Your 10 best champions of all time: Intercontinental

[RicoLen]

I keep looking around here, and I'm not finding any kind of threads that talk about peoples 10 favorite champions of any type. I recognize that lists aren't something the moderators here are very keen on, and we need to keep in mind this is not a spam forum so we'll have to put some meat behind these explanations, however as long as we do that I know this is a topic your average forum poster enjoys making. So just keep in mind to give a good explanation and I believe we should be fine here.

I intend to make this a series including other titles as well so long as this one survives without getting spammed.


Who do you consider the 10 best Intercontinental Champions of all time? Why?
For each of the 10 champions you list:
What was your favorite feud they had for that title? Why?
What was your favorite match they had for the title? Why?

Before I get into my own list, I'd like to preface this by saying that I've always looked at the Intercontinental Championship as the wrestling fan's championship. It was the IC Championship title matches that frequently stole the show at the pay-per-views, and it was because the champion and the challenger put on an absolute clinic, highlighting the very best scientific wrestling matches you would ever see in the WWE.

10: Owen Hart
To me, Owen Hart was one of those guys that from day one I saw as a born Intercontinental Champion. The first time I remember seeing him wrestle was as Blue Blazer. I didn't realize they were one in the same person for years, but once I did it made sense because in both cases, as Blue Blazer and as The Rocket Owen Hart I thought he'd make a great IC Champ. When Blue Blazer fought Mr. Perfect at Wrestlemania 5 I was shocked. I hadn't really seen much of the guy before that, at least that I can remember, but Perfect and Owen were amazing in the ring together. Sadly Owen didn't have the best IC Title reign, he never did much to defend the title except against Austin and of course he botched what would have been a spectacular match. Despite all that, Owen always stands out as one of the best to me.
Favorite Feud: Steve Austin
This is really the only feud for the Intercontinental Title I remember him being in. Obviously he took out Rocky Maivia to win the title, but that wasn't much of a feud, just a one off match. As far as I know Austin is the only guy Owen feuded with over the IC Title.
Favorite Match: SS '98 vs Steve Austin
That's probably a controversial call on my part, but it's just such a memorable match all the way around. Aside from the botched piledriver the match was amazing, and I was always impressed with both Austin and Owen's professionalism after the accident as well.
9: British Bulldog
The British Bulldog was the winner of the two best technical wrestling matches I've ever seen in the WWF/E both matches were against the Hart brothers, Bret & Owen. The British Bulldog was a pretty damned good wrestler. Not the greatest, but when he was on, damn if he didn't look like the best thing to ever enter the ring.
Favorite Feud: Bret Hart
Brother vs brother was how this feud was billed. Face vs Face, and Bret's sister Diana Hart Smith was stuck in the middle of it all, not knowing whether to cheer for her brother or her husband. Great angle, and the two guys were consummate professionals throughout, treating each other with respect, but also just a hint of annoyance, as if the other didn't actually respect them as much as they should.
Favorite Match: SS '92 vs Bret Hart
Up until I saw the match between Bulldog & Owen for the European Championship, I thought this match was bar-none the best technical wrestling match I'd ever seen in the WWF and certainly the best IC title match ever. This match won match of the year in '92 and with good reason, the storytelling was great, the hype was great, and the match delivered in spades. I simply can't say enough about how great this match was.
8: Rick Rude
Talk about a man taken away from us too soon. Perfect & Rude were Eddie & Benoit before anyone knew who they were. Rick Rude was one of the most awesome heels and pro-wrestling's answer to Tom Selleck. This guy pissed most people off a lot, but I always liked him because I was never a fan of Warrior's when I was little, despite loving that he completely crushed Honky Tonk Man to take the title.
Favorite Feud: Ultimate Warrior
As with a lot of these guys outside of my top 5 Rude only had one major feud as the Intercontinental Champion and in Rude's case it was with The Ultimate Warrior. I know a lot of people don't like The Ultimate Warrior but I thought that throughout this feud both were pretty great.
Favorite Match: WM5 vs Ultimate Warrior
Any match where Heenan gets involved and is forced to suffer the consequences of his actions is great. I laughed my ass off when Rude kneed Warrior in the title belt, and again when The Weasel got press slammed by Warrior. But mostly I just loved that Rude came out with tights that had a picture of the intercontinental championship belt already around his waist, and that he was able to take that title and put it right where the picture depicted.
7: Chris Jericho
It's pretty hard to argue that Jericho doesn't deserve to be on this list after having won it 9 times... course he also lost it nine times, and twice to a woman so I have a hard time putting him any lower on the list than 7. Even so he embodies everything I look for in an intercontinental champion.
Favorite Feud: Chris Benoit
Good old Chris Ben wot the robot. These guys had a number of matches, all of them good.
Favorite Match: Ladder Match @ RR '01 vs Chris Benoit
I have to admit that the title match between Jericho, Benoit & Angle was very high on my list, I think this was the better match. This is one of my favorite ladder matches ever.
