10 Best WWE Intercontinental Title Matches Ever

9. The Miz Vs Dolph Ziggler (No Mercy 2016)

shawn michaels razor ramon
WWE.com

Dolph Ziggler's December 2017 abdication of his newly-won United States title was supposed to be the overdue salvation of a long-dead persona until a moribund Royal Rumble return just a month later rendered it almost instantly moot.

Over a protracted period of persistent punishment, 'The Show Off' has ironically become a performer nobody has it in them to care about. On an island in the middle of this sea of indifference though, exists his No Mercy Intercontinental Title victory over The Miz.

'The A Lister' had revelled in Ziggler's latest failure - a pathetic capitulation against Dean Ambrose at SummerSlam - and scored his own victories over the former World Heavyweight Champion en route to a 'win or retire' clash over the secondary strap at the SmackDown Live!'s second brand-exclusive pay-per-view.

A combination of Miz' incredible heel work and Dolph wringing out the last drop of sentiment from his last supporters, the two engaged in a dramatic struggle that was heartlessly robbed of show-closing responsibilities by a p*ss-poor Bray Wyatt/Randy Orton battle. The roar of emotion greeting Ziggler's win came within a whisker of his 2013 World Title cash-in, forever linking his only two moments as a genuine star.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett