10 WWE Superstars You Won't Believe Never Held Intercontinental Title
4. Bruno Sammartino
There are very few instances in which a Superstar remains a main event attraction for the entirety of his career. Bruno Sammartino is as close to that feat as one can possibly be.
A cultural hero to the fans in New York City, and one of the biggest attractions in the long history of McMahon family promoters, Sammartino held the WWE Championship for a grand total of 12 years, across two different reigns.
He was a champion's champion, treating the title with class and taking seriously his role as the top star in the industry.
There was never a reason for Sammartino to hold the title. Even when his run at the top of the industry concluded, he was still treated like a special attraction, trotted out to help steal some houses in Boston and New York.
He did challenge "Macho Man" Randy Savage for the IC title on a few occasions, but he was never a serious shout to win the gold, if only because he was semi-retired and his legacy had already been etched in stone.
Very rarely can it be stated that a superstar is above any championship, but Sammartino is the rare case where his legend was so far above the IC title that stepping down for a run with it would have somehow diminished his greatness.