20 Longest WWE Intercontinental Title Reigns

Shawn Michaels had spent part of 1993 feuding with former tag team partner Marty Jannetty, although controversy was just around the corner in the form of the two Champions debacle with Razor Ramon.

Either side of a 20-day Jannetty Intercontinental Championship reign, Michaels spent a combined total of 315 days as the IC Champ. The longest of these two particular HBK reigns came before losing the title to Marty. At that point, Michaels had held the strap for 202 days before being surprised by his former partner making a shock return on Monday Night Raw to take the belt courtesy of an assist from Mr. Perfect.

Shawn had first won the Intercontinental Title after defeating the British Bulldog on a late 1992 edition of Saturday Night's Main event, a result that broke the hearts of many (particularly us Brits) as it felt that Davey Boy had seen his run cut far too short. 

During his first IC title run, Michaels would actually spend some time challenging for Bret Hart's WWF Championship as well as defending his own gold against various midcard wrestlers. Following Hart's lead, Michaels would end up using the IC Championship as a true stepping stone towards becoming a main eventer and WWF Champion, setting a precedent for the stars of tomorrow.