6: Kurt Angle
Just like Owen Hart, as soon as I saw this guy my thoughts were that he'd make one hell of an intercontinental champion. He had everything you needed to bring prestige to the title, and he did just that, dubbing himself the Eurocontinental champion. His reign proved that you don't necessarily need a long run to make the title look good.
Favorite Feud: Chris Benoit & Chris Jericho
Favorite Match: Triple threat match @ WM2000 vs Jericho vs Benoit
This match and feud was about all there was, but this match is by far my favorite triple threat match, and I loved the humor of seeing Angle walk away from this match without having been pinned and having lost both of his titles.
5: Scott Hall
Hey Yo. Here is a guy that talked so slow I wanted to slap him at times, but there was no denying this guy had (still does) major charisma, could wrestle with the best technical wrestlers and hang with the big guys and play their game with THEM too. Scott Hall was very possibly the most talented wrestler pro-wrestling has ever seen. As an intercontinental champion the man was simply awesome.
Favorite Feud: Shawn Michaels
Every Kliq in-feud I've seen I loved, but to me, THIS was the best one of them all. Razor Ramon vs Shawn Michaels was great from start to finish.
Favorite Match: WMX Ladder Match vs HBK (with Diesel)
Best. Ladder. Match. EVER.
4: Shawn Michaels
I HATED the boy toy. I loved the Rockers and I was devastated and truly believed that Shawn had thrown Marty Jannetty through a real glass window. When he beat Bulldog for the title I was pissed again, because I loved Bulldog. However, looking back, whenever I think of Shawn Michaels. I think of him as the Boy Toy, not the Heartbreak Kid, as the Intercontinental Champion and seeing him flying off the top turnbuckle about punch an opponent in the face with a raised fist that he'd deliver just like Savage would deliver an elbow.
Favorite Feud: Marty Jannetty
For me, this is not just the best feud HBK had as the intercontinental champion, this was his best feud period. The Rockers were my favorite tag team at this point in time. Everything about how they worked in the ring together blew me away. Even more than The Road Warriors. When Michaels turned on Jannetty like he did. Wow, talk about heat. And when Jannetty finally turned up in the WWF again after "recovering" my jaw hit the floor and I couldn't wait to see him get his revenge.
Favorite Match: RR '93 vs Jannetty
I was glued to the buildup for this match, and at the time I was very much disappointed about him losing out on his opportunity for the title because of Sheri, however in the end, I'm glad it ended the way it did. Jannetty as a IC champion wasn't very good. Whenever I think of an iconic match of Shawn Michaels, I always think about this match though.
3: Mr. Perfect
At this point, it's pretty hard for me to say one guy is better than the next. Mr. Perfect has a very great claim on being the best Intercontinental Champion ever. Perfect, to me, was always Bobby Heenan's one true golden boy. If there was anyone who Bobby Heenan considered his favorite member of the Heenan family it was Mr. Perfect, undefeated for years feuding with Hogan for the world title, he WINS the world title match against Hogan, but not the title, and then picks up the intercontinental title. At which point he just seemed unbeatable.
Favorite Feud: Big Bossman
This feud was so much fun to watch for me. Bossman was hot on a new face turn and I loved Bossman. Then Bossman working with Andre the Giant great too. I was pretty pissed off when Bossman didn't get to win the title though. Seriously, Bossman should have, at least at SOME point in time, won the IC title.
Favorite Match: vs Bret Hart @ SS '91
This match was a classic. One of the best of all time between two of the best of all time. Roddy Piper's commentary was great too.
2: Bret Hart
Just like with Perfect, this guy has an incredibly good claim to being the best IC champion ever. When I think of The Hitman, I think of the Intercontinental Championship. Bret Hart is in many ways the quintessential intercontinental champion and he had so many matches I got to see as a kid I have a hard time thinking of memorable matches of Bret Hart's that weren't for the IC Title.
Favorite Feud: "Rowdy" Roddy Piper"
Hot Rod cracked me up the entire time during this feud. I was a sucker for face vs face feuds as it was, but here were two of my favorites feuding together for the title and you just never knew what Piper was going to do or say. The leadup to their match at WM8 was great, and the promo's the two cut together just kill me.
Favorite Match: SS '92 vs Bret Hart
See above.
1: Randy Savage
Savage is in the top 5 in every category having to do with great wrestling there is. Here however he stands higher than anywhere else. He elevated the championship to the highest it ever would reach until Bret & Bulldog made it the main event of Summerslam.
Favorite Feud: Honky Tonk Man
Honky calls himself the best intercontinental champion of all time? Really!? Savage was so much better and Honky was a joke! I hated Honky Tonk Man, and I couldn't wait to see Savage win the title back at Saturday Night's Main Event, and then Savage got got by lil Jimmy and his Hart Foundation. The only thing that made this OK was that Savage went on to win the WWF title tournament at WM4. But this feud was a classic I'll never forget.
Favorite Match: WM3 vs Ricky Steamboat
Hogan vs Andre, arguably the greatest Wrestlemania moment of all time, but who knew? After Savage vs Steamboat the buzz was about how these two mid-carders stole the show. Cup of coffee in the bigtime, Savage was simply awesome this whole match, and the speed he was moving at was insane. It's amazing what an overdose of caffeine will do for you in a wrestling match.

