View source for WWE Intercontinental Championship

{{short description|Men's professional wrestling championship}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2017}}
{{confused|WWE Women's Intercontinental Championship}}
{{Infobox pro wrestling championship
|name          = WWE Intercontinental Championship
|image         = WWE Intercontinental Championship 2024.png
|caption       = The current WWE Intercontinental Championship belt with default side plates<br>(2024–present)
|currentholder = [[John Cena]]
|won           = November 10, 2025
|aired         = <!-- The date the title change aired if different from "won" as some promotions officially recognize the air date for the start of a reign and not the date the match actually took place. -->
|vacated   = <!--If the title is vacated, leave "currentholder" and "won" blank and put the vacation date here. The infobox will automatically format the rest.--> 
|created       = September 1, 1979
|promotion     = [[WWE]]
|brand         = [[Raw (WWE brand)|Raw]]
|mostreigns    = [[Chris Jericho]]<br>(9 reigns)
|firstchamp    = [[Pat Patterson (wrestler)|Pat Patterson]]
|longestreign = [[Gunther (wrestler)|Gunther]]<br>(666 days)
|shortestreign = [[Shane Douglas|Dean Douglas]]<br>(14 minutes)
|oldest        = [[Ric Flair]]<br>({{age in years and days |1949|02|25|2005|09|18}})
|youngest      = [[Jeff Hardy]]<br>({{age in years and days|1977|08|31|2001|04|10}})
|heaviest      = [[Big Show]]<br>({{convert|441|lb|kg|abbr=on}})
|lightest      = [[Rey Mysterio]]<br>({{convert|175|lb|kg|abbr=on}})
|pastnames     = 
* WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship<br>(1979–1988)
* WWF Intercontinental Championship<br>(1988–2002) 
* '''WWE Intercontinental Championship'''<br>(2002, 2003–present)
}}
The '''WWE Intercontinental Championship''' is a men's [[professional wrestling]] [[Professional wrestling championship#Location-specific championships|championship]] created and promoted by the [[United States|American]] [[professional wrestling promotion|promotion]] [[WWE]], defended on the [[Raw (WWE brand)|Raw]] [[WWE brand extension|brand division]]. It is one of two secondary championships for WWE's main roster, along with the [[WWE United States Championship]] on [[SmackDown (WWE brand)|SmackDown]]. The current champion is [[John Cena]], who is in his first reign. He won the title by defeating [[Dominik Mysterio]] on the November 10, 2025, episode of ''[[WWE Raw|Raw]]''.

The championship was established by the then-[[History of WWE#World Wrestling Federation|World Wrestling Federation]] (WWF) on September 1, 1979, as a result of the [[WWF North American Heavyweight Championship]] being [[Championship unification|unified]] with an apocryphal South American Heavyweight Championship,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Brookhouse|first=Brent|date=December 2, 2020|title=WWE legend Pat Patterson, first intercontinental champion and creative force, dead at 79|url=https://www.cbssports.com/wwe/news/wwe-legend-pat-patterson-first-intercontinental-champion-and-creative-force-dead-at-79/|access-date=February 2, 2022|work=[[CBSSports]]}}</ref> with [[Pat Patterson (wrestler)|Pat Patterson]] as the inaugural champion. It is the third-oldest championship currently active in WWE, behind the [[WWE Championship]] (1963) and United States Championship (1975), but the second-longest tenured championship, as WWE has only owned the U.S. championship since 2001. Although generally contested in the [[Card (sports)#Midcard|midcard]] at WWE shows, it has been defended in the main event of pay-per-views including [[WrestleMania VI]], [[SummerSlam (1992)|SummerSlam in 1992]], the [[In Your House 3|third]] and [[In Your House 8: Beware of Dog|eighth]] [[In Your House]] shows, [[Backlash (2001)|Backlash in 2001]], and at [[Extreme Rules (2018)|Extreme Rules in 2018]]. It has been called a "stepping stone" to a WWE world championship.<ref>{{cite web|last=Powers|first=Kevin|title=10 great streaks that came to an end|url=https://www.wwe.com/classics/classic-lists/10-great-streaks-that-came-to-an-end/page-4|publisher=[[WWE]]|date=March 21, 2012|access-date=September 9, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=McNamara|first=Andy|title=Intercontinental title DVD a decent collection|url=https://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/2008/11/17/pf-7547736.html|work=SLAM! Sports: Wrestling|publisher=[[Canoe.ca|Canadian Online Explorer]]|date=November 17, 2008|access-date=September 9, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919045728/https://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/2008/11/17/pf-7547736.html|archive-date=September 19, 2016}}</ref>

In November 2001, the then-[[World Championship Wrestling|WCW]] United States Championship was unified into the Intercontinental Championship. In 2002, after the introduction of the first [[WWE brand extension|brand split]], it became exclusive to Raw and the WWF was [[History of WWE#World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE|renamed WWE]]. Later that year, the [[WWE European Championship|European]] and [[WWE Hardcore Championship|Hardcore]] championships were unified into the Intercontinental Championship, which itself was unified into the [[World Heavyweight Championship (WWE, 2002–2013)|World Heavyweight Championship (original version)]]. The next year, it was reactivated for Raw, followed by the United States Championship's reactivation as a counterpart championship on SmackDown. The Intercontinental Championship has switched between brands over the years, usually as a result of the [[WWE Draft]]; the [[2023 WWE Draft|2023 draft]] moved the title back to Raw.

== Etymology ==
The term "intercontinental" in the title originally referred to [[North America|North]] and [[South America]].<ref name=Patterson/> In 1985, the championship belt design changed, the centerplate now centered on the [[Atlantic Ocean]], in a map including western [[Africa]] and [[Europe]]. On April 7, 1989, the championship was first defended outside of North America, by [[Rick Rude]] against [[the Ultimate Warrior]] in [[Turin, Italy]].<ref>[https://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/89.htm 1989 WWF events, from TheHistoryOfWWE.com]</ref> On March 30, 1991, [[Curt Hennig|Mr. Perfect]] made the first [[Asia]]n defense against [[Kerry Von Erich|The Texas Tornado]] at a WWF co-promotion with [[Super World of Sports]] in [[Tokyo, Japan]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wrestlingdata.com/index.php?befehl=titles&aufgabe=matches&titel=3&seite=87|title=Wrestlingdata.com - The World's Largest Wrestling Database|first=Axel|last=Saalbach}}</ref> It first came to Africa on April 6, 1997, when champion [[Dwayne Johnson|Rocky Maivia]] pinned [[Savio Vega]] in [[Durban, South Africa]].<ref>[https://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/97.htm 1997 WWF events, from TheHistoryOfWWE.com]</ref> [[Shelton Benjamin]] made the first [[Australia]]n defense on April 7, 2005, pinning [[Gene Snitsky]] in [[Brisbane]].<ref>[https://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/05.htm 2005 WWF events, from TheHistoryOfWWE.com]</ref>

