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Not long ago, the WWE Intercontinental Championship was a coveted prize. Over time, the belt's value declined significantly, and it hasn't been the best-booked belt at the company. At present, the Universal and WWE Championship hold greater appeal within the industry.
Legends such as Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, Steve Austin, and more elevated the Intercontinental Championship status that was introduced four decades ago. But not every champion bathed in its glory.
Some superstars failed to get the attention they deserve, as it can take a long time for the WWE Universe to realize what they achieved.
Here, we look at some of the most underrated intercontinental champions in WWE history.
#5 Five-time WWE Intercontinental Champion Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy and Matt Hardy are among the most decorated tag teams in WWE history. But as an individual superstar, Jeff's Intercontinental Championship run hasn't received the attention it deserved.
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Although Matt had poor luck with his singles career, the case with Jeff Hardy was entirely different, who is a Grand Slam Champion.
Hardy won his first Intercontinental Championship back in 2001 but held it only for three days. He won the IC title on two more occasions in 2006, but it wasn't until 2007 that he had a lengthy reign with the coveted title. Hardy successfully defended the title against Snitsky and Carlito before dropping it to Chris Jericho after holding onto it for 191 days.
His last reign came in 2020 where he defeated AJ Styles to become a five-time Intercontinental Championship.
Unfortunately, WWE's current bookings for Hardy have been a letdown and he has been on a downward spiral after multiple losses.
Jeff Hardy hasn't been used to his full potential since he returned. It's time for WWE to hit reset and give Hardy the final flourish he deserves. Maybe a shot at the Intercontinental Championship in the future would be the perfect way for The Charismatic Enigma to bring the curtains down on a Hall of Fame-worthy career.
#4 Three-time WWE Intercontinental Champion Shelton Benjamin
Shelton Benjamin had all that was needed to make it big in the wrestling industry, but he fell awfully short. However, his run as WWE Intercontinental Champion was staggering. Benjamin held the title for 244 days, a figure higher than some of the all-time greats, before finally losing it to Carlito in 2005.
Shelton Benjamin defended the title against the likes of Rob Van Dam, Chris Jericho, and even Ric Flair. Yet, he isn't hailed amongst the best to have held the championship in WWE.
At 45, Shelton Benjamin still has a lot to give. They could move him to SmackDown or NXT for a fresh start. Benjamin could still prove to be a threat to the upper mid-card if the creative hand him a chance.
As he is no longer part of the Hurt Business, Benjamin could restart his singles career. His in-ring skills are far from diminished, and with a proper push, he could reach greater heights in the company while elevating others around him.
#3 Five-time WWE Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett
Some might argue that Wade Barrett's reign was one of the major reasons why the WWE Intercontinental Championship started to lose value. The title kept changing hands often during Barrett's first run. He kept losing to babyfaces on every major pay-per-view, and slowly, fans started losing interest in the title.
Barrett managed to turn things around with his new gimmick. Bad news Barrett was a classic heel, and after winning the IC title again, he put up a good show. However, injuries cost Barrett his run and he was forced to vacate the title.
Despite dropping the Intercontinental Championship five times in a span of four years, Barrett ranks 11th in the number of days he held the title in his combined reigns.
Wade Barrett returned later on but never feuded for the IC Championship again. He departed the company and returned as a commentator years later. At present, he is a part of the NXT broadcast team.
Although he may not wrestle again, fans won't forget his WWE career. If it weren't for injuries, Barrett could have been one of the biggest overseas stars in WWE history.
#2 Two-time WWE Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes
Cody Rhodes is souring new heights in his career with AEW, but he enjoyed decent success at WWE. The Intercontinental Championship was the first title he won in WWE and in his two reigns, he held the coveted prize for a combined 236 days.
Cody Rhodes introduced a revamped version of the Intercontinental Championship that gave it a classic white design. Although the design was revamped yet again in 2019, the white belt enjoys a cult status even today.
Cody took on all comers when he was the champion which only added to the prestige of the title as it was defended constantly on TV. Rhodes ultimately lost the championship to Big Show at WrestleMania XXVIII. WWE didn't push Cody enough, and the company made him adopt gimmicks he wasn't happy with.
After losses and no major hauls for his gimmick from the creative department, Rhodes asked to be released from WWE.
After various gigs at the independent circuit, he now serves as the Executive Vice President and an in-ring talent at rival promotion AEW. Cody has been instrumental in their success and led them to compete toe-to-toe with WWE.
#1 Six-time WWE Intercontinental Champion Rob Van Dam
Rob Van Dam is a WWE legend and has many accolades to his name. The new Hall of Famer is widely known for multiple championship runs in his career. He is a former World Champion, ECW Champion, Money in the Bank winner, and many more.
But one thing fans often miss out on is his stints as Intercontinental Champion, a title he held six times during his WWE career.
After moving to WWE from ECW, Rob Van Dam became a household name. He won the Intercontinental championship in 2002 after defeating William Regal at WrestleMania X8. RVD put up some of the best matches the fans had witnessed at the time during his title reign. He finally dropped the title to Chris Jericho nearly a year later.
Wrestling fans have seen little of RVD lately, with his last match coming against Sami Callihan in September 2020. He is currently out of contract and him being inducted into the Hall of Fame might be a sign of him returning to WWE.
