WWE: Top 10 greatest Intercontinental Champions of all-time

9. The Ultimate Warrior

This may or may not be a popular choice, but The Ultimate Warrior was a crucial champion in the title’s history. While he was far from a workhorse, he elevated the Intercontinental Championship to the point of feeling as important as the WWE Title.

That was proven when The Ultimate Warrior found himself in the main event of WrestleMania VI with Hulk Hogan for both the WWE and Intercontinental Titles.

That was just one of The Ultimate Warrior’s well-known Intercontinental Championship matches. The other, of course, was his domination of The Honky Tonk Man, whose record-setting reign had made him one of the most hated men in all of professional wrestling.

The Ultimate Warrior was the babyface who ended that reign of tyranny, and so his ascension to face-of-the-company status officially began.

The obvious detraction here is that Warrior wasn’t the master technician that many others on this list proved to be. Another would be that he dropped the Intercontinental Championship after winning the WWE Title at WrestleMania VI, perhaps devaluing it in the eyes of critics.

The reality is, however, that the Intercontinental Title is meant to be a notch below the World Championship—and Warrior closed the gap.

Furthermore, his limitations in the ring weren’t enough to overshadow the power of his character. He had incredible matches over the years, including his remarkable rivalry with Rick Rude over the Intercontinental Title. It was simple execution, but he knew how to fit The Ultimate Warrior into the story of a match.

Limitations acknowledged, The Ultimate Warrior helped make the Intercontinental Championship feel even more meaningful than it already was.