This was actually a pretty easy list to come up with a fill, the tough part is ranking who should have gone where, so if your favorite didn't make #1, I'm sorry. This is just my opinion of the guy who should been at the top.
5. Ricky Steamboat.
Having a total of 26 titles reigns, including 1 as NWA World Heavyweight Champion and 1 WWE Intercontinental Champion Ricky is one of the best to ever step foot in the ring. His match with Macho Man Randy Savage for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 3 was the undisputed match of the year and one of the greatest matches of all time.
4. Curt Hennig.
Despite bringing the importance of Intercontinental Championship to the level of the WWE Championship, Hennig never won the big one, although he did challenge for it several times throughout the big three organizations.
3. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper.
A multiple time United States Champion, 1 time Intercontinental Champion, Piper is considered one of the best heels, ever. He's also known as one of the best talkers ever, his Hall of Fame career wouldn't have been what is was without Piper's Pitt.
2. Ted DiBiase.
The First WWF North American Heavyweight Champion (which combined with the South American Heavyweight Championship formed The Intercontinental Championship), Often cited as one of the best in ring technicians of all time, DiBiase came closer then anyone else on the list to holding the WWE Championship, purchasing it from Andre The Giant after he defeated Hulk Hogan on Feb 5, 1988. However the WWE does not recognize this reign since the WWE Championship cannot be handed to someone.
1. Owen Hart.
The only person on this list who has not yet been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, Owen won the Intercontinental Championship twice, European Championship once, the Tag Team Championship 4 times and unofficially won the WWE Championship from his brother Bret Hart during a lumberjack match (The match was ordered to continue and Bret won, retaining his title.) Owen died on May 23rd 1999 in one of the worst in-ring accidents in the history of wrestling, falling 78 feet from a harness in the rafters to the ring.
Honorable Mention
I would like to throw out a few names that didn't make it to my Top 5, but do deserve recognition.
British Bulldog, Don Muraco, Dusty Rhodes, Hardcore Holly.
Who are in your Top 5?
Pretty good list, man. If WWF/E was run then (Steamboat/DiBiase/Piper/Hennig era)like it is now, all of those guys would have won the title, held it for a month then dropped it back to Hogan. This is why I don't think the 'Spinner' belt has near as much meaning as the previous incarnations of the WWE title. Might have something to do with who had held it (a "record" 10-times).....
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