10 Best WWE Intercontinental Title Matches Ever
Secondary School
Though a relatively small gripe on a list longer than the one Chris Jericho kept on his metal clipboard, Bret Hart was always legitimately offended that the Ladder Match had retrospectively been donated to Shawn Michaels' legacy after his acrimonious 1997 exit from the organisation.
'The Hitman' argued - with some just cause - that his introduction of the gimmick to Vince McMahon for a 1992 Intercontinental Title clash with 'HBK' shouldn't have been whitewashed from history in place of the epic WrestleMania 10 battle over the same strap between Michaels and Razor Ramon.
Justified as he may well have been in his irritation, Hart's complaints were long stifled by the glowing praise the match itself received. Brilliantly utilising one of wrestling's deadliest weapons, 'The Bad Guy' and 'The Boy Toy' were gallant and dynamic workers grasping for the sky-high title that held equally lofty prestige.
Reputation remains the reason for its very existence in 2018. Virtually every Champion over the past decade or so has claimed to be the man to restore it to a former glory despite only The Miz really coming within arms length of actually doing so.
'The A Lister' is a fine contemporary steward, but the shadow of the 'Show Of Shows' classic looms over his own glowing resumé of defences and victories. Not least because The Kliq buddies managed such spectacular feats twice...
10. Shawn Michaels Vs Razor Ramon (SummerSlam '95)
Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon had three main obstacles to overcome at SummerSlam 1995. Alongside the weight of expectation the stupid f*cking height of the hanging belt itself, the pair were delivered an advertiser-friendly instruction from Vince McMahon that the ladder wasn't to be used as a direct weapon in the contest.
It was a philosophy 'HBK' would adapt for his legendary No Mercy 2008 scrap with Chris Jericho (and one both men here ultimately neglected as the battle raged on), but the over-protective edict from the Chairman inadvertently lent itself perfectly to the babyface battle.
Michaels and Razor both worked a smarter match than their WrestleMania 10 epic because of what they'd learned from the contest. Michaels missed the splash he gracefully landed a year earlier, Razor swerved a brutal baseball slide, whilst Shawn remained acutely aware of his ring positioning so not to find himself tangled and tied at the climax.
Though damaged slightly by the Champion's frustrating failures to retrieve the belt with a dramatic leap as planned, the contest is otherwise completely flawless. Headlining the card with a title defence against King Mabel, struggling WWE Champion Diesel had enough enemies in the locker room at the time without yet again finding himself unable to follow his best friends.