10 Wrestlers You Completely Forgot Won The WWE Intercontinental Championship
The WWE Intercontinental Championship is traditionally seen as the workhorse title, but there have been several former Intercontinental Champions that fans have forgotten have held the prestigious title!
The WWE Intercontinental Championship has been in operation since 1979 and WWE Hall of Famer Pat Patterson was the inaugural Intercontinental Champion. The title has been viewed as a workhorse championship, and it has been touted as a stepping stone to becoming a future World Champion. The likes of Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, The Rock, and Steve Austin had multiple reigns as Intercontinental Champions before securing their first World Championships.
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Unfortunately, the Intercontinental Championship wasn't at its best in the 2010s with the title not being viewed as prestigious as it should have been. Gunther has brought some prestige back to the Intercontinental Championship and he has been involved in some memorable Intercontinental Championship matches. Moreover, whilst the likes of Razor Ramon and Chris Jericho are remembered for holding the Intercontinental Championship, there have been various wrestlers in different eras that fans have forgotten to hold the Intercontinental Championship.
10 Curtis Axel
Curtis Axel is a third-generation wrestler as he is the son of Mr. Perfect and the grandson of Larry "The Axe" Hennig. Axel made history at Payback 2013 when he defeated The Miz and Wade Barrett to become the new Intercontinental Champion. With the victory, Axel ensured that he and his late father were the first father and son duo to win the Intercontinental Championship.
Axel was also managed by Paul Heyman, and wrestlers who are managed by Heyman, usually go on to have a successful WWE career. Unfortunately, their partnership didn't click, and despite holding the Intercontinental Championship for 155 days it's easy to forget that he won the Intercontinental Championship.
9 Marty Jannetty
Marty Jannetty and his former tag team partner Shawn Michaels' alliance as the Rockers came to a crashing halt in early 1992 when the Heartbreak Kid betrayed Jannetty. A year later, they were at loggerheads over the Intercontinental Championship and Jannetty failed to beat Michaels for the gold at the 1993 Royal Rumble.
A few months later on an episode of Raw, Jannetty ended the Heartbreak Kid's first Intercontinental Championship reign. Jannetty only held the title for a month as he dropped the championship back to Michaels with his title reign proving to be a forgettable one.
8 Billy Gunn
Unquestionably, Billy Gunn is a tag team specialist with multiple runs as a Tag Team Champion with the likes of Bart Gunn, Road Dogg, and Chuck. However, Billy went solo in 2000 when he returned from shoulder surgery which ruled him out for the majority of the year. Billy had a new gimmick and he was called "The One" Billy Gunn, and he dethroned Eddie Guerrero for the Intercontinental Championship.
Billy feuded with Eddie as he was displeased with how Eddie treated his former DX stablemate, Chyna. Nevertheless, Billy's Intercontinental Championship reign wasn't a good one and his title reign ended a month later at Armageddon.
7 Road Dogg
Just like his former tag team partner Billy Gunn, Road Dogg is fondly remembered for his tag team exploits as a member of the New Age Outlaws. However, in early 1999, Dogg and Billy had brief solo runs and they both managed to clinch some silverware. On the March 15, 1999, edition of Raw, Dogg beat Val Venis for the Intercontinental Championship.
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The Intercontinental Championship has proved to be the biggest singles title that Dogg has won throughout his WWE career. He successfully defended the title in a fatal-4-way elimination match at WrestleMania 15, but 24 hours later, his two-week stint as Intercontinental Champion was curtailed by Goldust.
6 Test
Test's WWE career was a successful one but it could have been even more successful if he managed to become a main eventer but that push never came after his involvement with Stephanie McMahon and Triple H in late 1999. Nevertheless, Test clinched several singles championships throughout his WWE career, and the Intercontinental Championship was the biggest one he managed to win.
Test cheated to see off Edge for the Intercontinental Championship and he became a double champion as he was the co-holder of the WWE World Tag Team Championship alongside Booker T. Furthermore, Test's Intercontinental Championship run lasted under two weeks as he lost to Edge in a title unification at Survivor Series 2001.
5 Albert
One of the most surprising Intercontinental Champions in WWE history is Albert. Albert upset Kane on an episode of SmackDown in June 2001 to clinch the Intercontinental Championship, which was the only championship that he held in his WWE career.
Albert didn't do anything noteworthy as Intercontinental Champion, and a month later, Lance Storm defeated him for the Intercontinental Championship. Nevertheless, Albert is the head trainer at the Performance Center where he is helping to shape up the future talent in WWE.
4 The Godfather
The Godfather's gimmick was one of the most popular gimmicks in the Attitude Era, but it was a shock when he curtailed Goldust's Intercontinental Championship reign in April 1999. Godfather wasn't the best of in-ring performers, but the WWE Hall of Famer got his hands on the Intercontinental Championship.
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His Intercontinental Title reign wasn't good and he dropped the title a month later to Jeff Jarrett. Hardly anyone remembers his time as Intercontinental Champion but his gimmick as a Ladies' man was memorable.
3 Dean Douglas
The shortest-reigning Intercontinental Champion in WWE history is Dean Douglas. Douglas was scheduled to challenge Shawn Michaels for the Intercontinental Championship but Michaels was attacked in a nightclub in Syracuse, New York. Michaels vacated the title and Douglas was awarded the Intercontinental Championship.
Douglas' Intercontinental Championship reign wasn't long for this world as he defended the title against Razor Ramon at In Your House: Great White North. The Bad Guy pulled double as he failed to win the WWE World Tag Team Championship but he made amends as he became the first-ever four-time Intercontinental Champion in WWE history, and Douglas' WWE career never recovered from this humiliating moment.
2 The Mountie
Jacques Rougeau became a singles competitor after his brother Raymond retired from professional wrestling in 1990. Rougeau was repackaged as The Mountie and he had Jimmy Hart as his manager. On January 17, 1992, at a live event, The Mountie upset Bret Hart for the Intercontinental Championship.
The Mountie was a transitional champion as he dropped the Intercontinental Championship to "Rowdy" Roddy Piper two days later at the 1992 Royal Rumble. The Mountie's Intercontinental Championship reign isn't remembered, but he had a successful WWE career with three WWE World Tag Team Championship runs as a member of The Quebecers.
1 Ezekiel Jackson
Ezekiel Jackson was originally hired as the bodyguard of "The" Brian Kendrick but once their alliance dissolved, Jackson stunned Christian on the final episode of ECW to become the final ECW Champion. A year later, Jackson was a member of the Corre alongside Wade Barrett, Heath Slater, and Justin Gabriel. Barrett was the Intercontinental Champion and Gabriel and Slater were WWE Tag Team Champions.
Cracks began to show between Jackson and Barrett, and Jackson left the Corre and he defeated Barrett for the Intercontinental Championship at Capitol Punishment 2011. His Intercontinental Championship reign was underwhelming, and he dropped the title to Cody Rhodes, two months later which proved to be a right call.