 

[Peoples_Champ]

I don't know about a Top Ten, but my top four are Bret, Shawn, Mr. Perfect, Ultimate Warrior. Maybe because it was too early for me, but Macho Man's IC reign simply does not register as a landmark reign - yes he had a great match at WM3 but besides that, he was totally overshadowed.

Bret was the epitome of what an IC champ should be. A wrestler than can have a great match with anyone and will work 300 nights a year. Shawn is a close second, the white IC belt that Cody has now was started by Shawn. That means the prestige that the WWE wants to restore in the title was from Shawn's reign - that's huge. Mr. Perfect was technically proficient, could tell a great story and you could believe him as a champ. And finally, the Ultimate Warrior - he was the original incarnation of Goldberg. Steamrolled competition, was a wild show and was my favourite wrestler growing up bar none. Next to Legion of Doom, I don't think any wrestler got a crazier pop than Warrior - and for good reason.

 

[LODemolition]

Macho Man held the IC Title for 14 months before losing it to Steamboat. That's not a landmark reign? He's easily top 10, if not clear up in the top 3.

 

[alexikosalov]

Maybe because it was too early for me, but Macho Man's IC reign simply does not register as a landmark reign - yes he had a great match at WM3 but besides that, he was totally overshadowed.

Macho Man had many memorable feuds/matches as WWF I-C Champions.

For several weeks Macho Man vs. Billy Jack Haynes was the no.1 storyline on Saturday Morning Superstars. BJH would get Macho in the Full Nelson, and Macho, unable to escape, would kick the ref and get automatically disqualified. This happened at least twice and I remember as a kid being incredibly frustrated with it lol

His feud with George "The Animal" Steel made Steel a household name, not to mention himself.

My order would be:

Macho Man
Honky Tonk Man
Bret Hart
Mr. Perfect
The Ultimate Warrior
Chris Jericho
Rick Rude
British Bulldog
HBK
Scott Hall

 

[LODemolition]

RicoLen, there's not a lot I can disagree with. I don't have Owen, Davey Boy, or Angle on my list for the simple fact that their reigns were very short. I would've sworn that Angle was a multiple time IC Champ, but when I did the research, he only held it once for barely over a month. As for Owen, he stands out more in my mind, but I have to say it's probably only because of the match with Austin at SummerSlam '98 where he screwed up the piledriver. Then with the Bulldog, he had that epic match with Bret Hart at Wembley Stadium, but dropped the title just 2 months later and faded into mediocrity again. I have to say I'm very surprised after looking at the history of the IC Title that RVD and Jeff Jarrett have won it 6 times each. The fact that I don't even remember says a lot.

