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WWE's biggest party of the summer is looming upon us and it's an event that has many exciting matches already on the card. One such match that's causing more than a fair share of buzz is the Intercontinental Title Match between champion Dolph Ziggler and challenger Seth Rollins. Both are two of the best in the game right now, with Rollins currently enjoying career benchmark of a year.
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Given the two that are competing (and possibly in a Ladder Match!) there's no doubt that this year's battle for one of professional wrestling's most storied and historic titles could very well be a classic. But how will it measure up against some of the all-time best Intercontinental Championship bouts in SummerSlam history? Only time will tell but there is stiff competition, to say the least.
The five very best matches for the IC Title follow and there are several amazing matchups ahead. Legends like Mr. Perfect, The Rock, and Shawn Michaels are represented in this collection. It's no wonder that so many wrestlers rising the ranks in WWE have viewed this midcard title as a huge honour on their way to the top.
#5 Rey Mysterio Vs Dolph Ziggler (2009)
Dolph Ziggler may be heading into SummerSlam 2018 as a six-time Intercontinental Champion, but in 2009, he hoped for his very first IC win. This was a follow-up match to the previous month’s Night of Champions event in which Rey retained against Dolph. He vied to win once again over the former caddy and cheerleader at WWE’s biggest show of the summer.
Mysterio and Ziggler kept a frenetic pace throughout this event opener. The challenger was convincing in his effort to keep up with the lucha legend, landing many unsuccessful yet still exciting nearfalls. The ending came about after Dolph went for a military press slam-setup into a gutbuster while seated on the top turnbuckle, only for Rey to reverse it with a hurricanrana takedown and pin. The Champion retained.
It wouldn’t be until an August SmackDown the following year before Dolph finally captured his first Intercontinental Championship. Considering how new Dolph Ziggler was to the WWE audience at this stage of his career, this loss to Mysterio was okay because it proved a perfect showcase of his extensive in-ring abilities.
#4 Mr. Perfect vs Bret Hart (1991)
In a backstage interview just before this match began, Mr. Perfect called his upcoming Intercontinental Title defense the “Excellence of Execution vs. Perfection,” which should be more than enough necessary hype to get your interest. These competitors were two of the best ever to lace up a pair of wrestling boots and they brought their A-games on this day in 1991.
Perfect came into this match injured but showed no signs of it during this 18-minute classic. He sold the realistic offense of the challenger flawlessly, putting over The Hitman in a big way. After a back and forth effort during the final stretch, Bret was able to get his opponent to tap out in the middle of the ring to The Sharpshooter.
In addition to the fantastic in-ring performance, another joy of this bout is the fact that Gorilla Monsoon, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper were the commentators. Stu and Helen Hart were even shown watching in attendance several times, giving Heenan a few opportunities for zingers.
#3 Triple H vs The Rock (1998)
After battling to a 30 minute draw at the previous month’s Fully Loaded event, Intercontinental Champion The Rock battled Triple H once again. This time, it was a Ladder Match. This was in the thick of the highly entertaining Nation of Domination/D-Generation X feud and even featured clips of Hunter’s hilarious parody of Rocky in the pre-match hype video.
The ladder concept was still relatively young at this stage in WWE history, but they made good use of their gimmick. The steel home improvement tool repeatedly was used as a weapon. Rock even found his face bloodied late in the contest. Chyna and Mark Henry stayed ringside for their stablemates and it was a Ninth Wonder of the World strike to the People’s scrotum that cleared a path to victory for Helmsley.
Both competitors went on to become two of the biggest stars in WWE history, and this match has been hailed as a key milestone in their rises to the top. Success was inevitable for The Rock and Triple H, but on this night it was The Game who walked away with the gold.
#2 Bret Hart vs The British Bulldog (1992)
Over 80,000 English men, women, and children packed into Wembley Stadium in August of 1992 to see the first major WWF show outside of North America. Not only was this the first SummerSlam to feature an Intercontinental Championship match in the main event, but it also featured one of their countrymen, The British Bulldog, challenging for the coveted title.
Emotions were at an all-time high, especially for Diana Hart Smith. She watched intently as her husband vied for the championship that her brother, Bret Hart, held. Davey Boy Smith withstood everything The Excellence of Execution had to offer on this night, including a vicious top rope superplex and his signature Sharpshooter submission hold. To the delight of those in attendance, the Brit upended the Canadian Champion.
After the match, Bret initially appeared bitter over the loss. He eventually got over himself enough to congratulate his brother-in-law. As blinding pyro displayed a glorious backdrop, the two competitors along with Diana raised hands in celebration as Vince McMahon proudly remarked of this “family affair” on commentary. It was a heartwarming close to an incredibly solid Intercontinental Championship match, one of the absolute greatest in SummerSlam history.
#1 Shawn Michaels vs Razor Ramon (1995)
SummerSlam 1995 was a mostly lacklustre card from top to bottom, sans one spectacular bout. The follow up to their groundbreaking WrestleMania X affair, The Heartbreak Kid and The Bad Guy brought out the ladders once again for an Intercontinental Championship bout for the ages.
While this second tango between Michaels and Ramon understandably gets overshadowed by the original, it’s easy to argue that this one topped its predecessor. From the insane Razor suplex of Shawn from the apron to the floor that caught his knee on the guardrail to the throwback spots like the splash and moonsault off the ladder, this bout was nonstop energy. Even McMahon’s goofy quip question which was the “legal ladder”, as well as Shawn missing his attempt to grab the belt at the end, couldn’t hold back this all-time great match.
After the match, Ramon played like he was angry but ultimately handed the title belt to his real life Kliq buddy. Razor moved on to a feud with Dean Douglas mere moments after this finish while Shawn had a future IC Title defense against the man he was originally slated to fight on this card, Sid. Considering that this was the greatest Intercontinental Championship Match in SummerSlam history, Vince and company made the right call changing the booking.
