10 Worst WWE Intercontinental Title Matches This Decade

9. Big E. Langston Vs. Damien Sandow - TLC: Tables, Ladders And Chairs 2013

Big Show Cody Rhodes Extreme Rules 2012
WWE.com

This match wasn't poor, necessarily. Not for the first time on this list, it was allocated a paltry amount of time - far too little for a purportedly prestigious prize.

It also had a single, shackling remit: make Langston look good. As such, there was little scope for Sandow to do much else other than try to tire him out with restholds or bump like a madman for his basic, impact move-oriented offence. 'The Lord of Literacy' tried to gamely infuse the match with a barbaric element, punishing Langston with a series of vicious headbutts, but it was over as soon as it started.

Sandow was so obviously chum for Langston here that the crowd understandably received the match with little enthusiasm.

WWE didn't have a clue what kind of star they had on their hands with Sandow. Able to get massively over even with gimmicks which ordinarily would have been Dead On Arrival, The Intellectual Saviour Of The Masses still had an incredible amount to offer.

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!