The 5 Longest WWE Intercontinental title reigns since 2000

#4. Shinsuke Nakamura - 201 days as Intercontinental Champion

Nakamura has won both the WWE and IWGP Intercontinental titles

The first holder of the Intercontinental Championship with the current design, Shinsuke Nakamura's sole Intercontinental title run lasted 201 days. He earned the title when he unceremoniously defeated Finn Balor in a match that was relegated to the 2019 Extreme Rules Pre-show. However, he did defend the title against a variety of opponents during his run.

Nakamura successfully defended the title against Ali, The Miz, and even Roman Reigns as he flourished being the first Asian-born Intercontinental Champion. Additionally, his reign as the IWGP Intercontinental Champion during his time with new Japan raised the prestige of that title to the same level as the IWGP Heavyweight championship. So, winning the equivalent title with WWE was considered poetic.

Nakamura never came close to matching his exploits in New Japan, but his run was creditable nonetheless. The reign finally ended at the hands of Braun Strowman on the January 31, 2020 episode of SmackDown before Nakamura's ally, Sami Zayn, won it back a few weeks later.