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WWE: 5 Intercontinental Title feuds to watch while socially isolating

By Bruce Lee Hazelwood

Hall of Fame inductee Shawn Michaels attends the WWE 2011 Hall Of Fame Induction at Phillips Arena on April 2, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by George Napolitano/FilmMagic)
Hall of Fame inductee Shawn Michaels attends the WWE 2011 Hall Of Fame Induction at Phillips Arena on April 2, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by George Napolitano/FilmMagic) /
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Ultimate Warrior vs. “Ravishing” Rick Rude (Jan. 15, 1989-Aug. 28, 1989)

This is definitely the feud from my selections where the in-ring work really doesn’t come into play. It’s all about that story, baybee!

As you can see from the video above, narcissistic ladies-man Rude was so aghast that fans could think Ultimate Warrior had a better physique than him that he attacked him from behind and used a metal bar to choke him out. Now THAT’S how you start a feud!

As long as I can understand why/how a heel justifies their heel behavior, I’m fine, and we can all see how Rude would want to beat this man after that showing since he believed himself to be the greatest creation ever made.

This led to their match at WrestleMania V, where Bobby “The Brain” Heenan showed once again why he’s the greatest manager in pro wrestling history.

(Seriously, just watch Heenan throughout these matches and segments.)

Let’s not forget who we’re discussing here, too: Rick Rude, the man known for using his tights to gain a psychological edge over his opponents! This feud was no different as on multiple occasions, Rude’s tights had images of Warrior or the IC Championship (including while he was the champ!).

One of the benefits of rewatching any of Rude’s feuds is just how much of a story he tells through his tights. The late, great Rude was well ahead of his time.

Their final match occurred at SummerSlam, where Warrior regained the championship after interference from the “Rowdy” one, Roddy Piper. Piper mooned Rude, incensing Rude so much he forgot about his opponent, subsequently suffering a Gorilla press slam and a big splash to lose the Intercontinental Championship.

When a story is done right in wrestling, the fan reaction you hear in that video is the payoff.

Full disclosure: being born in 1988, Warrior was my favorite wrestler until I was about six or seven. It’s easy to see now how limited he was in the ring, but the late Warrior had an undeniable charisma and infectious enthusiasm.

Rewatch the feud. Get lost in the storytelling. Revel in the payoff.

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