10 Awesome Ways Wrestling Promotions Made Titles Prestigious
5. Putting The 'Wrestling' In The World Wrestling Federation
The Intercontinental Title was the belt through which greatness could be traced.
In an era in which the WWF planned ahead, and plotted its stories with the long-term in sight, the "IC", as it affectionately became known - because people held affection towards it - came to represent the future of the company. Its prestige built with both credibility and continuity, the audience automatically took seriously those who wore it. It functioned perfectly as a secondary title because, before it went completely t*ts up, second was only ever the last barrier to first. It wasn't a relegation. It wasn't something to do in the meantime.
The lineage was decorated with exceptional technical performance by the early 1990s. The Intercontinental champions of yore were mostly very accomplished wrestlers who worked cracking matches that stood in glorious contrast to the outsize cartoon fare of the main event. It was known as the workhorse title because Randy Savage, Bret Hart, Mr. Perfect, Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon worked seminal classics loaded with drama and violence.
A wrestler had to be complete before they were ready for the Winged Eagle: the IC built the prestige of a company, much less itself.