== History ==
[[File:Patterson IC belt.jpg|left|thumb|upright|[[Pat Patterson]], inaugural Intercontinental Champion and [[WWE Hall of Fame]]r, shown here carrying the 2011–2019 design of the championship]]
[[WWF North American Heavyweight Champion]] [[Pat Patterson]] became the inaugural champion on September 1, 1979. It was said he had [[Championship unification|unified]] his title with the South American Heavyweight Championship, in a tournament in [[Rio de Janeiro]],<ref name=Patterson>{{cite web|url=https://www.wwe.com/inside/titlehistory/intercontinental/322358|work=[[WWE]]|title=Pat Patterson's first reign|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011020905/https://www.wwe.com/inside/titlehistory/intercontinental/322358|archive-date=October 11, 2007}}</ref> although both the tournament and South American Championship were entirely fictional.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wwe.com/classics/intercontinental-title-tournament-finally-uncovered-26102625|title=WWE Classics|work=[[WWE]]}}</ref><ref>[https://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/ic_belt.htm Intercontinental title history, from TheHistoryofWWE.com]</ref>

On April 1, 1990, at [[WrestleMania VI]], Intercontinental Champion [[the Ultimate Warrior]] defeated [[WWE Championship|WWF Champion]] [[Hulk Hogan]] to win the world title; so the Intercontinental Championship was [[Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Vacant|vacated]] for the first time soon after.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wwe.com/inside/titlehistory/intercontinental/322424|title=The Ultimate Warrior's second reign|access-date=April 16, 2007|work=[[WWE]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080709032612/https://www.wwe.com/inside/titlehistory/intercontinental/322424 |archive-date=July 9, 2008}}</ref> [[Curt Hennig|Mr. Perfect]] then won a tournament to crown a new Intercontinental Champion.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://100megsfree4.com/wiawrestling/pages/wwf/wwfsup.htm|title=''WWF Superstars'' results|access-date=April 16, 2007|work=Wrestling Information Archive|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013181848/http://100megsfree4.com/wiawrestling/pages/wwf/wwfsup.htm|archive-date=October 13, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wwe.com/inside/titlehistory/intercontinental/322428|title=Mr. Perfect's first reign|access-date=April 16, 2007|work=[[WWE]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070429135728/https://www.wwe.com/inside/titlehistory/intercontinental/322428|archive-date=April 29, 2007}}</ref>
[[File:Don Muraco WWF Intercontinental Championship 1981.png|right|thumb|150px|upright|[[Don Muraco]] has the fourth-longest combined reign of all time, shown here with the first design of the championship]]
On October 17, 1999, [[Chyna]] became the only woman to hold the Intercontinental Championship by defeating [[Jeff Jarrett]] at [[No Mercy (1999)|No Mercy]].<ref name=only299>Laurer, Joanie. ''If They Only Knew'', 299.</ref> Following the [[WWE#World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. (1999–2002)|World Wrestling Federation]]'s (WWF) purchase of [[World Championship Wrestling]] (WCW) in March 2001,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://corporate.wwe.com/news/2001/2001_03_23.jsp|title=WWE Entertainment, Inc. Acquires WCW from Turner Broadcasting|access-date=December 7, 2007|date=March 23, 2001|publisher=WWE Corporate|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140313012636/https://corporate.wwe.com/news/2001/2001_03_23.jsp|archive-date=March 13, 2014|df=mdy-all}}</ref> the title was [[Championship unification|unified]] with the [[WWE United States Championship|WCW United States Championship]] at [[Survivor Series (2001)|Survivor Series]], causing the United States Championship to become inactive. Then-United States Champion [[Edge (wrestler)|Edge]] defeated then-Intercontinental Champion [[Test (wrestler)|Test]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wwe.com/shows/survivorseries/history/2001/results/|title=Survivor Series 2001 results|access-date=December 7, 2007|work=[[WWE]]}}</ref>

In 2002, after the first [[WWE brand extension|brand split]] had begun and the WWF was renamed WWE, Raw general manager [[Eric Bischoff]] began unifying his brand's singles championships. On July 22, 2002, the Intercontinental Championship was [[Championship unification|unified]] with the [[WWE European Championship|European Championship]] in a [[ladder match]], in which then-Intercontinental Champion [[Rob Van Dam]] defeated then-European Champion [[Jeff Hardy]]. On August 19, 2002, Bischoff made a six-minute gauntlet match for the [[WWE Hardcore Championship|Hardcore Championship]], with the winner facing Van Dam in a second unification match the next week on ''[[WWE Raw|Raw]]''. [[Tommy Dreamer]] successfully retained his title in that match, and lost to Van Dam in a hardcore match the next week.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/raw/020722.html|title=WWE Raw – June 22, 2002 results|access-date=December 7, 2007|publisher=Online World of Wrestling}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/raw/020826.html|title=WWE Raw – August 26, 2002 results|access-date=December 7, 2007|publisher=Online World of Wrestling}}</ref> As a result of the victories over Hardy and Dreamer, Van Dam is regarded as the last European and Hardcore champion in WWE history; these were his first and fourth reigns with those respective titles.<ref name="RVD1">{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/superstars/wwealumni/rvd/bio/358594|title=Rob Van Dam's first reign|access-date=August 2, 2007|publisher=[[World Wrestling Entertainment]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102160834/http://www.wwe.com/superstars/wwealumni/rvd/bio/358594|archive-date=November 2, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/inside/titlehistory/euro/|title=WWE European Championship history|access-date=December 7, 2007|publisher=WWE}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/inside/titlehistory/hard/|title=WWE Hardcore Championship history|access-date=December 7, 2007|publisher=WWE.com}}</ref> On September 30, 2002, Bischoff scheduled a match to unify the Intercontinental Championship with the recently created Raw-exclusive [[World Heavyweight Championship (WWE, 2002–2013)|World Heavyweight Championship]]. The unification match took place at [[No Mercy (2002)|No Mercy]] the following month and saw then-World Heavyweight Champion [[Triple H]] defeat then-Intercontinental Champion [[Kane (wrestler)|Kane]], making him the Raw brand's sole male singles champion.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/nomercy/history/2002/results/|title=No Mercy 2002 results|access-date=December 7, 2007|publisher=WWE}}</ref>
[[File:Dolph Ziggler 2010 Tribute to the Troops.jpg|left|thumb|150px|upright|[[Dolph Ziggler]] is a six-time Intercontinental Champion]]
Over Bischoff's objections, Raw co-general manager [[Stone Cold Steve Austin]] reactivated the Intercontinental Championship on the May 5, 2003 episode of ''Raw'' and declared any former champion on the Raw roster eligible to enter a battle royal at [[Judgment Day (2003)|Judgment Day]] for the title. [[Christian Cage|Christian]] won the battle royal to win the championship and restore a secondary singles title for Raw wrestlers to compete for. Eventually, WWE did the same thing for SmackDown and created a separate set of titles for that brand; for its secondary title, SmackDown reactivated the [[WWE United States Championship|United States Championship]] that had been unified with the Intercontinental Championship in 2001, placing the WWE name on it while claiming the lineage of the old WCW title of the same name (much as they did with the [[WWE Cruiserweight Championship (1991–2007)|Cruiserweight Championship]] when that became WWE exclusive).

On May 31, 2015, the championship was contested in an [[Elimination Chamber]] match for the first time.<ref>{{cite web|last=Matthew|first=Artus|date=May 17, 2015|title=Ryback def. Dolph Ziggler, R-Truth, Mark Henry, Sheamus and King Barrett in an Intercontinental Championship Elimination Chamber Match|url=https://www.wwe.com/shows/eliminationchamber/2015/intercontinental-championship-elimination-chamber-match|work=[[WWE]]|access-date=May 31, 2015}}</ref>
[[File:WWE Imperium clash at the castle (cropped).jpg|right|thumb|upright|[[Gunther (wrestler)|Gunther]] has longest single and combined reign at 666 days]]
In July 2016, WWE reintroduced the brand split. During the [[2016 WWE draft|2016 draft]], then-Intercontinental Champion The Miz was drafted to SmackDown. Just days later, he successfully defended the title against Raw draftee [[Darren Young]] at [[Battleground (2016)|Battleground]], making the title exclusive to SmackDown. During the following year's [[2017 WWE Superstar Shake-up|Superstar Shake-up]], Intercontinental Champion [[Jon Moxley|Dean Ambrose]] was moved to the Raw brand, making the title exclusive to Raw. Two years later during the [[2019 WWE Superstar Shake-up]], Intercontinental Champion [[Finn Bálor]] moved to SmackDown, making the title exclusive back to SmackDown. Later that year, the [[NXT (WWE brand)|NXT]] brand, WWE's [[Farm team|developmental territory]], became WWE's third major brand when it was moved to the [[USA Network]] in September, thus making the [[NXT North American Championship]] a third secondary title in WWE.<ref>{{cite web|first=Larry|last=Csonka|date=May 10, 2016|url=https://www.411mania.com/wrestling/triple-h-discusses-nxt-as-a-third-brand-putting-talent-in-a-position-to-succeed-more/|title=Triple H Discusses NXT as a Third Brand, Putting Talent in a Position to Succeed, More|website=[[411Mania]]}}</ref> However, this recognition was reversed when NXT reverted to being WWE's developmental brand in September 2021.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Currier |first=Joseph |title=Preview and Predictions for 'NXT WarGames' |url=https://www.si.com/wrestling/2021/12/03/wwe-nxt-wargames-full-card-preview-predictions |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |date=December 3, 2021 |access-date=December 11, 2021}}</ref> In late 2024, the WWE introduced the  [[WWE Women's Intercontinental Championship|women's counterpart]] to the Intercontinental Championship.

==Belt design==
[[File:Razor Ramon IC Champ.jpg|right|thumb|upright|[[Razor Ramon]] in the midst of his second Intercontinental Championship reign in 1994. Shown here with the 1985–1998 design of the championship]]

The 1985 version of the Intercontinental Championship belt, designed by [[Reggie Parks]], consisted of a gold center plate featuring a blue globe, with the red WWF block logo on top which was later changed to gold. On the top ribbon of the belt it read "INTERCONTINENTAL" with the three stars on each side, while the bottom inscription read "HEAVYWEIGHT WRESTLING CHAMPION". The championship belt also had four identical side plates. Like the main WWF Championship, the strap could be changed to a custom color such as yellow worn by [[The Ultimate Warrior]] and blue worn by [[Shawn Michaels]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://slamwrestling.net/index.php/2021/10/08/reggie-parks-was-king-of-belts-for-a-reason/ | title=Reggie Parks was 'King of Belts' for a reason | date=October 8, 2021 }}</ref>

In 1997, after Stone Cold Steve Austin won the title, the Intercontinental Championship was redesigned after he threw the previous belt into a river. The belt originally had a purple strap and the WWF block logo, but was later redesigned again with a black strap and the WWF scratch logo. The center plate was oval shaped and featured an oval shaped world map with the company's logo in the center. On the top it had six faux diamonds and the inscription initially read "World Wrestling Federation" while the bottom had two texts reading "INTERCONTINENTAL" on the ribbon and "CHAMPION" on the bottom. Each of the four side plates represented the continents: the first plate contained the WWF logo and the text [[Antarctica]], the second plate read [[Europe]] and [[Africa]], while the third plate represented the [[Americas]] ([[North America]] and [[South America]]) and the fourth plate read [[Asia]] and [[Oceania|Australia]]. The belt's design was modified after the company's name change in 2002 from WWF to WWE, replacing the text with "World Wrestling Entertainment" accordingly.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.hxchector.com/wwf-attitude-era-intercontinental-championship-replica-review-figs-toy-co/ | title=WWF Attitude Era Intercontinental Championship Replica Review - Figs Toy Co | date=April 28, 2022 }}</ref>
[[File:Jericho 9th Intercontinental Championship.jpg|thumb|left|Record nine-time champion [[Chris Jericho]], shown here with the 1997–2011 design of the championship]]
On October 2, 2011, at [[Hell in a Cell (2011)|Hell in a Cell]], [[Cody Rhodes]] reintroduced a modified version of Parks' 1985–1997 championship belt design with the white strap, with the modern WWE "scratch logo" and other embellishments.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/hellinacell/2011/morrison-rhodes|last=Buridck|first=Michael|title=WWE "Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes def. John Morrison"|date=October 2, 2011|access-date=October 4, 2011}}</ref> On August 18, 2014, the Intercontinental Championship belt, along with all other existing championship belts in WWE at the time, received a minor update, replacing the longstanding scratch logo with WWE's current logo that was originally used for the [[WWE Network]] that launched earlier that year in February.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2014/biz/news/wwe-rebrands-with-new-logo-tied-to-digital-network-1201282987/|title=WWE Rebrands With New Logo Tied to Digital Network|date=August 15, 2014|last=Graser|first=Marc|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|access-date=April 16, 2024}}</ref>
[[File:Intercontinental Champion The Miz.jpg|right|thumb|upright| Eight-time Intercontinental Champion [[The Miz]] with the 2011–2019 design of the belt.]]
On the November 22, 2019, episode of ''SmackDown'', [[Sami Zayn]] presented a new belt design to champion [[Shinsuke Nakamura]]. The redesigned Intercontinental Championship returned to being on a black leather strap with an entirely new center plate with an irregular shape. The center portion of the center plate features an oval-shape. The top half of the oval says "Intercontinental" and the bottom half says "Champion"; the word "Heavyweight" sits in a banner on the inner side of the oval above the word "Champion". At the center of the oval is a diamond shape, representing a [[wrestling ring]] viewed from above, with the WWE logo over a globe. On the sides of the center, plate is two halves of the globe. The left side features the continents of North and South America as well as Africa and Europe, while the globe on the left shows Asia and Australia; both globes show a portion of Antarctica. The rest of the center plate is filled with ornamentation. Like all of WWE's other championships, the belt features two side plates with a removable center section that can be customized with the champion's logos; the default side plates consist of the WWE logo over a globe.<ref name="SmackDown11222019">{{cite web|last=Powell|first=Jason|title=11/22 WWE Friday Night Smackdown results: Powell's review of Daniel Bryan summons Bray Wyatt to the ring, Roman Reigns, Mustafa Ali, and Shorty G vs. King Corbin, Dolph Ziggler, and Robert Roode, the final push for WWE Survivor Series|url=https://prowrestling.net/site/2019/11/22/11-22-wwe-friday-night-smackdown-results-powells-review-of-daniel-bryan-summons-bray-wyatt-to-the-ring-roman-reigns-mustafa-ali-and-shorty-g-vs-king-corbin-dolph-ziggler-and-robert-roode-the/|work=Pro Wrestling Dot Net|date=November 22, 2019|access-date=November 23, 2019}}</ref> On the September 30, 2024, episode of ''Raw'', upon [[Jey Uso]] winning the championship from [[Bron Breakker]] the week prior, the championship received a minor update by adding blue on the globes on the centerplate.

== Brand designation history ==
Following the [[WWE brand extension|brand split]] on March 25, 2002, all titles in WWE became exclusive to either the Raw brand or SmackDown brand. The brand split was discontinued on August 29, 2011, and revived on July 19, 2016. The following is a list of dates indicating the transitions of the Intercontinental Championship between the Raw and SmackDown brands.

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size:85%; text-align:center; width:75%;"
|-
! Date of transition || Brand || Notes
|-
|March 25, 2002
|style="background-color:#fbb;"|[[Raw (WWE brand)|Raw]]
|WWF Intercontinental Champion [[Rob Van Dam]] was drafted to [[Raw (WWE brand)|Raw]] during the [[2002 WWF Draft]].<br>In May 2002, the WWF was renamed to WWE.<br>The [[WWE European Championship|European Championship]] was unified into the Intercontinental Championship on July 22.
|-
|July 30, 2002
|style="background-color:#bbf;"|[[SmackDown (WWE brand)|SmackDown!]]
|Intercontinental Champion [[Chris Benoit]] was moved to [[SmackDown (WWE brand)|SmackDown!]].
|-
|August 25, 2002
|style="background-color:#fbb;"|[[Raw (WWE brand)|Raw]]
|The Intercontinental Championship was returned to [[Raw (WWE brand)|Raw]] after [[Rob Van Dam]] defeated [[Chris Benoit]] to win back the title.<br>The [[WWE Hardcore Championship|Hardcore Championship]] was unified into the Intercontinental Championship on August 26.
|-
|October 20, 2002
|N/A
|At [[No Mercy (2002)|No Mercy]], [[Triple H]] defeated [[Kane (wrestler)|Kane]] to unify the Intercontinental Championship into the [[World Heavyweight Championship (WWE, 2002–2013)|World Heavyweight Championship]]. The Intercontinental Championship was subsequently deactivated.
|-
|May 5, 2003
|style="background-color:#fbb;"|[[Raw (WWE brand)|Raw]]
|Raw co-general manager [[Stone Cold Steve Austin]] reactivated the Intercontinental Championship.<br/>The [[WWE United States Championship|United States Championship]] was reactivated for [[SmackDown (WWE brand)|SmackDown!]] in July 2003 as the Intercontinental Championship's counterpart.
|-
|April 13, 2009
|style="background-color:#bbf;"|[[SmackDown (WWE brand)|SmackDown]]
|Intercontinental Champion [[Rey Mysterio]] was drafted to [[SmackDown (WWE brand)|SmackDown]] during the [[2009 WWE Draft]].
|-
|August 29, 2011
|N/A
|End of first brand split.<br/>The Intercontinental Champion could appear on both ''[[WWE Raw|Raw]]'' and ''[[WWE SmackDown|SmackDown]]''.
|-
|July 19, 2016
|style="background-color:#bbf;"|[[SmackDown (WWE brand)|SmackDown]]
|Reintroduction of the brand split.<br>Intercontinental Champion [[The Miz]] was drafted to [[SmackDown (WWE brand)|SmackDown]] during the [[2016 WWE Draft]].
|-
|April 10, 2017
|style="background-color:#fbb;"|[[Raw (WWE brand)|Raw]]
|Intercontinental Champion [[Jon Moxley|Dean Ambrose]] was moved to [[Raw (WWE brand)|Raw]] during the [[2017 WWE Superstar Shake-up]].
|-
|April 16, 2019
|style="background-color:#bbf;"|[[SmackDown (WWE brand)|SmackDown]]
|Intercontinental Champion [[Finn Bálor]] was moved to [[SmackDown (WWE brand)|SmackDown]] during the [[2019 WWE Superstar Shake-up]].
|-
|May 8, 2023
|style="background-color:#fbb;"|[[Raw (WWE brand)|Raw]]
|Intercontinental Champion [[Gunther (wrestler)|Gunther]] was drafted to [[Raw (WWE brand)|Raw]] during the [[2023 WWE Draft]].<!--
|--->
|}

==Tournaments==
===WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship Tournament (1990)===
The WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship Tournament was a tournament to decide a new WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion after previous champion [[The Ultimate Warrior|Ultimate Warrior]] was required to vacate the title after he defeated [[Hulk Hogan]] for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship at [[WrestleMania VI]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wwe.com/classics/titlehistory/intercontinental/322428 |title=19900423 – Mr. Perfect |work=[[WWE]]|access-date=December 18, 2015}}</ref><ref name="prowrestlinghistory.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wwf/titletny.html |title=WWE Title Tournaments |publisher=Prowrestlinghistory.com |access-date=December 18, 2015}}</ref>

{{8TeamBracket-NoSeeds
| RD1=Quarterfinals
| RD2=Semifinals
| RD3=Final
| RD1-team1 = '''[[Tito Santana]]'''
| RD1-team2 = [[One Man Gang|Akeem]]
| RD1-score1 = CO
| RD1-score2 =
| RD1-team3 = [[Brutus Beefcake]]
| RD1-team4 = [[Dino Bravo]]
| RD1-score3 = DCO
| RD1-score4 = 
| RD1-team5 ='''[[Curt Hennig|Mr. Perfect]]'''
| RD1-team6 = [[Jimmy Snuka]]
| RD1-score5 = Pin
| RD1-score6 = 
| RD1-team7 = [[Roddy Piper]]
| RD1-team8 = [[Rick Martel]]
| RD1-score7 = DDQ
| RD1-score8 = 
| RD2-team1 = '''Tito Santana'''
| RD2-team2 = BYE
| RD2-score1 = 
| RD2-score2 = 
| RD2-team3 = '''Mr. Perfect'''
| RD2-team4 = BYE
| RD2-score3 = 
| RD2-score4 = 
| RD3-team1 = Tito Santana
| RD3-team2 = '''Mr. Perfect'''
| RD3-score1 = 
| RD3-score2 = Pin
}}

===WWF Intercontinental Championship Tournament (1996)===
The WWF Intercontinental Championship Tournament was a tournament to decide a new WWF Intercontinental Champion after previous champion [[Ahmed Johnson]] forfeited the title. He suffered ([[kayfabe]]) injuries to both kidneys when he was attacked by the debuting [[Faarooq]] after winning an 11-man battle royal.<ref name="prowrestlinghistory.com"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wwe.com/classics/titlehistory/intercontinental/322524 |title=19960923 – Marc Mero |publisher=WWE.com |access-date=2015-12-18 |archive-date=September 6, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906003240/http://www.wwe.com/classics/titlehistory/intercontinental/322524 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

{{8TeamBracket-NoSeeds
| RD1=Quarterfinals
| RD2=Semifinals
| RD3=Final
| RD1-team1 = '''[[Owen Hart]]'''
| RD1-team2 = [[Davey Boy Smith|The British Bulldog]]
| RD1-score1 =  CO
| RD1-score2 =8/19
| RD1-team3 = '''[[Marc Mero]]'''
| RD1-team4 = [[Stone Cold Steve Austin]]
| RD1-score3 = DQ
| RD1-score4 = 8/19
| RD1-team5 = '''[[Sid Eudy|Sycho Sid]]'''
| RD1-team6 = [[Triple H|Hunter Hearst Helmsley]]
| RD1-score5 = 8/19
| RD1-score6 = Pin
| RD1-team7 = '''[[Ron Simmons|Faarooq]]'''
| RD1-team8 = [[Savio Vega]]
| RD1-score7 =Pin
| RD1-score8 =  8/19
| RD2-team1 = Owen Hart
| RD2-team2 = '''Marc Mero'''
| RD2-score1 = 9/16
| RD2-score2 = Pin
| RD2-team3 = Sycho Sid
| RD2-team4 = '''Faarooq'''
| RD2-score3 = 9/16
| RD2-score4 = DQ
| RD3-team1 = '''Marc Mero'''
| RD3-team2 = Faarooq
| RD3-score1 = Pin
| RD3-score2 = 9/23
}}

===WWF Intercontinental Championship Tournament (1997)===
The tournament to determine the new WWF Intercontinental Champion after former champion [[Stone Cold Steve Austin]] forfeited the belt after his neck injury. The tournament was held between September 8 and October 5, 1997, with the finals occurring on October 5 at the pay-per-view. The tournament brackets were:

<onlyinclude>{{8TeamBracket| RD1-seed1=| RD1-seed2=| RD1-seed3=| RD1-seed4=| RD1-seed5=| RD1-seed6=| RD1-seed7=| RD1-seed8=
| RD1-team1 = '''[[Brian Pillman]]'''
| RD1-team2 = [[Dude Love]]
| RD1-score1 = DQ
| RD1-score2 =
| RD1-team3 = '''[[Owen Hart]]'''
| RD1-team4 = [[Goldust]]
| RD1-score3 = DQ
| RD1-score4 =
| RD1-team5 = '''[[Faarooq]]'''<sup>1</sup>
| RD1-team6 = [[Ken Shamrock]]
| RD1-score5 =
| RD1-score6 =
| RD1-team7 = '''[[Ahmed Johnson]]'''
| RD1-team8 = [[Rocky Maivia]]
| RD1-score7 = Pin
| RD1-score8 =
| RD2-team1 = Brian Pillman
| RD2-team2 = '''Owen Hart'''
| RD2-score1 =
| RD2-score2 = DQ
| RD2-team3 = '''Faarooq'''
| RD2-team4 = Ahmed Johnson
| RD2-score3 = DQ
| RD2-score4 =
| RD3-team1 = '''Owen Hart'''
| RD3-team2 = Faarooq
| RD3-score1 = Pin
| RD3-score2 =
}}
'''Notes:'''<br />
<sup>1</sup> {{small|Ken Shamrock initially won the match. But he was injured so Faarooq advanced.}}</onlyinclude>

===WWF Intercontinental Championship Tournament (1998)===
The WWF Intercontinental Championship Tournament was a tournament to decide a new WWF Intercontinental Champion after previous champion [[Triple H]] vacated the title due to injury.<ref name="prowrestlinghistory.com"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wwe.com/classics/titlehistory/intercontinental/322560 |title=19981012 – Ken Shamrock |publisher=WWE.com |access-date=2015-12-18 |archive-date=January 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160107184450/http://www.wwe.com/classics/titlehistory/intercontinental/322560 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

