Thread: The Belt Thread
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Old 07-25-2012, 07:17 PM   #5
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WWE/F Intercontinental Heavyweight Title



First Holder:
Pat Patterson




Current Holder:
The Miz



First Maker:
Unknown 15/9/1979 – 11/1979



(Best picture I have of the WWF North American Heavyweight title. It is very hard to find clear pictures of this belt.)


Second Maker:
Unknown 11/1979 - 1983






Third Maker:
Unknown 1983





Fourth Maker:
Unknown 1983 – 6/7/1985





Fifth Maker:
Reggie Parks 9/9/1985 – 29/3/1998





Sixth Makers:
Joe Marshall (First 30/3/1998 - 2010) & Dave Millican (Second 2010 - 2011)




(Joe Marshall version. This is the actual title the Rock initially debuted, it is now in the hands of a private collector.)


(Dave Millican version.)


Seventh Makers:
Joe Marshall ( First 2/10/2011 – 17/1/2012) & Dave Millican (Second 17/1/2012 - Present)



(Joe Marshall version)

(Dave Millican Version)

  • The first WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight champion, Pat Patterson was awarded the title and it was announced that he had won a tournament in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil to unify his recently won WWF North American Heavyweight title and an unknown South American Heavyweight champion's title. No matches or tournament took place and the WWF North American Heavyweight title was still used until 20/3/1981 when the title was retired by the WWF.
  • The WWF North American title was dual used as its rightful meaning title and as the first WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight title, Pat Patterson lost the WWF North American Heavyweight title to Seiki Sakaguchi on the 8/11/1979 in Otaru, Japan. Seiki Sakaguchi remained the champion until the titles retirement in March 1981 and the belt stayed primarily in Japan during his reign. Only three people held the WWF North American Heavyweight title, Ted DiBiase, (Who was awarded the title upon signing with the WWF.) Pat Patterson and Seiki Sakaguchi.
  • The second version was introduced during November 1979, a seven plate trophy shop styled title similar to the WWF North American Heavyweight title with trophy shop relief pieces and exact same red strap, however the main plate was more square and the side plates oval/rounded.
  • The belt was used up until some point in early 1983 when then champion received a new title, the design and principle were again in a similar vain to the previous titles but was only five plates with a green strap, the main plates shape was more rounded and the side plates were basic relief trophy shop plates. The belt only lasted a few months but did feature on WWF television. Don Muraco was only person hold the title.
  • During his reign as champion, Don Muraco was presented with his third and final WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight title, the belt itself was the WWF's fourth Intercontinental Heavyweight title in five years and was slightly modified from its predecessors. The belt featured seven plates, the main plate being rounded off more compactly and the side plates featured more detailed relief pieces. It was also on a green strap with white garment backing, it was also broke the mould as it was the first out of the then four WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight titles to not feature an eagle on it's main plate. Green paint was added around the relief pieces on the main plate.
  • The belt was used from 1983 until the 6/7/1985 when Tito Santana defeated Greg Valentine in cage match to begin his second reign as WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight champion. Greg Valentine, in disbelief and rage destroyed the title by smashing it against the walls of the cage. Tito Santana would go just over two months as the WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight champion without a belt.
  • On the 9/9/1985 before a six man tag-team bout, then champion Tito Santana was presented the fifth and then newest title by Gene Okerlund (See here: Tito Santana Receives The New WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Title ) but the match and presentation did not air until the 28/9/1985. The belt was made by Reggie Parks and would become synonymous throughout the 1980's, 1990's and still being revered to this very day. The belt was the first of the then five to have been etched, gold plated and featured a full leather strap with bevelling but no tooling. The main plate was flat and the logo was recessed into the design and painted red. The side plates were of all the same size and featured a small line of black paint on opposites sides on each plate.
  • Tito Santana lost the belt to 'Macho Man' Randy Savage on the 8/2/1986 but would continue to defend the title for a two weeks after the loss until the title loss was aired on television. During his thirteen month reign Randy Savage treated the belt poorly and tried to clean the belt on numerous occasions with brasso polish. The polish eroded the paint work and severely damaged the gold plating giving the a belt a tired and worn look long before it should have. His reign was the record length at the time. (414 days.)
  • The belt changed hands a further two times whilst in that state, the first, Ricky Steamboat defeating Randy Savage at WWF Wrestlemania 3. Two months later he would drop it to the Honky Tonk Man on the 2/6/1987 but the match would not air until the 13/6/1987. It is said that it was initially going to be Butch Reed who was supposed to win the title from Ricky Steamboat and not the Honky Tonk Man, however various stories confirm/conflict or just confuse depending on who tells it.