So here's my list. Let's not take too much stock in how I have them numbered, because I honestly think you can make a case for any of the top 5 or 6 of these guys being the best of all-time. It's also impossible to remember all the best matches for the title, but I'll fill it out to the best of my ability.

Honorable Mentions: Pedro Morales, Don "The Rock" Muroco

10. Chris Benoit The Canadian Crippler held the title 4 times, but this was in the age where it changed hands every single month. Still, Benoit is one of the best to ever lace up a pair of boots and therefore belongs on this list.

Favorite Feud: Chris Jericho

These 2 went back a long time to their days in WCW and it made for some classic promos and one of the best ladder matches of the past 10 years.

Favorite Match: 2001 Royal Rumble vs. Chris Jericho

As I said above, this feud produced one of the best ladder matches I've witnessed and I can't think of a match between these 2 that would top it.

9. Triple H The Game was a 5-time IC Champ, but once again this was in the era of title changes happening almost as often as the average person does laundry.

Favorite Feud: The Rock

The majority of their feud lasted while Triple H was Shawn Michaels' sidekick in DX and The Rock was in the Nation of Domination. Triple H took over DX after Shawn's back injury and The Rock's charisma made everyone stop and take notice at these 2 breakout stars, whether they were fans of them or not.

Favorite Match: SummerSlam 1998 vs. The Rock

In another great ladder match locked away in the video vault, Triple H and The Rock battled for nearly a half hour. It was the 2nd to last match, as the only match that could overshadow it was Stone Cold vs. The Undertaker. Both Triple H and The Rock had a lot of help from Chyna and Mark Henry, respectively. After a lot of back and forth and Triple H getting flour thrown into his eyes by Henry after hitting The Rock with a Pedigree, he was still able to blindly climb his way up the ladder to retrieve the gold. This was probably the match that secured them both a spot as future main-eventers and multiple time World Champions.


8. Honky Tonk Man After holding the belt for nearly 15 months, a record that still hasn't and may never be broken, the Honky Tonk Man has to make this list. Plain and simple. Yes, I know the majority of his matches had cheap endings with him getting intentionally disqualified or counted out to retain the title, but beating Ricky Steamboat to become champion counts for a lot.

Favorite Feud: "Macho Man" Randy Savage

A lot of people forget that HTM basically helped turn Savage face and form the Mega Powers back on a 1987 episode of Saturday Night's Main Event. In a match against Savage for the IC Title, Honky Tonk's allies the Hart Foundation interfered and held out Savage's arms. This allowed Honky Tonk Man to smash Savage over the head with his acoustic guitar. Miss Elizabeth ran to the back to get none other than Hulk Hogan for help. He chased everyone off...and the Mega Powers were born.

Favorite Match: SummerSlam 1988 vs. The Ultimate Warrior

I know this was a squash match, but it was entertaining and the electricity from the fans in MSG for the very first SummerSlam was something else. HTM was scheduled to face Brutus Beefcake, but for reasons I can't remember, (injury?) Beefcake was pulled from the card and it was announced that Honky Tonk would face a mystery opponent. "Get me somebody out here that can wrestle, I don't care who it is!" yelled the IC Champ into the microphone. Suddenly, the Warrior's music hit and everyone went crazy as he ran to ring full speed ahead. It took the Warrior just 30 seconds to end a 15-month reign after dropping HTM behind his back in a gorilla press, followed up by a splash.

7. "Ravishing" Rick Rude If you're a younger fan and don't know anything about Rick Rude, I would basically sum it up like this. He was Val Venis before there was Val Venis, only head and shoulders above him. One of the most arrogant, yet funny and likable gimmicks in WWF history. He would come to the ring, talk about how fat and out of shape all the men in the crowd were...then tell the women to watch as he took his robe off to see what a real man looks like. Then he would pick a "random" woman out of the crowd to kiss before his match, who would faint every time. Priceless.

