10 Greatest WWE Intercontinental Champions Of All Time
9. The Honky Tonk Man
Seven years after the impact of Patterson's initial championship run, the stage was set for one man to establish a career-defining legacy. The ninth Intercontinental Champion, The Honky Tonk Man's history-making run came about quite unintentionally, but what a run it was.
When most fans think of Honky, the first thing that comes to mind is the Intercontinental Championship. The next things that come to mind are his barely era-appropriate sideburns, garish attire, and rage-inducing musical numbers. The first cousin of Jerry Lawler was never a dominant champ - usually keeping the strap via count-out or DQ, in vintage cowardly heel fashion - but given the fact that Honky was due to be merely a transitional champ, the longevity of his one and only run is still an unbelievable achievement to this day.
Having Hulk Hogan on his side backstage in the late '80s was a priceless asset, and Honky saw off Randy Savage, George 'The Animal' Steele, Ricky Steamboat, Brutus Beefcake and more in that classically cowardly, hateable manner on his way to setting a 454-day record. He even lost the belt in spectacular fashion, in 31 seconds to The Ultimate Warrior at SummerSlam 1988.