For decades, professional wrestling fans have debated the merits of becoming the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Outside of the main event, one could argue this title means more than any other accolade in the industry. The problem is, like most hypothetical sports/entertainment questions, there’s no quantitative measure to it.
What it means to be Intercontinental Champion can’t be defined in black and white….which is exactly what I mean to do over the course of this article. #logic
The Intercontinental title started gaining prestige in the 80’s & early 90’s as an accomplishment equal to the then-WWF’s Heavyweight Championship. If you’ve ever studied business, you’ve likely heard the saying “You don’t sell the steak. You sell the sizzle.”
The steak is the true substance of the deal, though the sizzle is what draws you in.
The Intercontinental Championship was the steak to the WWF World Championship’s sizzle. Some pundits would claim that the WWF Title was given to the company’s biggest draw, while the Intercontinental Title was given to the company’s best wrestler.
If you look back through the record books, this idea certainly holds water.
For every Hulk Hogan, there was a Mr. Perfect. For every Yokozuna, there was a Razor Ramon. For every Diesel, there was a Jeff Jarrett. For every John Cena, there was a Shelton Benjamin.
But, if the Intercontinental Championship is meant to be a second World Title, why is it so rare that the two most famous wrestlers hold the belts at the same time? If they’re equal, why wasn’t Andre The Giant the Intercontinental Champion whilst feuding with Hulk Hogan? Why didn’t Shawn Michaels have the Intercontinental Championship when he challenged Bret Hart at WrestleMania XII?
Enter the “stepping stone” theory.
The biggest x-factor involved in holding the Intercontinental Championship is the chance a wrestler is given to shine as a future World Championship contender.
It’s almost as if the company is handing them the keys to the main event. At this level, performers are groomed to become building blocks for the industry’s future.
This was certainly the case for several of the all-time greats, such as Randy Savage, Shawn Michaels, The Rock, and Randy Orton.
However, another complication in defining what exactly being Intercontinental Champion means is the fact that you just don’t know it right away. It’s not something you can measure in the moment, but more as time passes, you see where that champion progresses.
So, essentially, we’ve arrived at another question: Do you know the good ol’ days when you’re in ’em? Or do you not realize they were the good ol’ days until you’re out of ’em?
Still, I think there are clues that allow us to successfully predict who will last, who won’t, who is seen as the best wrestler in the company, and who is seen as the next prodigy.
All Intercontinental Champions fall into two categories:
1. Stars who make the title – i.e. the Savages, Michaels, Ultimate Warriors, Bret Harts, & Chris Jerichos of the world. These are the individuals who successfully transcend to the next level, proving that as Intercontinental Champion, you stand a legitimate chance of being the next headliner.
2. Stars who the title made – i.e. the Razor Ramons, Mr. Perfects, Honky Tonk Man, & Kofi Kingstons of the industry. These are the guys who didn’t/haven’t won a World Championship, but have definitely found their time in the spotlight (and made damn good careers, mind you) battling over this prize, and distinctly raising the level of competition in the division.
This isn’t a bad thing either – Razor Ramon, Mr. Perfect, & “Rowdy” Roddy Piper are all considered three of the greatest of all-time, and are in the WWE Hall of Fame, though the Intercontinental Championship was the pinnacle (as far as titles go) of their careers.
So, when considering this, here’s what it all boils down to:
Prestige = how a champion is featured vs. how a champion is remembered.
How a superstar is featured when he (or she – lest we forget Chyna) holds the title is paramount. A good Intercontinental Champion will have a prominent role on the roster and show card, be given decent amounts of time to perform, and will have great stories to tell in the ring with great talent to work with. Think of exactly what The Miz is doing with the title now.
Essentially, the Intercontinental Champion is an investment.
But, even with all of that intact, if a champion doesn’t progress towards a main event spot, or worse, falls further down the card, none of it will matter. Here’s looking at you, “Wildman” Marc Mero.
That being said, I’d still rather the WWE try and fail with emerging talent than force the title on ‘placeholder’ champions….the guys who don’t need the title to elevate them, but also don’t add much value to the competition for it. No one will remember the runs Kane, Big Show, and CM Punk had as Intercontinental Champion…and to me, that’s almost as bad as giving the title to Albert or Dean Douglas.
Bottom line – the Intercontinental Champion must be able to entertain at a high level, and the Intercontinental Championship itself must add something to the overall show that is the WWE.
Stoney Keeley is the editor of the SoBros Network, Tennessee Titans Featured Analyst for Pro Football Spot, and covers the WWE for WrestlingNews.co. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley,@PFSpot, @WrestlingNewsCo
Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork
