Top 5 WWE Intercontinental Championship reigns in the last five years
The WWE Intercontinental Championship is one of the most prestigious titles in sports entertainment. Inaugurated in 1979, the prize has been held by dozens of Hall of Famers - Pat Patterson, Ultimate Warrior, Bret Hart, Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, etc.
Currently, the IC Championship rests on the massive shoulders of Gunther, who won the title from Ricochet in June. The Austrian Anomaly's reign has been impressive so far, as shown by his incredible title defense against Shinsuke Nakamura, but it is still in its early stages.
Over the last five years, the WWE Universe has witnessed some Intercontinental Championship reigns, which have been restored and added to the title's prestige.
Disclaimer: This list reflects the author's views and not necessarily those of Sportskeeda.
#4 AJ Styles had a memorable first Intercontinental Championship reign in WWE's pandemic era
I know what this title means.
I know what I have to do.
What a match with @WWEDanielBryan, now it’s about making this title #phenomenal. I’m watching...and waiting.
#Smackdown #WWEBacklash twitter.com/WWE/status/127…
While the pandemic era was notable for Drew McIntyre's run at the top and Randy Orton's savage path of dominance, AJ Styles kept the Intercontinental Championship relevant on SmackDown with a paper-thin roster.
No fans were in attendance throughout the Phenomenal One's first IC title reign, but that didn't deter him from stealing the show. Styles won the vacant championship by defeating Daniel Bryan in an epic final of an eight-man tournament.
After besting Bryan in June, he held the title for over two months. During this time, he defeated Drew Gulak, (Matt) Riddle, and Gran Metalik. These championship matches, especially the one with Riddle, were well-received and solidified Styles as a credible champion.
The best part of his championship reign was that it allowed under-utilized stars like Gulak and Metalik to shine. It also introduced the casual fan to the talented Riddle, who later became a serious threat to the locker room.
However, the former WWE Champion's reign ended in 71 days when he lost to Jeff Hardy. The Phenomenal One should've held the title a little longer. Moreover, the lack of a screaming live crowd took some appeal away from his incredible run.
Disclaimer: This list is far from exhaustive and reflects the views of the author.
Suggested: Why AJ Styles was one of Vince McMahon's favorite wrestlers backstage? WWE Legend explains!
#3 The Miz's seventh WWE Intercontinental Championship in 2017.
#IntercontinentalChampion #TripleCrownAnd it only got better from here 😎 #IntercontinentalChampion #TripleCrown https://t.co/4ZVHf20VK4
The eight-time Intercontinental Champion, The Miz, has a storied history with the IC Championship. While his near-200-day-long title reign in 2016 was perhaps his greatest, his seventh reign was also particularly enjoyable.
Through some shenanigans and devious antics, the A-Lister won the title from Dean Ambrose at Extreme Rules in June 2017. The following month at the Great Balls of Fire pay-per-view, he retained the championship against Ambrose due to outside interference from The Miztourage- Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas.
Over the next two months, he would go on to defend his championship against Jeff Hardy on RAW and the upstart Jason Jordan at No Mercy in September. The former WWE Champion started a program with the re-united Shield, and the IC Championship took the second seat.
WWE recognizes his reign as 169 days long, which is pretty impressive in today's realm of professional wrestling. However, The Miz didn't defend his IC Championship as often as he should've. He was also relegated to the pre-show at SummerSlam and only defended the title twice on premium live events.
#2 WWE's Big Dog, Roman Reigns, was a fighting Intercontinental Champion
Roman Reigns, the man who ended The Miz's seventh reign, proved to be a fighting champion. The Big Dog's IC Title reign was far more memorable than his US Championship reign in the previous year.
True to his promise to be a fighting champion, Reigns put the title up for grabs in multiple open challenges. His list of challengers was loaded with talent and potential: Elias, Jason Jordan, and Cesaro put up valiant efforts against the Big Dog, but they all came up short.
The most memorable part of Reigns' run was his short feud with Samoa Joe. The two Samoan powerhouses took each other to the limit, putting up a fantastic match on the first RAW of 2018, which pumped up the live crowd.
Reigns dropped the title to The Miz on RAW 25, ending his enjoyable reign of 62 days. Given how actively he defended the championship, the Big Dog is one of the best IC champions in recent memory.
#1 Seth Rollins burned it down in his first WWE Intercontinental Championship reign.
In February 2018, Seth Rollins put on a career-defining performance during a seven-man gauntlet match that wowed the WWE Universe. Riding on a sudden surge in popularity and momentum, Rollins won the Intercontinental Championship in a show-stealing Triple Threat Match at WrestleMania 34.
The Visionary stole the show almost every week on RAW for the next two months with regular open challenges. Finn Balor and Rollins created magic in an IC Championship match days before WWE Backlash 2018.
At Backlash, he put on a match-of-the-year candidate with The Miz. He even carried Jinder Mahal to a good wrestling match in an open challenge. Elias also received an opportunity for the title at WWE Money in the Bank, but he came up short against Rollins.
Furthermore, during his first title reign, the IC Championship became the number one title on the Red Brand. Brock Lesnar, as a part-timer, seldom showed up on RAW, but Rollins' excellent performances compensated for his absence. On Monday Night, Rollins lost the championship to Dolph Ziggler after two months of show-stealing but won it back again at SummerSlam.