Over the course of 6 hours, the WWE celebrated 40 years of the Intercontinental Championship. Zack Ryder was the host and yes, I watched all 6 hours plus. 20 Matches that Defined the Intercontinental Title in no particular order according to WWE. 

Today, I’m going to play a little game called KEEP IT or REPLACE IT.  If I decide to remove a match from the list, I must replace it by adding a new match to the list. 

• Randy Orton vs Edge - Vengeance 2004 - KEEP IT 

  • Edge had returned after one-year on the shelf. He made it his mission to destroy Evolution starting with Randy. This lead to a very technically sound match with Edge claiming his 5th reign. 

• Ricky the Dragon Steamboat vs Randy Savage - Wrestlemania 3 - DUH - KEEP IT 

  • A masterclass of storytelling that was meticulously scripted move by move, second by second. While Andre vs Hogan headlined the show, this was the people’s main event. It was a fast-paced match full of many near falls that stole the show and has been hailed as one of the greatest matches in Wrestlemania history.

• Dolph Ziggler vs The Miz  - WWE No Mercy 2016 - KEEP IT 

  • Title vs. Career. If Ziggler lost, he would have been forced to retire. High drama on this one with the Spirit Squad and Maryse being ejected while Ziggler won in dramatic fashion after landing the Superkick.

• Shawn Michaels vs Jeff Jarrett (In Your House 2) - KEEP IT 

  • The best match of Jeff Jarrett’s career and one of Shawn Michaels’ most underappreciated.  Roadie accidentally tripped Jarrett. Jarrett got back up only to walk into Michaels's Superkick. 

  • Following this match, the Roadie and Jarrett parted ways. 

• Shelton Benjamin vs Rob Van Dam - Backlash 2006 - KEEP IT 

  • Benjamin challenged RVD to put his briefcase on the line in a match but that meant  Benjamin would put his own title up on the line. The result? A really fun match displaying both of their sheet athleticism and creativity. 

• Bret Hart vs Mr. Perfect (SummerSlam 1991) - KEEP IT 

  • Bret Hart defeated Mr. Perfect for the Intercontinental Championship in my all-time favourite match between the two. In reality, Mr. Perfect was suffering from a back injury but cared enough about putting Bret over to go out and put on an instant classic.

• Bret Hart vs Shawn Michaels (Ladder match July 1992  Prime Time Wrestling) - KEEP IT 

  • Highly influential. The match was taped but never aired. It wasn’t until Wrestlemania 10 where the second ladder match took place. We’ll get to that momentarily.  

• Bret Hart vs The British Bulldog (SummerSlam 1992) - KEEP IT 

  • In one of the greatest main events in SummerSlam history, The British Bulldog defeated Bret Hart to capture the Intercontinental Championship in front of 80,000 fellow countrymen. The first time the IC Title headlined a card on a grand stage. This was undoubtedly the match that propelled Bret Hart to main event status 

• Umaga vs Jeff Hardy -  (Great American Bash 2007) REPLACE IT 

  • Umaga retained 

  • REPLACE IT Shawn Michaels vs Razor Ramon – SummerSlam 1995. While many tend to highlight their Wrestlemania 10 match, this rematch was nearly as good. It’s worth re-watching just to witness Shawn get angry following the botched finish.  

• Ultimate Warrior vs Rick Rude (SummerSlam 1989) KEEP IT 

  • Tony Schiavone on commentary was incredible 

  • Piper distracts Rick Rude - Warrior takes advantage and wins. Not necessarily a compelling story, but the significance of this victory is not lost here. 

• Roman Reigns vs Samoa Joe (Jan 1, 2018, Monday Night Raw) REPLACE IT

  • The match was perfectly fine and both men work well together, but there’s really nothing significant about this match-up. 

  • REPLACE IT with another Raw match. Shawn Michaels vs Marty Jannetty from Monday Night Raw  May 17th, 1993. Perfect would make an appearance to help Jannetty capture the Intercontinental Championship.

• The Miz vs Rollins vs Finn Balor (Wrestlemania 34) - KEEP IT 

  • One of the better matches to kick off a Wrestlemania card. Especially in recent memory

• Rey Mysterio vs Dolph Ziggler (SummerSlam 2009) - REPLACE IT 

  • REPLACE with Chris Jericho vs Rey Mysterio – The Bash 2009. A better match featuring Mysterio. If you recall, Jericho had ripped Rey’s mask off Just a couple weeks after Jericho made things personal between him and Rey Mysterio by taking his mask and his Intercontinental Title, Mysterio would invoke his rematch clause to take place at The Bash.

• Dolph Ziggler vs Seth Rollins (SummerSlam 2018) KEEP IT 

  • With a returning Dean Ambrose in one corner and the Scottish Psychopath Drew McIntyre in the other, this was a very compelling matchup. Seth Rollins ultimately defeated Dolph with the Curb Stomp to claim his second IC championship 

• 7-Man Ladder Match at Wrestlemania 31 - KEEP IT 

  • I loved this match and felt it was an incredible way to kick off one of my favourite Wrestlemania’s to date. 

  • Daniel Bryan defeated Bad News Barrett (c), Dean Ambrose, Dolph Ziggler, Stardust, Luke Harper and R-Truth

• Razor Ramon vs Shawn Michaels - (Wrestlemania 10) - KEEP IT 

  • One of the greatest matches in Wrestlemania history. Period. End of story!  

• The Rock vs HHH (SummerSlam 1998) - KEEP IT 

  • Triple H defeated the Rock at a ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship at MSG. This was a real breakthrough moment for Triple H that proved he could be a top star for years to come. As for the Rock, he was already on his historic rise to stardom.  

• Christian vs Edge (No Mercy 2001 - Ladder Match) - REPLACE IT) 

  • These two were ladder match innovators and at the time, still advertised as brothers. Edge famously delivered the Con-Chair-To – from the top of a ladder to Christian. 

  • REPLACE with Seth Rollins vs The Miz – Backlash 2018. Great chemistry between these two. There were several times where it looked like Miz would win his title back, but alas, after transitioning a roll-up into a Curb Stomp, Rollins retained.

• Luke Harper vs Dolph Ziggler (TLC 2014) REPLACE IT 

  • REPLACE IT with Randy Orton Vs Cactus Jack (Backlash 2004 - No Hold Barred) In my humble opinion, this brutal match really legitimized Randy Orton as a future main eventer. 

• 7-Man Ladder Match (Wrestlemania 32) - REPLACE IT 

  • REPLACE IT with Roddy Piper vs Bret Hart – WrestleMania 8. This match gets often overlooked as one of the all-time classics. Up until this point, Roddy Piper has never been pinned and Bret was the first to keep him down for the 1,2,3. 

Overall,  I replaced 6 matches out of 20, so that’s not bad at all. Overall, a very solid list. Keep in mind, these lists are subjective and even in the case of replacements, it’s simply my opinion as a fan.