SummerSlam: 7 Best Intercontinental Title matches in history

#3 Mr. Perfect vs Bret Hart (SummerSlam 1991)

A true passing of the torch moment.

Until WrestleMania VII, Bret Hart was only known as a tag team specialist, as one half of the legendary Hart Foundation along with Jim Neidhart. While their loss at Mania brought an end to the acclaimed pairing, it was also the start of a whole new career for The Hitman as a singles star and it all started with this brilliant match for the Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam 1991.

Before the show, Mr. Perfect had been an exceptional heel Intercontinental Champion for over 200 days and had successfully dispatched the challenges from the likes of Tito Santana, The Texas Tornado Kerry Von Erich and Big Boss Man. Hart's popularity surge post-WrestleMania turned him into one of the biggest babyfaces in the company, and he was booked to challenge Perfect for the title at SummerSlam.

In the storied home for professional wrestling, Madison Square Garden, the two in-ring technicians had a type of match that had not been seen inside a WWE ring for years. With the perfect heel-face dynamics, the two charmed the crowd with mat-wrestling, submission moves and brawling, with Perfect controlling the match for majority of the time.

However, it was the underdog Hart who emerged victorious after reversing a Figure Four attempt into a Sharpshooter and becoming the new Intercontinental Champion. With Perfect retiring from active wrestling after the event, this match from SummerSlam 1991 was a true passing of the torch moment.