Favorite Feud: Ultimate Warrior

Let me first say that if it were ever for the IC Title, his extremely personal feud with Jake Roberts would easily be my choice. That was a great angle, getting Roberts' wife involved. But rules are rules, and his feud with the Warrior was the next best thing. They met at WrestleMania V and the following SummerSlam for the IC strap. One year later at SummerSlam '90, they even main evented in a steel cage for the WWF Championship.

Favorite Match: WrestleMania V vs. Ultimate Warrior

I remember this coming as a complete shock to me when the Warrior got pinned for the first time. Then again, I was only 8 years old. Even though Heenan was holding the Warrior's feet down, I still expected Warrior to kick out or for the decision to be reversed. Like RicoLen said, the tights Rude wore that day with the Intercontinental belt airbrushed around the waist were epic.

6. Chris Jericho A record that might never be broken, Chris Jericho has held the title 9 times. He's won literally every championship there is to win in WWE. Despite the fact that he was the first undisputed World Champion, when I think of Jericho, I think of him with the IC Title belt over his shoulder.

Favorite Feud: Chris Benoit

(see Chris Benoit)

Favorite Match: 2001 Royal Rumble vs. Chris Benoit

(see Chris Benoit)

5. Shawn Michaels As a heel, Shawn was great. The superkick to Jannetty at The Barber Shop and throwing him through the plate glass window was one of the greatest moments of his career. But when they turned him babyface and had him dancing on the announcer table in front of Vince McMahon, it made me sick to my stomach. I try to be impartial when making lists like these, but I just can't help it. During that time of his career, Shawn Michaels was the most annoying wrestler I've ever watched to this day. However, nobody can deny his in-ring skills. He went on to become a 3-time IC Champ after he became a singles competitor, not to mention his success at the main event level as he went eventually became WWF Champion at WrestleMania XII.

Favorite Feud: Razor Ramon

I'm of course talking about the feud the first time around when Shawn was heel and had Diesel as his bodyguard. The feud they had a year later when Shawn and Razor were both faces wasn't half as entertaining. Looking back, you can see that a feud or angle is just plain better when the performers are friends in real life.

Favorite Match: WrestleMania X vs. Razor Ramon

This is an absolute no-brainer. The very first ladder match in WWF history had the fans hooked and begging for more. After interference from Diesel, he was banned from ringside and from there on it was a great seesaw battle. We saw things we'd never seen before with a ladder being used as a weapon. Hall and Michaels set the trend for a match that would try to be duplicated a hundred times since, but nothing compares to the original.

4. Razor Ramon Based off the movie Scarface, Scott Hall came up with one of the greatest gimmicks of all-time. He's my favorite wrestler ever, bar none. It's a shame what's become of him, but let's not dwell on that. Hall was a 4-time IC Champion, which at the time was unprecedented. Whether face or heel, Hall always got a big reaction out of the WWE fanbase. I had never seen a finishing move like the Razor's Edge before. After seeing that the first time, I was hooked and a fan for life.

Favorite Feud: Goldust

There's quite a few great ones to pick from. Shawn Michaels, Diesel, Jeff Jarrett...but to me, the feud with Goldust was his best because this is when WWE really tried to push the envelope with suggestions of homosexuality. That was territory you never thought would be brought into an angle, but the WWE took the risk of losing viewers by offending them with this storyline full of shock value. Personally, it surprised me that they could get away with putting some of that stuff on the air, but it would take a lot more than that to make me turn the channel. Razor's 4th and final title reign ended at the hands of Goldust at the '96 Royal Rumble.

Favorite Match: WrestleMania X vs. Shawn Michaels

(see Shawn Michaels)

3. "Macho Man" Randy Savage Oooooh yeeeah, coming in at #3 is one of the greatest all-around wrestlers of all-time. It's a shame that it took his untimely passing earlier this year for more people to take notice of that. Savage had it all. The look, the mic skills, and most importantly the in-ring skills. Savage even made the Ultimate Warrior look good at WrestleMania VII. This is one of those guys who I literally cannot choose if I liked better as a face or heel because he pulled off both sides of the coin so greatly. He made his one Intercontinetal Title reign count, holding onto it for over a year after defeating Tito Santana at the Boston Garden in 1986.