    (You can see the damage Randy Savage caused to the belt.)
  • During what would be the still reigning record reign (454 days.) of the Honky Tonk Man, the belt was replaced with virtually the same overall design as the original Reggie Parks belt but with slight changes to some of its features. The leather strap now had a seashell styled tooling, the outer side plates were now smaller in size compared to the inner side plates, the WWF logo on the main plate was raised instead of recessed and was not painted as well as the belt having a logo plate and a gold tip on end of the strap to match up with the rest of the WWF's set of belts.


    (This picture was taken during Rick Rude's reign but is clear enough to show the differences that Reggie Parks made.)
  • The belt would feature as a prominent part of the Hulkamania era and was known to be the 'workers' title where it was seen as chance to progress /prove their World Heavyweight title credentials.
  • The Honky Tonk Man's 454 day reign would end at the hands of the Ultimate Warrior in just 31 seconds at WWF Summerslam 1988. The Ultimate Warrior would lose the title to 'Ravishing' Rick Rude at WWF Wrestlemania 5 but regain it back nearly a year to the day he first won it by defeating Rick Rude at WWF Summerslam 1989 to begin his second and final reign with the title.
  • During late 1989, Ultimate Warrior debuted the belt with no alterations to its plates but its strap now dyed bright yellow. The belt was used with the yellow strap for the remainder of the Ultimate Warriors reign until he vacated the title just days after winning a title vs title match against Hulk Hogan at WWF Wrestlemania 6. The vacation was the first in its ten year plus history and the belt was quickly reverted back to its black strap.

    (This belt is a collectors version.)
  • Mr Perfect, Curt Hennig, would become the new champion after defeating former champion Tito Santana on the 23/4/1990, the match would not air until the 19/5/1990 due the way the WWF's television programmes with aired/made.
  • During Shawn Michaels initial reign in late 1992, the belt suffered substantial damage and was placed onto a powder blue coloured strap. In 1993 the belt would feature on a white strap.



    (The picture is from is from his 1995 reign as champion.)
  • On 23/9/1993, Shawn Michaels was stripped of the title for failing to defend it within a thirty day time scale. The final two participants of a scheduled battle royal, Razor Ramon and Rick Martel, faced off for the title the same night with Razor Ramon winning and starting his first of what would become four reigns as WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight champion. The title match and win did not air until 11/10/1993 due to tape delay.
  • During Razor Ramon's reign the belt was replaced once more with the same design, it was also during his reign that Shawn Michaels contested the legitimacy of his championship and declared himself to be the WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight champion as he never actually lost the title, Shawn Michaels even carried a copy of the title to carry more weight with his claim. Razor Ramon would defeat Shawn Michaels in a memorable ladder match at WWF Wrestlemania 10 to become the undisputed WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight champion.
  • As he did in 1993, Shawn Michaels used a white strapped WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight title during his third and final reign as champion in 1995. During Goldust's reigns in 1996 the title featured on a gold strap, Ahmed Johnson would relieve Goldust of the title and wore the gold strap for a short period. Also during 1996 Marc Mero and Triple H both wore a white strapped WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight title until in reverted back to and remained black strapped until it was retired in March 1998.