{{8TeamBracket-NoSeeds
| RD1=Quarterfinals
| RD2=Semifinals
| RD3=Final
| RD1-team1 = '''[[Ken Shamrock]]'''
| RD1-team2 = [[Steve Blackman]]
| RD1-score1 = Sub
| RD1-score2 = 
| RD1-team3 = '''[[Val Venis]]'''
| RD1-team4 = [[Marc Mero]]
| RD1-score3 = Pin
| RD1-score4 = 
| RD1-team5 = '''[[Sean Waltman|X-Pac]]'''
| RD1-team6 = [[Jeff Jarrett]]
| RD1-score5 = Pin
| RD1-score6 = 
| RD1-team7 = '''[[Mick Foley|Mankind]]'''
| RD1-team8 = [[Mark Henry]]
| RD1-score7 = Sub
| RD1-score8 = 
| RD2-team1 = '''[[Ken Shamrock]]'''
| RD2-team2 = [[Val Venis]]
| RD2-score1 = Sub
| RD2-score2 = 
| RD2-team3 = '''[[Sean Waltman|X-Pac]]'''
| RD2-team4 = [[Mick Foley|Mankind]]
| RD2-score3 = Pin
| RD2-score4 = 
| RD3-team1 = '''[[Ken Shamrock]]'''
| RD3-team2 = [[Sean Waltman|X-Pac]]
| RD3-score1 = Sub
| RD3-score2 = 
}}

===WWE Intercontinental Championship #1 Contender's Tournament (2008)===
A tournament was announced to crown a new #1 contender for [[William Regal]]'s WWE Intercontinental Championship. [[CM Punk]] won the tournament by defeating [[Rey Mysterio]] in the tournament final at Armageddon.<ref name=punk1>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/inside/titlehistory/intercontinental/9155998|access-date=2009-01-19|title=CM Punk's first reign|publisher=WWE|archive-date=February 25, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090225015103/http://www.wwe.com/inside/titlehistory/intercontinental/9155998|url-status=dead}}</ref>
{{8TeamBracket | RD1= Round 1
|RD2= Semifinals
|RD3= Finals
|group1=
|group2=
|score-width= 30px
|team-width= 100px
|RD1-seed1=
|RD1-team1= '''[[Kofi Kingston]]'''
|RD1-score1= DQ
|RD1-seed2=
|RD1-team2= [[Kane (wrestler)|Kane]]
|RD1-score2=
|RD1-seed3=
|RD1-team3= '''[[Rey Mysterio]]'''
|RD1-score3= Pin
|RD1-seed4=
|RD1-team4= [[The Miz]]
|RD1-score4=
|RD1-seed5=
|RD1-team5= '''[[John Morrison (wrestler)|John Morrison]]'''
|RD1-score5= Pin
|RD1-seed6=
|RD1-team6= [[Dave Finlay|Finlay]]
|RD1-score6=
|RD1-seed7=
|RD1-team7= '''[[CM Punk]]'''
|RD1-score7= Pin
|RD1-seed8=
|RD1-team8= [[Snitsky]]
|RD1-score8=
|RD2-seed1=
|RD2-team1= Kofi Kingston
|RD2-score1=
|RD2-seed2=
|RD2-team2= '''Rey Mysterio'''
|RD2-score2=Pin
|RD2-seed3=
|RD2-team3= John Morrison
|RD2-score3=
|RD2-seed4=
|RD2-team4= '''CM Punk'''
|RD2-score4= Pin
|RD3-seed1=
|RD3-team1= Rey Mysterio
|RD3-score1=
|RD3-seed2=
|RD3-team2= '''CM Punk'''
|RD3-score2=Pin
}}

===WWE Intercontinental Championship Tournament (2010)===
The WWE Intercontinental Championship Tournament was a tournament to crown a new Intercontinental Champion. On May 7, 2010, after failed attempts of getting Intercontinental Champion [[Drew McIntyre]] to stop attacking [[Matt Hardy]], Smackdown General Manager Theodore Long fired McIntyre and vacated the title. The following week, [[Kofi Kingston]] won a tournament to become the new champion, but Mr. McMahon reverted Long's decision. Due to the decision by Mr. McMahon, the vacancy of the title and Kingston's championship win are not recognized as WWE continued to recognize McIntyre as champion during that period.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cagematch.net/?id=26&nr=1650|title=WWE Intercontinental Title Tournament « Tournaments Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database|first=Philip|last=Kreikenbohm}}</ref> At [[Over the Limit (2010)|Over the Limit]], Kingston defeated McIntyre to win his second official Intercontinental Championship.

{{4TeamBracket
| RD1=Semifinals
| RD2=Final
| RD1-team1 = '''[[Kofi Kingston]]'''
| RD1-team2 = [[Dolph Ziggler]]
| RD1-score1 = Pin
| RD1-score2 = 11:15
| RD1-team3 = '''[[Christian Cage|Christian]]'''
| RD1-team4 = [[Cody Rhodes]]
| RD1-score3 = Pin
| RD1-score4 = 12:15
| RD2-team1 = '''Kofi Kingston'''
| RD2-team2 = Christian
| RD2-score1 = Pin
| RD2-score2 = 8:43
}}

=== WWE Intercontinental Championship Tournament (2020) ===
On May 12, 2020, the Intercontinental Championship was declared vacant after champion [[Sami Zayn]] elected to refrain from competing during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]. A tournament to crown a new champion was then set to begin on the May 15 episode of ''SmackDown''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Satin |first1=Ryan |title=Intercontinental Title Tournament Brackets Unveiled |url=https://www.prowrestlingsheet.com/intercontinental-title-tournament-brackets-unveiled/ |website=Pro Wrestling Sheet |access-date=16 May 2020 |date=15 May 2020}}</ref>

{{8TeamBracket-NoSeeds
|RD1='''First round'''<br /> {{small|''SmackDown'', May 15–22}}
|RD2='''Semifinals'''<br /> {{small|''SmackDown'', May 29}}
|RD3='''Final'''<br /> {{small|''SmackDown'', June 8 (aired June 12)}}
|team-width=
|score-width=
|RD1-team1='''[[Bryan Danielson|Daniel Bryan]]'''
|RD1-score1=Sub
|RD1-team2=[[Drew Gulak]]
|RD1-score2= 9:40
|RD1-team3='''[[Jeff Hardy]]'''
|RD1-score3=Pin
|RD1-team4=[[Sheamus]]
|RD1-score4= 11:17
|RD1-team5='''[[Elias (wrestler)|Elias]]'''
|RD1-score5=Pin
|RD1-team6=[[Baron Corbin|King Corbin]]
|RD1-score6= 13:03
|RD1-team7='''[[A.J. Styles|AJ Styles]]'''
|RD1-score7=Pin
|RD1-team8=[[Shinsuke Nakamura]]
|RD1-score8= 9:48
|RD2-team1='''Daniel Bryan'''
|RD2-score1=Pin
|RD2-team2=Sheamus†
|RD2-score2=13:11
|RD2-team3=[[Bye (sports)|Bye]]†
|RD2-score3=
|RD2-team4='''AJ Styles'''
|RD2-score4=
|RD3-team1=Daniel Bryan
|RD3-score1=37:58
|RD3-team2='''AJ Styles'''
|RD3-score2=Pin
}}
† Neither Jeff Hardy nor Elias were able to compete in the semifinals, as Elias was ([[kayfabe]]) injured in a car crash and Hardy was accused of causing it and arrested. AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan were given the option of having a [[Bye (sports)|bye]] in the tournament. Styles opted for the bye to automatically advance to the final on June 12 while Bryan opted to have a new opponent; Sheamus subsequently won a [[battle royal (professional wrestling)|battle royal]] to qualify for the vacant spot in the semifinals against Bryan that night.

== Reigns ==
{{Main|List of WWE Intercontinental Champions}}

[[File:John Cena RR25 (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|175px|Current champion [[John Cena]]]]
The inaugural champion was [[Pat Patterson (wrestler)|Pat Patterson]] who, as the [[WWF North American Heavyweight Champion]] in September 1979 was also declared "South American Heavyweight Champion" after allegedly winning a tournament in [[Rio de Janeiro]]. Patterson [[Championship unification#Professional wrestling|unified]] the two championships into the Intercontinental Championship. Since then, there have been 189 reigns among 93 different champions. [[Chris Jericho]] has the most reigns with nine. At 666 days, [[Gunther (wrestler)|Gunther]]'s reign is the longest in the title's history, both as a singular reign and for most cumulative days as champion. Prior to his reign, [[Pedro Morales]] had the longest combined reign at 619 days over two reigns, and held this record for over 41 years. [[Triple H]]'s fifth reign is the shortest as the title would be temporarily retired at the time immediately upon Triple H winning and unifying the title with the [[World Heavyweight Championship (WWE, 2002-2013)|original World Heavyweight Championship]]. [[Chyna]] is the only woman to win the title. The youngest champion was [[Jeff Hardy]], who won the championship for the first time at the age of 23, while the oldest champion was [[Ric Flair]], who won the championship at the age of 56. There have been 10 vacancies throughout the title's history.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wwe.com/titlehistory/intercontinental-championship|title=Intercontinental Championship|work=[[WWE]]|date=December 24, 2020}}</ref> Only five men have held the title for a continuous reign of one year (365 days) or more: Pedro Morales, [[Don Muraco]], [[Randy Savage]], [[The Honky Tonk Man]], and Gunther.

[[John Cena]] is the current champion in his first reign. He won the title by defeating [[Dominik Mysterio]] on the November 10, 2025, episode of ''Raw'' in [[Boston, Massachusetts]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Powell |first=Jason |date=November 10, 2025 |title= WWE Raw results (11/10): Powell’s live review of John Cena’s final homecoming, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss vs. The Kabuki Warriors for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles |url=https://prowrestling.net/site/2025/11/10/wwe-raw-results-11-10-powells-live-review-of-john-cenas-final-homecoming-charlotte-flair-and-alexa-bliss-vs-the-kabuki-warriors-for-the-wwe-womens-tag-team-titles/#google_vignette |access-date=November 11, 2025 |work=Pro Wrestling Dot Net}}</ref>

==Reception==
The Intercontinental Championship's early years have been praised. Samuel Kendall of ''[[Comic Book Resources]]'' lauded the championship during this era, stating: "It was a foregone conclusion that the Intercontinental Champion was the workhorse of the company and the next in line for the World Heavyweight Championship".<ref>{{cite web|last=Heydorn|first=Zack|title=Editorial: A Means to an End: The success of Roman Reigns as Intercontinental Champion is key to him achieving WWE's vision|url=https://www.pwtorch.com/site/2017/11/29/editorial-means-end-success-roman-reigns-intercontinental-champion-key-achieving-wwes-vision/|work=Pro Wrestling Torch|date=November 29, 2017|access-date=February 4, 2021}}</ref><ref name="Kendall">{{cite web|last=Kendall|first=Samuel|title=WWE's Intercontinental and US Titles Can Be Saved - By Destroying Them|url=https://www.cbr.com/wwe-intercontinental-us-title-destroy-them/|publisher=[[Comic Book Resources]]|access-date=February 2, 2021|date=March 20, 2020}}</ref> Steve Cook of ''411Mania'' wrote that "nearly anybody that was a big deal in WWE held the championship at some point."<ref name="cook">{{cite web|last=Cook|first=Steve|title=Top 7 WWE Intercontinental Champions|url=https://411mania.com/wrestling/top-7-wwe-intercontinental-champions/|work=411Mania|access-date=February 2, 2021|date=June 19, 2020}}</ref> Steve Austin said he considered the Intercontinental Championship to be as important as the world titles and he remains in possession of the physical belt that represented the championship during his reign because of its historical importance.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Harris|first1=Jeffrey|title=Stone Cold Steve Austin Reveals the WWE Title Belt He Kept That Means a Lot to Him|url=https://411mania.com/wrestling/stone-cold-steve-austin-reveals-the-wwe-title-belt-he-kept-that-means-a-lot-to-him/|work=411Mania|access-date=February 2, 2021|date=November 12, 2016}}</ref> 

Throughout the 2010s, WWE was criticized for its booking of the Intercontinental Champions, with champions either not defending during long periods of time or losing in many of their non-title matches. Chris Jericho said that WWE promoter [[Vince McMahon]] told him that "nobody fucking cares about the Intercontinental Championship" after he asked to be placed in a match for the title at [[WrestleMania 29]] in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Casey|first1=Connor|title=Chris Jericho Reveals How Vince McMahon Really Feels About the WWE Intercontinental Championship|url=https://comicbook.com/wwe/news/wwe-vince-mcmahon-intercontinental-championship-nobody-cares-chris-jericho-wrestlemania/|work=Comicbook.com|access-date=February 2, 2021|date=October 8, 2020}}</ref> Also in 2013, Darren Gutteridge of ''Pro Wrestling Dot Net'' wrote that the "title has proven an [[Albatross (metaphor)|albatross]] for the past decade, with almost all title holders doomed to tread water, usually only beating people decisively when the title is on the line".<ref>{{cite web|last1=Gutteridge|first1=Darren|title="Man vs. Machine" WWE Survivor Series Preview and Predictions: Is this the last we'll see of the Survivor Series format? How will WWE 2K14 {{sic|fair|nolink=y|expectd=fare}} in {{sic|it|'s|nolink=y|expected=its}}; first outing?|url=http://www.prowrestling.net/artman/publish/twillingeditorial/article10034507.shtml|website=prowrestling.net|access-date=March 7, 2015}}</ref> The albatross metaphor was also used to describe the title in 2014 by James Caldwell of ''Pro Wrestling Torch'',<ref>{{cite web|last1=Caldwell|first1=James|title=WWE Raw results 11/17: Complete "virtual-time" coverage of live Raw - final Survivor Series hype, main event Contract Signing, new IC champion, more|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/wwerawreport/article_81845.shtml|website=PWTorch.com|access-date=March 7, 2015}}</ref> while [[Dave Meltzer]] of the ''Wrestling Observer'' said that year that "the [Intercontinental] title isn't booked to mean much."<ref>{{cite web|title=Sun. Update: TLC preview, odds|url=http://www.f4wonline.com/more/more-top-stories/118-daily-updates/40338|website=f4wonline.com|access-date=March 7, 2015}}</ref> Various commentators in 2014 and 2015, including from ''[[The Baltimore Sun]]'', ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', ''PWInsider,'' and ''Pro Wrestling Dot Net'' have pointed out that the Intercontinental Champion often loses non-title matches,<ref>{{cite web|title=Luke Harper gets his first taste of gold on Monday Night Raw|url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/pro-wrestling/ring-posts-blog/bal-wwe-raw-luke-harper-rowan-team-cena-20141118-story.html|work=[[The Baltimore Sun]]|access-date=March 7, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=WWE Fast Lane Tip Sheet|url=http://www.pwinsider.com/article/91782/wwe-fast-lane-tip-sheet.html?p=1|website=pwinsider.com|access-date=March 7, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=03/02 Powell's WWE Raw Live Review: Paul Heyman promo, Seth Rollins and "The Daily Show" host Jon Stewart, Nikki Bella vs. Paige for the Divas Championship, WrestleMania 31 build continues|url=http://www.prowrestling.net/article.php?03-02-Powell-s-WWE-Raw-Live-Review-Paul-Heyman-promo-Seth-Rollins-and-The-Daily-Show-host-Jon-Stewart-Nikki-Bella-vs.-Paige-for-the-Divas-Championship-WrestleMania-31-build-continues-41160|website=prowrestling.net|access-date=March 7, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Herzog|first1=Kenny|title=WWE 'Royal Rumble' Recap: The Philadelphia Phuck You|date=January 26, 2015 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/wwe-royal-rumble-recap-the-philadelphia-phuck-you-20150126|publisher=[[Rolling Stone]]|access-date=March 18, 2015}}</ref> while Mike Tedesco of ''Wrestleview'' questioned how Intercontinental Champions losing too much is supposed to bring prestige to the title.<ref>{{cite web|title=2/26 SmackDown: It wasn't bad or good|url=http://www.wrestleview.com/featured-articles/53234-2-26-smackdown-it-wasn-t-bad-or-good/|website=wrestleview.com|date=February 27, 2015|access-date=March 7, 2015}}</ref> 

Some observers argued that [[The Miz]] managed to elevate the championship during his multiple runs with the title; ''The Sportster'' columnist Wesly Avendano claimed that Miz "made the Intercontinental Championship "Must See" again" and "helped stabilize the IC Title during a time when WWE really needed him to", while Lucean from [[SB Nation|Cageside Seats]] noted that Miz "has been, at least for me, making the Intercontinental (IC) title appear really meaningful" and that "the number of people I see wanting to see someone to beat the Miz and take the title to get that heat makes becoming the IC champion seem meaningful".<ref>{{cite web|title=10 WWE Midcard Champions Who Actually Elevated Their Titles|url=https://www.thesportster.com/wwe-midcard-champions-elevated-titles-the-miz-gunther-john-cena-bret-hart/|website=thesportster.com|access-date=May 28, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Miz and making the Intercontinental championship matter|url=https://www.cagesideseats.com/f/2016/9/23/13026480/miz-and-making-the-ic-championship-matter|website=cagesideseats.com|access-date=May 28, 2025}}</ref>

The championship continued to receive criticism into the early 2020s. Kendall panned the recent reigns as forgettable and wrote that the title had "turned into a prop to be lugged around, rather than a title that should bestow prestige."<ref name="Kendall"/> Cook wrote that it had been "treated as something of an afterthought" for the previous two decades.<ref name="cook"/> The championship was only defended on two pay-per-views in 2021 and was not defended at any within the first quarter of 2022, including [[WrestleMania 38]]; its absence on the premiere event was widely criticized by fans.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ricochet Addresses the Biggest Complaint WWE Fans Have About the Intercontinental Championship |url=https://comicbook.com/wwe/news/ricochet-intercontinental-champion-wwe-fans-biggest-complaint-not-miss-another-pay-per-view/ |website=ComicBook.com |last=Casey |first= Connor |date=April 13, 2022 |access-date=May 13, 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

After Vince McMahon retired as chairman, CEO, and [[Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Booker|Head of Creative]] on July 22, 2022, the championship has been featured more prominently after [[Triple H]] took over as the new Head of Creative. The championship has been featured in the main event of numerous episodes of ''SmackDown'', and has even received two [[List of professional wrestling matches rated 5 or more stars by Dave Meltzer|five-star ratings]] from Meltzer. The first was [[Gunther (wrestler)|Gunther]] defending against [[Sheamus]] at [[WWE Clash at the Castle|Clash at the Castle]], while the second was Gunther defending against Sheamus and [[Drew McIntyre]] in a [[Triple Threat match|triple threat match]] at [[WrestleMania 39|WrestleMania 39: Night 2]], making it the first time Meltzer gave more than one five-star match rating for any main roster championship reign. The last time the Intercontinental Championship received such a rating before Gunther's reign was [[Shawn Michaels]] going against [[Scott Hall|Razor Ramon]] in an [[Championship unification|Intercontinental Unification]] [[ladder match]] at [[WrestleMania X]].

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons}}
* [http://www.wwe.com/inside/titlehistory/intercontinental/ Official WWE Intercontinental Title History]
* [http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/ic.html Wrestling-Titles.com: Intercontinental Championship]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160307231217/https://www.cultofwhatever.com/2011/02/wwe-intercontinental-title-belts-a-guide-to-the-gold/ WWE Intercontinental Title Belts: A Guide to the Gold (Archived Version}]

{{WWE Championships}}
{{WWE Intercontinental Championship}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:WWE Intercontinental Championship}}
[[Category:Awards established in 1979]]
[[Category:Intercontinental professional wrestling championships]]
[[Category:WWE championships]]