The **WWE Intercontinental Championship** is a professional wrestling championship in WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment). It is the first secondary title of WWE. It has been the exclusive secondary championship of WWE's weekly TV show *Raw* since May 2023 when the champion at the time, Gunther, was moved to the show from *SmackDown* in the 2023 WWE draft.

History
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The WWE Intercontinental Championship was first known as the **WWF (World Wrestling Federation) Intercontinental Championship**, until the WWE/WWF 2002 lawsuit. Following the title's introduction in 1979, Pat Patterson became the inaugural champion on September 15. The title's creation came as a result of Patterson defeating Ted DiBiase to win the WWF North American Championship and defending the title in a fictional tournament held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to be unified with a South American Championship.

In March 2001, the World Wrestling Federation bought World Championship Wrestling. Soon after, "The Invasion" took place in which the WCW/ECW Alliance was beaten in the end. At Survivor Series 2001, the title was made into one with the WCW United States Championship. The United States Champion, Edge, won against the Intercontinental Champion, Test, and became the new Intercontinental Champion while the United States Championship became inactive until 2003.

Six-time champion Dolph Ziggler, shown with the 2014-2019 design of the belt
After the WWF/WWE name change in 2002, the championship became known as the **WWE Intercontinental Championship**. It was then unified with the European Championship in a ladder match on July 22, and later the Hardcore Championship on August 26. The Intercontinental Champion, Rob Van Dam, won against the European Champion, Jeff Hardy, and the Hardcore Champion, Tommy Dreamer. As a result, Rob Van Dam was named the last European and Hardcore Champion. Then at No Mercy 2002, it was unified with the World Heavyweight Championship. The World Heavyweight Champion, Triple H, won against the Intercontinental Champion, Kane, and continued to be the World Heavyweight Champion while the Intercontinental Championship became inactive. In May 2003, after fan protests of the retirement of the Intercontinental Title, the title was reactivated by *Raw* Co-General Manager, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and was recommissioned to be the secondary championship for the *Raw* brand. Shortly after, the WCW United States Championship was reactivated as the WWE United States Championship by the *SmackDown*! brand, making the Intercontinental Championship its equal counterpart for the *Raw* brand. During the 2009 WWE Draft the two title swapped brands, making the Intercontinental Championship *SmackDown* property and the US Title *Raw* property. On August 29, 2011, all WWE programming became "Supershows" that feature wrestlers from both brands, ending the brand extension. All WWE titles can now be defended at any WWE event. 

At WrestleMania 32, the title was won by Zack Ryder in a seven-man ladder match, losing it the next night to The Miz on *Raw*. The brand split was brought back in July of 2016, with the Miz being drafted to *SmackDown Live*, bringing the Intercontinental title to that show. After a long feud with Dolph Ziggler over the title, the Miz lost the belt to Dean Ambrose on an episode of *SmackDown Live* on January 3, 2017. Ambrose was drafted to *Raw* in the 2017 Superstar Shake-Up, bringing the Intercontinental title to that show.

Current champion
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Carlito with the 2002-2011 belt design
The current champion is Sami Zayn, who is in his fourth reign. He won the title by defeating the longest reigning champion Gunther during night one of WrestleMania XL on April 6, 2024.

Related pages
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* List of WWE Intercontinental Champions

Other websites
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* WWE Intercontinental Title History

| * v
* t
* e
Championships and accomplishments in WWE |
| --- |
| Championships | 

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Current | 

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
| Raw | 
* World Heavyweight
	+ reigns
* Women's World
	+ Reigns
* Intercontinental
	+ reigns

 |
| SmackDown | 
* Undisputed WWE Universal
	+ WWE (reigns) + Universal (reigns)
* WWE Women's
	+ reigns
* United States
	+ reigns

 |
| NXT | 
* NXT
	+ reigns
* Women's
	+ reigns
* North American
	+ reigns
* Heritage Cup
* Tag Team
	+ reigns

 |
| Shared | 
* Undisputed Tag Team
	+ Raw – reigns
	+ SmackDown – reigns
* WWE Women's Tag Team
	+ reigns

 |

 |
| Former | 

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
| World | 
* WCW (2001)
* ECW (reigns) (2006–2010)
* World Heavyweight (*original version*) (reigns) (2002–2013)

 |
| Women's | 
* WWE Women's (*original version*) (reigns) (1956–1990, 1993–1995, 1998–2010)
* Divas (reigns) (2008–2016)
* NXT UK Women's (2018–2022)

 |
| Secondary | 
* NWA United States Television (1957–1962)
* United States Heavyweight (1960–1976)
* North American Heavyweight (1979–1981)
* International Heavyweight (1959–1963, 1982–1985)
* Canadian (1985–1986)
* European (reigns) (1997–2002)
* NXT United Kingdom (reigns) (2017–2022)

 |
| Tag team | 
* NWA World Tag Team (*Northeast version*) (1957–1961)
* United States Tag Team (1958–1967)
* International Tag Team (1969–1971, 1985)
* WWF Women's Tag Team (1983–1989)
* Intercontinental Tag Team (1991)
* World Tag Team (reigns) (1971–2010)
* WCW World Tag Team Championship (2001)
* NXT UK Tag Team (2019–2022)
* NXT Women's Tag Team (2021–2023)

 |
| Weight class-specific | 
* Junior Heavyweight (1965–1972, 1978–1985)
* Light Heavyweight (reigns) (1981–2002)
* Cruiserweight (reigns) (2001–2007)
* NXT Cruiserweight (reigns) (2016–2022)

 |
| Other | 
* Martial Arts (1978–1989)
* Hardcore (reigns) (1998–2002)
* Million Dollar (1989–1991, 1995–1996, 2010, 2021)
* 24/7 (reigns) (2019–2022)

 |

 |

 |
| Accomplishments | 
* Money in the Bank
* Awards
	+ Slammys
	+ NXT Year-End
	+ WWE Year-End
* Battle royals
	+ André the Giant Memorial
	+ Royal Rumble
	+ WrestleMania Women's
* Tournaments
	+ Cruiserweight Classic
	+ Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic
	+ King of the Ring
	+ Mae Young Classic
	+ Mixed Match Challenge
	+ NXT Breakout
	+ Queen's Crown
* Grand Slam
* Triple Crown

 |