Favorite Feud: Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat

Savage had his share of memorable feuds over the Intercontinental Title. George "The Animal" Steele, Honky Tonk Man, even Hulk Hogan who was WWF champion at the time. However, nothing compares to his feud with Ricky Steamboat leading up to WrestleMania III. I still remember thinking Steamboat was legitimately hurt when Savage came flying off the top rope with the ring bell held over his head as Steamboat was draped over the steel barricade. What do you do when a great wrestler has no mic skills? Tell everyone he has a crushed larynx. lol

WrestleMania III vs. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat

If this isn't the greatest wrestling match of all-time, it's at least very high on the list. There were so many near falls and you had 93,000 fans in the Pontiac Silverdome moaning every time Steamboat or Savage lifted their shoulder at the last moment, because they truly thought the match was over each time. It finally did come to an end when Savage went for his flying elbow drop finisher, but was pushed off the top rope by George "The Animal" Steele (who was in Steamboat's corner). Savage went for a bodyslam, but Steamboat hung on and pinned Savage with an inside cradle. If not for Steamboat needing time off just a couple of months later to be with his wife and newborn son, there's little doubt in my mind he would be very high on this list also.

2. Mr. Perfect Just like he always said himself, Curt Hennig was "The perfect Intercontinental Champion". The guy had charisma just flowing out of him and a great look to go along with it. He had some of the greatest vignettes I can remember, throwing the long bomb to himself and running down the field to catch it in perfect stride, making basketball shots nothing but net with his back turned to the basket, and various other ridiculous athletic achievements. His Perfect Plex finisher is one of my favorite finishing moves to this day. He had excellent chemistry with former manager Bobby Heenan, maybe even the greatest wrestler/manager duo in WWF history. One of Vince's major regrets has to be not putting the WWF Championship on Mr. Perfect for at least one good solid reign.

Favorite Feud: Bret "Hitman" Hart

You know I'll be honest, I'm only picking this one by default because I don't really remember Perfect having too many major feuds for the IC Title. He won it in an 8-man tournament after The Ultimate Warrior relinquished it following WrestleMania VI. I'm sure there was a big buildup for his match with Bret Hart though, considering it happened at SummerSlam. But from his other matches for the title that I remember, he defended against the Bossman, Piper and Bulldog, but lost it to the Texas Tornado at SummerSlam '90. There was no buildup to that though, because it was put together last minute after his scheduled opponent Brutus Beefcake suffered that parasailing accident.

Favorite Match: SummerSlam '91 vs. Bret "Hitman" Hart

This was such a great match from start to finish. Watching it now or then, you would never know Hennig was wrestling with a back injury. Mr. Perfect was unbeatable for the longest time up until Kerry Von Erich beat him for the title at the previous SummerSlam, but after regaining it, he looked like he was right back on track. When Bret Hart locked on the Sharpshooter, I expected Perfect to get to the ropes. Like some of the babyfaces, he just didn't seem like the type that would ever lose by submission. To my surprise, the ref rang the bell and we had a new champion.

1. Bret "Hitman" Hart What an amazing career this guy had. When I count off what I believe are the top 10 wrestling matches in WWE history, Bret Hart is in at least 3, possibly 4 of them. After the Hart Foundation split up around 1990, Bret got his push as a singles competitor and won his first singles title in the afformentioned match against Mr. Perfect at SummerSlam '91. Eventually, Bret became the new face of the company after Hulk Hogan made less and less appearances and ultimately left for WCW.

Favorite Feud: "Rowdy" Roddy Piper

The promo between these 2 before their match is easily one of the best I've ever seen or will ever see. Vince saw fit to take the IC Title from Bret in a match against The Mountie 2 days before the Royal Rumble just to be safe as they were in contract negotiations and his current one was about to expire. At the Rumble, Piper defeated The Mountie to win his first and only championship belt in his long WWF career. After Bret re-signed with WWF, he got right back into the title picture and even though it was a face vs. face contest, it got pretty ugly. Both men resorted to slapping eachother in the face. Piper nearly took the ring bell to Hart's head while the ref was knocked out, but decided against it. Shortly after, Piper had Hart in a waistlock. Bret maneuvered himself over to the corner and climbed the ropes with his feet, pushing himself backwards with all of his weight on top of Piper in a move I don't think I've ever seen again to this day. Bret became a 2-time IC Champ and Piper handed him the belt personally to congratulate him.

