We are officially two weeks from Wrestlemania and I couldn't be more excited. The buildup has been great and the card keeps getting better and better. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that this year's show will be the biggest of all time.
With that show still waiting in the wings, it's important that we look back at why this show takes on such great importance. I recently review the "True History of Wrestlemania DVD" and my revere for this piece should tell you that I'm a big believer in the importance of history. Thus, to appreciate where we are, we must first understand and appreciate our past.
Every day, I will be posting a different piece speaking about the history of Wrestlemania. Some will be lists, some will be memories, and some might just be fun looks back. Today, we start with a list.
The intercontinental title used to be a coveted prize in the WWF. Many a man has used this title to catapult their way to superstardom, and even those who never made it to the ultimate prize were coveted as superstars in their own way for holding that title. In the early days of Wrestlemania, this was the second most important title, and it generally held an important place on the Wrestlemania card.
Of course, some matches are more memorable than others, so we're going to discuss which five are the best Intercontinental title matches in Wrestlemania history. As always, if you disagree, call me out in a comment. This is purely my opinion, so there's bound to be discrepancy. With all that said, let's check out the list:
5. Wrestlemania 2000: 2 Out of 3 Falls For the Intercontinental and European Championship - Chris Jericho vs. Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit - While most of the matches on this list come within the first half of Wrestlemania's history, this one still makes the list. Around this time, there was a revival of sorts for the midcard titles, as competitors such as the 3 involved in this match were revered for their in-ring talents. This was the idea behind the early Intercontinental division, so it was refreshing to see a revival of such a concept. This match was one of the main draws of this Attitude Era show, and all 3 competitors had great showings in their first Wrestlemanias. It was unique to have the two falls stipulation for different belts, and while it was a bit weird to think about, it actually worked out pretty well. Chris Benoit walked out with the Intercontinental title that night, and if he hadn't committed such a heinous crime to end his and his family's life, I'm sure this match would be talked about even more. I won't ignore it though, as this was a solid match in IC history, though saddening to think that this was probably the belt's final peak in terms of being a major draw for Wrestlemania.
4. Wrestlemania 8: Roddy Piper(c) vs. Bret Hart - Most people would view Bret Hart as one of the greatest Intercontinental champions of all-time, and i'd be hardpressed to disagree. However, I'm sure many forget that Roddy Piper actually held the prestigious title for a couple of months. Those on the inside feel this was more of a career achievement award for Piper, as he was a top competitor in Wrestlemanias early years but nobody was going to take down the Hulkster. Enter 1992 when Piper is working as a fan favorite and getting a second-wind run. With a win over The Mountie at the Royal Rumble, Piper secured his first singles title in the WWE after 8 long years. He would put the title up against his friend Bret Hart at Wrestlemania 8 in what is somewhat of a forgotten classic. While Macho Man vs. Flair stole the show that evening, Piper and Hart put on a very solid match which saw Hart gain back the title for his second reign. I like this match a lot and it's probably one of Piper's best in-ring matches of his career. Leave it to Bret Hart to get the best out of anybody and he certainly did here. Great match and a nice moment at the end where the friends embraced.
3. Wrestlemania 5: Ultimate Warrior(c) vs. Rick Rude - I love this match. For some reason, these guys had great matches together and this was no exception. As a young child, I was a big Ultimate Warrior fan, and I remember watching this match on tape (I got into wrestling by the next Wrestlemania so I didn't see this live) and being very mad at the result. You see, Warrior had ended the Honky Tonk Man's ridiculously long title reign in a squash match that had catapulted his popularity to insane levels. Rick Rude was the guy who challeneged everything people loved about Warrior, mostly challenging his physique and saying his was better. This led to the bout here and in a shocking upset, Rude got the victory. Of course, it came with help from Rude's manager, the infamous Bobby Heenan. While Rude was known for being a solid competitor in the ring, Warrior was not. Thus, the fact that they delivered a very solid match here was seen as at least a little bit of a surprise and may have been an indicator to the WWF that Warrior can deliver on the major stage. A year later, Warrior would be crowned WWF champion in another good match, so at least some credit needs to go to this match for launching Warrior's reputation as a clutch performer. One of my personal favorites as a kid, but definitely doesn't hold a candle to the next two matches......
Wrestlemania 10: Ladder Match - Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon - The last two were very tough to choose, but I went with it this way. I expect some debate over this, but here's the way I see it. While this match is incredible and trendsetting as it is the first ladder match on a grand stage (the first WWF ladder match was actually 2 years prior between Shawn and Bret Hart), I still like the other match a little bit better. We'll get to that, but let's talk about this match first. I love the story here, as Shawn had left for a couple of months due to a storyline suspension (in reality he was suspended for steroids which he has denied doing to this day) and in that time, Razor Ramon became champion. Michaels claimed that he had never been beaten and continued to wear his IC belt in this time. The culmination of the feud was the ladder match at Wrestlemania 10. Of course, this match is always talked about and you can't see a Shawn Michaels highlight without seeing his splash off the ladder from this match. It truly was a great bout and certainly the start of an amazing history of ladder matches in the WWE, but I have one match that I like just a little bit better.....
Wrestlemania 3: Randy Savage(c) vs. Ricky Steamboat - Please tell me you realized this was coming! This was a show that supposedly housed 93,000 people in Detroit so it had to deliver. Obviously, the big draw was Hogan/Andre, but this match was certainly the second most hyped. The story was simple: Savage the heel hurt Steamboat's larynx in a match and put him out for months. When he got back, he challenged Savage for his Intercontinental title and we got this classic. While most matches are called on the fly with a basic idea of spots and a knowledge of the finish, this match was very different. Savage, being a stickler for detail, had scripted the match out move for move with Steamboat months before to insure that it came off well. The fear with this strategy is that the match will come off too scripted and remove all emotion from it, but these two men were about as good as they come at this time and this match delivered in every conceivable way. It stole the show and is probably a big reason Wrestlemania still exists today. Yes, the Hogan/Andre match delivered too, but without a solid undercard, it would be tough to put on a long Pay Per View show to simply wait for the main event. This match has everything a great match should have and is a must view for any wrestling fan. For your convenience, I have included the latter part of this match at the bottom of this article.
Agree? Disagree? Leave some comments and let the world know how you feel? Look for more Wrestlemania coverage often, as I will be providing a lot of it before the big show next Sunday!
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