10 WWE Stars Who Cemented The Intercontinental Title's Legacy

7. Chris Jericho

No WWE Superstar has held the Intercontinental Championship as many times as Chris Jericho. A nine-time champion, Jericho was one of the elite stars of the 2000s, a performer the company felt comfortable enough to strap the title on and watch as he carried it with pride and respect. Matches against the likes of Eddie Guerrero, William Regal and Triple H helped restore legitimacy and prestige to the championship. His series against Chris Benoit, which stretched from 2000 into January 2001 ranks as some of the best work of his Hall of Fame-worthy career. In 2009, the feud he had with Rey Mysterio over the title not only elevated the championship, it made the SmackDown brand must-see television for months on end. The Superstars, whose history with each other dated back to their days in WCW, wrestled some absolutely outstanding matches over the title, including a Match of the Year candidate in June at The Bash pay-per-view. Jericho did not necessarily need great matches to help preserve the legacy of the title, though. His name alone, especially later in his WWE career, hoisted the title to greater importance. A former Undisputed champion who made a connection with fans the moment he arrived in the company in August 1999, Y2J has almost always been perceived as an elite star, regardless of his place on the roster. The perception of his star power meant anything he was involved in, be it a main event program against Steve Austin or a midcard feud with Kofi Kingston, was more important. While his reigns were oftentimes short, fans understood that when he held the title, it meant that much more than normal and brought increased attention and excitement to it as a result.