10 Worst WWE Intercontinental Title Matches This Decade

1. Ezekiel Jackson Vs. Wade Barrett - Capitol Punishment 2011

Big Show Cody Rhodes Extreme Rules 2012
WWE.com

Ezekiel Jackson had very little going for him aside from his massively muscled frame. Short between the ropes, he had little in the way of intangibles, either.

With two basic modes of expression - a happy-to-be-there grin and bodybuilder gurn - Jackson had precisely one memorable bout in his forgettable WWE stint. That was largely due to his Royal Rumble 2010 opponent, Christian, who had a successful side gig as a baggage carrier.

It was disheartening to see him, as somebody who could patently barely work, awarded a run with the fabled workhorse title. The match with the criminally wasted Barrett was the clunker you'd expect, with a finish that was almost offensively basic. Jackson performs a body slam and grins, as if to signal something to the audience.

This gets Cole excited - 'You know what happens after those body slams...' he trails off, forgetting. He tries to buy some time. He settles on 'the big smile on Ezekiel Jackson's face!' when it becomes apparent that, rather than follow up on the implied excitement, he's just going to hit Barrett with another body slam, the most elementary of impact moves.

The match, contested between the Englishman Barrett and the Guyanese Jackson, is remembered only for its inexplicable chants of 'USA! USA!'.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!