine reigns, they need to move up the World Championship/ Main Event level if anything after 3 or 4.

Randy as number one is a great choice, he gave you great performances in the ring, he took part in some of the greatest feuds for the belt, he defended it at a nonstop pace, he was an IC champ few if any performer comes close to competing with.

 

[Dynamitekid2012]

Its a solid list but I don't like the order of certain people. I agree about Jericho as well. His 9 reigns aren't nearly as memorable as other people's 1 reign.

That said, how does Ricky Steamboat not make this list?

 

[JoeFromTomsRiver]

I think these rankings are pretty fair. The WWE over-ranked Rey Mysterio on such a ridiculous level on their top 50 superstars of all time ranking, that anytime I don't see something that egregious on other rankings, I'm happy.

I do agree w/ the sentiment thats been expressed already here, that the Honky Tonk Man is ranked WAY too high. I get it, the longest running IC title holder of all time. That alone I guess guarantees you a top 5 spot. But the actual run wasn't anything special: not many great feuds, matches, angles. I'd slide him down to #15, right ahead of RVD and behind Muraco.

I would have had Mr. Perfect #2 as I think he's the greatest WWE performer to have never won the WWE title, and because he just so much more identified w/ the IC title than Jericho. In spite of Jericho winning the title so many times.

As for Ricky Steamboat not being on the list, he held the IC Championship ONCE. And his reign lasted 3 MONTHS. Even though as an "all-time performer", he ranks higher than the majority of the people on this list, he just doesn't qualify in a ranking that is specifically for "IC Champions". He defeated Savage for the IC belt in one of the most greatest matches of all time, so some people automatically think of him as being a "great IC champion". But he really wasn't.

 

[Pedigree1]

I have never liked listings as it always will never be perfect.. Cody at 24,is a little too low IMO.. Cody was the first one in a long time,to bring legitimacy to the Intercontinental title,and actually held it for a long stretch.. Tito IMO was never that great of a champion him being in the top ten is way too high.. The Hammer though,should swich spots with Cody..

HTM,at number five is interesting.. He cheated to retain in every one of his matches,as a heel is supposed to do.. His elvis impersonation is what he is remembered by some twenty plus years later.. Number five is a bit high top ten would be more like it though.. King Macho Man at No1 is where he deserves to be IMO..

 

[closet_fan]

Its a solid list but I don't like the order of certain people. I agree about Jericho as well. His 9 reigns aren't nearly as memorable as other people's 1 reign.

That said, how does Ricky Steamboat not make this list?

Steamboat's reign as champ wasn't very long. He won it on April 29th and dropped it June 13, earlier since "Superstars" was taped, of the same year. 2 and a half months isn't all that great.

 

[Wald]

100% agree with Macho Man being ranked at number one, he's the one who provided the blueprint for how an IC champion should steal the show and push himself to the main event, something Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels both did to great effect years after Savage dropped the belt.

Jericho shouldn't be top five, let alone top two. The IC belt was devalued greatly during the Attitude Era and it was because of booking decisions that led to him holding it nine times that the belt hasn't meant as much in the last fifteen years

 

[InstantAttitude]

Lol at Steve Austin on this list just because he's Steve Austin, he barely did anything with the title.

 

[Dragon Chief]

I would put Randy Orton in the top five greatest IC champions of all time, his reign in 2004 was one of the more memorable ones and he put on classic matches with the likes of Foley and Edge. Bret Hart deserves to be in the top five as well, he always brought a big fight feel with his IC title matches and his match with British Bulldog for the title is arguably the greatest IC title match in history. Not really a fan of Honky Tonk Man being so high on the list, quality over quantity is all I got to say. Ricky Steamboat deserves to be on this list solely because of the match he had with Savage at WrestleMania 3, iconic match for both wrestlers, the prestige of the title went up after this match.

 

[Wolf Pac]

Lol at Steve Austin on this list just because he's Steve Austin, he barely did anything with the title.

