14 Best WWE Title Changes That Ever Happened At SummerSlam
1. WWF Intercontinental Championship (1988): Honky Tonk Man (c) Vs. Ultimate Warrior
Use whatever cliché you want, but this much is certain: Timing is everything in creating a perfect moment. And on August 29, 1988, all the stars aligned. Consider:
Honky Tonk Man wasn’t supposed to be anything more than a transitional champ, but through circumstance, he continued to hold onto the title for nearly 15 months. After a while, Honky’s title defenses became a major draw on the house show circuit, with HTM and manager Jimmy Hart looking for any way possible to keep the belt around his waist: count-outs, disqualifications and other nefarious means. It worked against every other challenger up and down the card.
Ultimate Warrior had debuted in WWF 10 months earlier, captivating audiences with his high-octane performances, running roughshod over jobbers and lower-card wrestlers. He was quickly becoming a major star in WWF, but he needed some direction in his career.
This brings us to the inaugural SummerSlam at Madison Square Garden. Honky Tonk Man’s scheduled opponent, Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake was injured, so Honky grabbed the mic and said, “Get me somebody out here to wrestle, I don’t care who it is.” Famous last words, as Ultimate Warrior’s music hit and he stormed the ring. Thirty seconds later, Honky was flattened by a big splash and we had a new Intercontinental Champion.
As a match, this was nothing more than a squash. But in terms of paying off a long-term storyline and making a new star instantaneously, this was perfect. The roar of the crowd from the minute the music hit was overwhelming, and when Warrior pinned Honky, it was deafening. It’s highly unlikely we will ever see a title change like this again, and for good reason: moments like this are damn near impossible to create.