  • On the 15/12/1997 edition of WWF Monday Night RAW, Stone Cold Steve Austin throws the Rock's WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight title into a river from a bridge. (See here: Steve Austin Throws The Rock's WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Title Off A Bridge ) The actual WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight title was perceived to be thrown off the bridge but it was a bait and switch, it was actually and old WWF World Tag-Team title no longer used by the company and sacrificed for the angle. A man local to the bridges whereabouts fished the title from the river bed it sank to and attempted to sell it back to the WWF for $5000, the WWF told him to enjoy his free but soggy and ultimately ruined title belt.
  • During the same reign as the bridge incident, then champion, the Rock debuts a new WWF Intercontinental title on the Monday Night Raw after WWF Wrestlemania 14, 30/03/1998. The belt is first seen in a backstage segment with the Rock displaying it over his shoulder alongside the Nation of Domination. The belt was made by Joe Marshall (J-Mar) and had five plates, the main being an oval design with the WWF block logo being its centre point and did not feature the word heavyweight except for on its logo plate which was shaped like the WWF logo. The belts leather strap was a deep purple colour which quickly eroded over the next few months due to the damaged it sustained, the belt still has traces of its purple dye the majority of the strap has turned black.
  • The belts design stays the same apart from the new scratch logo what the WWF incorporates at some point in 1999. The belt has a black strap and rectangular logo plate.
  • The change is made as Reggie Parks refused to enter a contract with the WWF that would allow him to only make certain belts for the WWF, which would cost him significant business and would mean he would sacrifice some of his rights to his work. The situation goes unresolved and Joe Marshall (J-Mar) is installed/takes over as the WWF's primary belt maker. Reggie Parks and Dave Millican can still make certain WWF belts to this day including the WWF Intercontinental title. However to feature the WWF logo on the belt, the WWE charges $800 for its rights usage which is then rounded up to $1000 for service fees and legal costs incurred to the person making the belt either Dave or Reggie. A WWF Intercontinental title from the Midwest team can cost anything upwards of $2000, depending on the features wanted.
  • Chyna becomes the first and only woman to win the WWF Intercontinental title by defeating Jeff Jarrett at WWF No Mercy on the 17/10/1999. Stories state that Jeff Jarrett held owner Vince McMahon to ransom over dropping the title to a woman. Jeff Jarrett then received a substantial pay-off from Vince McMahon but has not worked for the WWE/F since. He leaves the company after setting the record for most WWF Intercontinental title reigns with six.
  • Chris Jericho and Chyna make history as the first co-champions of the title when a match on the 28/12/1999 finishes in a double pin-fall. The WWF acknowledged the co-champions at the time but does not acknowledge this in its title history in which it declares the title vacant. Chris Jericho wins a match involving Chyna and Hardcore Holly on the 23/1/2000 at WWF Royal Rumble 2000 to become the sole WWF Intercontinental champion.
  • The title absorbed/was unified with the WCW United States Heavyweight title on the 18/11/2001 in a match between Edge and Test at WWF Survivor Series 2001.
  • As of 6/5/2002 due to forced company rebranding/naming the WWF Intercontinental title changes to the WWE Intercontinental title, the belt is changed shortly after, the design once again the same but now featuring the WWE logo.
  • The title absorbs/was unified with the WWE European title on the 22/7/2002 after a ladder match between then WWE Intercontinental champion, Rob Van Dam and WWE European champion, Jeff Hardy.
  • The title absorbs/was unified with the WWE Hardcore title on the 26/8/2002 after a match between the WWE Intercontinental champion, Rob Van Dam and WWE Hardcore champion, Tommy Dreamer.
  • The title is absorbed/unified with the WWE World Heavyweight title on the 20/10/2002 when WWE Intercontinental champion, Kane, loses to WWE World Heavyweight champion, Triple H. The intercontinental title was then deactivated/retired.
  • The title is revived in May 2003 and Christian becomes the first champion since reactivation by winning a battle royal at WWE Judgement Day 2003 on 18/5/2003. The title is slightly altered and features a placement for name plates.
  • On 12/9/2004 Chris Jericho wins the WWE Intercontinental title at WWE Unforgiven and breaks Jeff Jarrett's record of six reigns by starting his seventh as champion. Chris Jericho as it stands now has a record nine reigns as WWE Intercontinental champion.
  • During 2010 the WWE asks Dave Millican to make them a new WWE Intercontinental title using their design which Joe Marshall initially and continued to make for them up until that point. Dave Millican's title featured deeper and clearer etching, better leather as well as all round durability and better standards compared to Joe Marshall's belts. Dave can/could/was legally allowed to do so as the WWE, not Joe Marshall own the rights to the art of the belt. Joe Marshall signed away his rights to the majority of belt designs because he desperately wanted to be the then WWF's chief belt maker.
  • On 2/10/2011 at WWE Hell In A Cell, then champion Cody Rhodes debuted a new WWE Intercontinental Heavyweight title design based off Reggie Parks, WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight title which was used from 9/9/1985 – 29/3/1998. The belt was made by Joe Marshall who bootlegged the art in the early 1990's and tweaked the design. The belt was on a wide cut leather strap, featured a substandard etched globe, nugget texture filler which was created by a dremel drilling the plates in production as well as slight changes to the banners, fonts and general stars on the main plate.
  • The Midwest team were informed of the copyright breach of their design and after the legalities were finalised, the WWE asked the Midwest team to make a new belt.
  • Dave Millican made the title using virtually the same design as Reggie Parks version updating the logos for the WWE. The belt is on a white tight cut strap and features a logo plate and gold tip. The belt debuted at the WWE Smackdown tapings on 17/1/2012, the show aired on the 20/1/2012.



  • The Joe Marshall version is still in use and is used as a back up/secondary belt as well as being used for some promo pictures and house show appearances.
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