SummerSlam: 7 Best Intercontinental Title matches in history

#6 Rey Mysterio vs Dolph Ziggler (SummerSlam 2009)

Mysterio gave Ziggler his first great singles match.

If one looks at the history of the Intercontinental Title in the 21st century, one can easily point out that Rey Mysterio's run with the title in the summer of 2009 was easily the pinnacle of his career. His rivalry and matches with Chris Jericho before SummerSlam were a piece of art, and his reign also ended in a little live TV gem against John Morrison.

Sandwiched between these two programs is a rivalry that not only helped retain the level of prestige brought to the title by Mysterio and Jericho but also helped bring a new young Superstar into the limelight, Dolph Ziggler. Their twin showdowns at Night of Champions and SummerSlam continued the trend of the great title matches that Mysterio was having as Intercontinental Champion at the time.

The match at SummerSlam, in particular, stands among the best title defenses of the Masked Legend's long career. Given the chance to open the show, the two had a thrilling encounter that featured 12 minutes of non-stop action. For the first time in his career, Ziggler looked like a star at the big stage and managed to make most of the opportunity given to him.

Ziggler might have lost a hard-fought battle, but this classic with Mysterio gave him the first great singles match of his career.