Favorite Match: SummerSlam '92 vs. British Bulldog

This wasn't just an epic match, but an epic storyline. How often does the IC Title match go last at a pay-per-view? Try never. But when 80,000 people packed Wembley Stadium to cheer on Davey Boy Smith, it was the perfect way to end the event. This was easily one of the greatest matches in wrestling history, just a technical masterpiece all the way. Diana Hart-Smith (Bret's sister and Davey Boy's wife) kept being shown in the crowd, not knowing who to cheer for, kind of mildly clapping for each. This is one of those matches you didn't want to see end, but at the same time the ending was perfect. Bret attempted a sunset flip and Smith sat down, pushing Bret's knees up to his own shoulders with all of his weight and getting the 3 count. The crowd went absolutely nuts as their hometown hero became the new champion. The brothers in law hugged and Diana came into the ring to raise each of their hands as the fireworks went off in the night sky.

Thanks for reading.

 

[jacdnwarrior]

Thanks for coming up with this type of forum. I think it's a great idea.

Who do you consider the 10 best Intercontinental Champions of all time? Why?

I loved the IC division. I remember when I started watching wrestling, the matches that always entertained me were the tag team and IC matches. I wish the people who were holding the IC and tag team belts were given the time and the storylines that the performers in the past are.

This is my personal opinion. I could really care less about any one else's but I'll be more than happy to explain my reasoning afterwards.

10.) Edge

He was a star. It's a shame that it took so much time for him to be noticed and that he had to literally kill himself (and shortened his career) just to get a shot at becoming a proven single's star and a potential main eventer. His matches with Test and Christian were quite good.

Favourite match: Christian vs. Edge

Seeing two former partners fighting in an anything goes ladder match for the IC strap was really cool. What made it so good was the fact that for once we had two former tag team partners who could actually do some great storytelling in the ring.

Favourite feud: Edge vs. Christian

These two really didn't disappoint in the ring or on the mike. They were probably one of the major feuds that made the whole invasion angle worth watching.

9.) Mr. Perfect

A main event talent with a midcard title. Hennig was solid in the mike and a master in the ring. He was the arrogant heel who just did everything so effortlessly including giving great matches.

Favourite match: Perfect vs. Bret Hart

Seeing two great mat workers in the ring. Two second generation wrestlers at SSlam, the rise of Bret Hart as a single competitor.

Favourite feud: Tornado vs. Perfect, Tito Santana vs. Perfect

Tito is often overlooked as a performer. The battle these two had for the IC strap was a solid effort and every time these two get together you were never let down.

Tornado vs. Perfect was fun to see, because once again it featured two second generation performers, and while Von Erich wasn't great his title win was fun for me to watch.

8.) Shelton Benjamin

A phenomenal performer with amazing agility and great on the mat. He isn't much on the mike but he was a solid performer. Not to mention being he was the longest reigning black IC champ, and had the longest reign in the 00s (or one of them) I thought it would be cool to have him on.

Favourite match: Benjamin vs. Jericho

The two really worked very well together at Cyber Sunday. Jericho brought the entertainment and the ring ability and Benjamin brought in his matwork. This match shows that Benjamin could do great things in the ring.

Favourite feud: Benjamin vs. Carlito

Carlito was a true heel who could have been a lot more. He was very funny and with his Cabana he was the closest thing to Piper's Pit. He could work in the ring and he had a flair for storytelling.

7. The Honky Tonk Man

He's my least favourite IC champ, tbh. He is the longest reigning IC champ, I get that. To me he is the worst worker, I've ever seen to hold that title. I thought his Elvis impersonation was a gimmick that went on to long. I almost considered leaving him off my list, but I do remember him as a champ and his reign so it would be impossible to say his reign had no influence on me.

Favourite Match: Randy Savage vs Honky Tonk Man

The match is great because of the way it built incredible heat on HTM, the Hart Foundation and the forming of the Mega Powers.

Favourite Feud: Randy Savage vs Honky Tonk Man

See above for the reason.

6. Chris Benoit

He was one the best technically sound performers, I've ever seen. He could work the mat and added devastating aerial moves into his arsenal. His major attribute was his in ring work and storytelling and it more than made up for his less than stellar mike work.

