Top 5 longest reigning Intercontinental Champions in WWE history
The longest-reigning Intercontinental Champions have been the most iconic figures in WWE history and have increased the prestige of the title overall.
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Gunther, Randy Savage and The Hony Tonk Man (via WWE)
The Intercontinental Championship is one of the oldest titles in WWE, dating back to 1979. The prestige of the championship is stated as a mid-card title, with its priority just next to the world championships. There have been 89 champions with a total of 183 reigns, including two belt designs that sum up its whole history.
Pat Patterson was the first-ever Intercontinental Champion, gaining official recognition on September 1, 1979. The WWF North American Championship and the fictional South American Championship were unified in Brazil. In Allentown, Pennsylvania, Ted DiBiase lost the North American title to Pat, while in Rio de Janeiro, Pat Patterson defeated Johnny Rodz to claim the South American title.
The championship was secured by multiple legends who handled the gold with a legacy. However, only a few have been successful in holding the title for a record-breaking and history-making scenario. Here are the five superstars who held the Intercontinental Championship for the longest period:
Explore more: The 10 Best WWE Champions in WWE history
5. Don Muraco
The fifth-longest and fourth-overall Intercontinental Champion, Don Muraco, was responsible for Pedro Morales’ reign being broken. Muraco defeated Pedro to win the title for the second time on January 22, 1983, on WWF on the MSG Network show. Don’s reign lasted for 384 days and saw him threaten Morales’ overall reign.
His first Intercontinental Title victory over Morales was on June 20, 1981, and saw a relatively shorter reign. Considering the number of shows at that time, each reign stretched for at least 100 days with monthly title defenses. Muraco lost his championship to Tito Santana at a house show on July 6, 1985.
4. “Macho Man” Randy Sav*ge
Randy Sav*ge was responsible for building the reputation of the Intercontinental Championship in the Golden Era of WWF. “Macho Man” won the title from Tito Santana on February 8, 1986, during WWF on the NESN program. The first and only reign of Sav*ge lasted for 414 days, making him the seventh person to hold it.
The Golden Era saw him in direct competition with Hulk Hogan‘s widespread fame. But the Intercontinental Title on his shoulders made him able to compete with Hulkster and become one of the greatest champions in WWF. ‘Macho Man’ lost the championship to Ricky Steamboat in a classic at WrestleMania 3 at the Pontiac Silverdome.
3. Pedro Morales
The third-longest reigning Intercontinental Champion, Pedro Morales, was a remarkable champion in WWF. The two-time title holder began his first reign by being the third person overall to hold the gold. But the memorable reign happened when he won for the second time and held it for a record-breaking run of 425 days.
Morales defeated Don Muraco at the monthly WWF show on MSG Network on November 23, 1981. The period of his title reign was not well known for the company, as it had less mainstream exposure. However, Pedro, from his side, took on the efforts to continue the legacy of the championship with its handsome defenses.
2. The Honky Tonk Man
The second-longest reigning Intercontinental Champion, The Honky Tonk Man, had a historic run of 454 days. At Superstars of Wrestling on June 2, 1987, Honky defeated Ricky Steamboat to win the title for the first and only time. During his whole reign, he defeated several babyface superstars to solidify his heel persona in WWF.
The elite reign with the classic belt made Honky receive the popularity that he deserved in the company. The title was brought into the limelight by him in between the dominance of prominent world championships. The playful personality lost the title to The Ultimate Warrior at SummerSlam 1998 in Madison Square Garden.
1. Gunther
Gunther surpassed The Honky Tonk Man’s 454-day reign on September 8, 2023. The Ring General became the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion of all time after 35 years. The Austrian star won the championship on the June 10, 2022, episode of SmackDown from Ricochet for being a dominant champion throughout.
His reign was appreciated by everyone and is stated to have increased its prestige. The prominence of the championship rose from just a mid-card title to a major deal in WWE. Gunther’s reign saw major threats like Drew McIntyre, Sheamus, and Chad Gable, but his sheer dominance put him way above others.
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Parth Agnihotri
(597 Articles Published)