I think he's only on there just because he went on to become huge, the point of the IC belt in the first place, even though like you said he barely did anything with it. Don't mind him being on there but I disagree with his ranking. He should either be last or replaced by Christian.

 

[Pablo_316]

Not a bad list, I would have a few changes. I would first switch Chris Jericho and Mr. Perfect. Mr. Perfect from the onset of his reign was able to establish a true meaning of what it meant to be Intercontinental Champion. From great matches to articulate promos truly embody the ideal of an IC Champ; An antithesis the World Champ.
As for Jericho, everyone seems to be hung up on the idea that he is only in the top 5 because he was champ nine times. From classic promos to memorable feuds and great matches with the like of Chris Benoit, William Regal, Shelton Benjamin, Rey Mysterio, as well as many more, Jericho was able to re-establish the image and nature of the IC Champ. Yes during, the Attitude Era the belt was a 'hot potato,' but as that era ended Jericho was able to regain the lost value and re-establish the credibility of the IC Title. Whenever Jericho held the IC Title, the belt always felt important.
As for the rest of the list, I would have to put The Rock a bit higher because he maintained the high-profile tone of the title as well as elevating himself at the same time. Also I would move Pat Patterson down. Although he was the first,his reign was rather unremarkable. Overall not a bad list, actually seemingly one of the better ones put out by the WWE.

 

[Pablo_316]

Not a bad list, I would have a few changes. I would first switch Chris Jericho and Mr. Perfect. Mr. Perfect from the onset of his reign was able to establish a true meaning of what it meant to be Intercontinental Champion. From great matches to articulate promos, Perfect truly embodied the ideal of an IC Champ; The antithesis the World Champ.

As for Jericho, everyone seems to be hung up on the idea that he is only in the top 5 because he was champ nine times. From classic promos to memorable feuds and great matches with the like of Chris Benoit, William Regal, Shelton Benjamin, Rey Mysterio, as well as many more, Jericho was able to re-establish the image and nature of the IC Champ. Yes during, the Attitude Era the belt was a 'hot potato,' but as that era ended Jericho was able to regain the lost value and re-establish the credibility of the IC Title. Whenever Jericho held the IC Title, the belt always felt important.

As for the rest of the list, I would have to put The Rock a bit higher because he maintained the high-profile tone of the title as well as elevating himself at the same time. Also I would move Pat Patterson down. Although he was the first,his reign was rather unremarkable. Overall not a bad list, actually seemingly one of the better ones put out by the WWE. Sorry About the Double Post, didn't mean to do it.

 

[The Brain]

Randy Savage is the right choice for number one. He held the title for over a year and was the first guy to really use it as a stepping stone to the world title.

Don Muraco deserves to be higher on the list. He's not terribly out of place but I think he's one of those guys that has been forgotten with time and was much better than what people remember.

Lol at Steve Austin on this list just because he's Steve Austin, he barely did anything with the title.

This is true. Austin doesn't belong on this list at all. He is a two time champion and I think he defended the title once. He was injured in the match when he one his first title so he had to forfeit it. Then he won it back and successfully defended it against The Rock only to surrender it to him the next night because he didn't want it. Not the best representative of the IC title. You know how guys like Cody Rhodes were trying to bring prestige back to the IC title? Austin's partially responsible for it losing prestige in the first place. I would take him off this list and put Ken Patera on instead.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

1. I'm glad Cody is right where he is. I would have had him off because his reign is one of the most overrated reigns of recent memory. He had the belt eight months and only defended it SEVEN times, and one of those was a battle royal. He went two different times going multiple months without a defense and his main challenger was an announcer.

2. Jericho #2 is a joke. His most significant run was his first one and his feud with Chyna. This is the same guy who won that title and lost it on the same episode of Raw. If Jericho is up that high because of how many times he won it, then Jarrett should be higher as well.

 

[chicagokmc]

It's sad and unfortunate that the last time anyone on that list held the I/C strap was Cody at least 4 years ago. Shows you how memorable the I/C champs of the last few years are. I'm sure the tag team list would be the same way.