Favourite match: triple threat Jericho vs. Benoit vs. Angle and Jericho vs. Benoit

The two matches featured great storytelling and tremendous performers. Jericho vs. Benoit would always deliver. Together they just had remarkable matches. Angle vs. Benoit was the same thing. Put Benoit in the mix and he'll never disappoint you.

Favourite feud: Jericho vs. Benoit


5. Chris Jericho

A stunning performe and the record holder with 9 title reigns, it's hard to have him off the list. He was magic on the mike and incredible in the ring. He's just the all around performer and he was a great heel.

Favourite match: Jericho vs Benoit vs. Angle at WM 2000

Two dungeon graduates working their asses off, they always put on stunning matches and never disappointed add to the mix Angle and you just see three main event talents delivering a showcase that couldn't miss.

Favourite feud: Benoit vs. Jericho

Watching these go back and forth was great to watch. They could do aerial moves and matwork. They were two consumate storytellers who left you on the edge of your seat.

4. The Rock

Into the attitude era, a man know as the Rock emerged and became a star that few every saw in the business. It started with a heel turn and his leading the Nation of Domination vs. DX made for a great showcase between two great factions and led us to see what the future had in store for WWE fans.

Favourite match: Triple H vs. The Rock ladder match at SSlam
Favourite feud: The Rock vs. Triple H

3. Bret Hart

Technically sound, took on all comers and tough as nails. He was the one who helped to continue storytelling in the IC division.

Favourite feud: Bret Hart vs. HBK
The high flier vs. the ground attack. Flash vs. true grit. These two clearly showed what was yet to come and no matter how one might feel about either man, the two of these performers could deliver great matches against each other.

Favourite match: Bret Hart vs British Bulldog at SSlam

The drama was a little forced but the two performers worked a real great match in the home country of Davey Boy Smith. It showed how great a performer both were, and it displayed the true great matwork of Davey Boy who is often remembered for his power when he truly was a great performer in the ring.

2. Tito Santana

One of the earliest two time IC champs, Santana is often forgotten. Those who were fortunate to see him as the IC champ were treated to some of the best matches that could be seen on the WWF card. He delivered the emotion that many performers just can't do these days. What's really disappointing is the fact that he's remembered for Strike Force and El Matador runs and not for the great IC champ he was. If he's even remembered at all.

Favourite match: Santana vs. Greg Valentine cage match

It was a match that would settle everything. After losing his IC strap to Valentine, and being injured by Valentine's dreaded figure four, Santana added the figure four to his arsenal and challenged the new IC champ Greg Valentine in a cage match. Valentine is another performer who never gets his due as a performer in the ring.

Favourite feud: Santana vs. Randy Savage

I loved the Santana/Valentine feud but it was the Santana vs. Savage feud that absolutely captured my love for the IC division and the midcard performers. They were the ones who had the arena audience rocking. Two great storytellers. A great heel who good do it on the mat and added aerial maneuvers to his repertoire. He was flashy with the sunglasses and the robes and had the lovely Elizabeth on his arm.


1. Randy Savage

He only had one reign, but it was an action packed one. He never forfeit the belt, he faced all comers. He became one of the first performers to bring in aerial moves and combine mat work. He wasn't the biggest guy but he was one of the most dedicated and well rounded in ring workers the business had ever seen.

Favourite match: Ricky Steamboat vs. Randy Savage WM3

Ridiculously choreographed, rehearsed to no end, thought out meticulously, but it was worth it. Oh man it was so worth it. The match stands the test of time and no matter how much I try to, I just can't watch any match that comes afterward, without comparing it to this match. It is the standard to me that very few matches can touch.

Favourite feud: Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat and Randy Savage vs. George "the Animal' Steele

The first feud is easy enough to understand. The second feud, I loved because it had two polar opposites. A refined wrestler vs. a completely unorthodox wrestler. A heel who was despised vs. a lovable goof who seemed to be dumb but on an occasion could prove to be smarter than every one in the room. They drove audiences's in arena's and on tvs across the country. The two perfomers did a great job of keeping the fan interest and doing storytelling within the ring.

Man, that took me forever to put this up. I'm gonna take a nap now. Later.