8 Wrestlers Who Restored The Value Of Championships
3. Chris Jericho (WWE Intercontinental Championship)
The Intercontinental Championship was always intended to be WWE’s “workrate” belt. It was a championship for those wrestlers who weren’t necessarily ready for the main event, but were unquestionably among the company’s elite in-ring performers. Legitimised by the likes of Curt Hennig and Bret Hart, the Intercontinental Championship was supposed to guarantee the best pure wrestling action on the planet.
The belt started reeling in 1999 when wrestlers like Road Dogg and The Godfather got their hands on it, but it’s image was completely tarnished when Chyna got in on the act. Having defeated Jeff Jarrett in a “Good Housekeeping” match, Chyna’s victory was a historic and memorable moment, but it wasn’t sustainable.
As groundbreaking as it was to see a woman hold a major WWE singles title, Chyna just wasn’t up to scratch as a worker. For all the positive qualities she brought to WWE, Chyna was never a great wrestler, and her two reigns as champion did nothing but tear down the Intercontinental Title’s image as the “worker’s” belt.
After a brief dalliance as co-champion with Chyna, Chris Jericho won the belt outright in January 2000. Though his reign lasted little more than a month, Jericho was one of the best wrestlers in the world, and fit the tradition IC Champ mould to a tee.
His matches with wrestlers like Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit helped salvage the belt’s reputation after the Chyna debacle, though WWE would do plenty to diminish its status in later years.