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The WWE Universe witnessed an incredible moment in the main event of a recent episode of RAW as Jey Uso defeated Bron Breakker, to become the new Intercontinental Champion. A packed Toyota Arena in Ontario, California exploded when Jey pinned Breakker for his first singles title victory.
WWE introduced the Intercontinental Championship in 1979 as a secondary title. It is currently one of the oldest active titles in pro wrestling today. Since it was established, some of the greatest superstars of all time have held the title, such as The Ultimate Warrior, and Macho Man Randy Savage. Several stars with ties to the current champ have also held the belt at some point.
This is our list of four descendants of The Bloodline who won the Intercontinental Title before Jey Uso:
#4. WWE Hall of Famer "The Tribal Cheeks" Rikishi
The Attitude Era was an exciting time for fans, and one of the most popular stables of that time was the group known as Too Cool. Rikishi joined forces with Scotty 2 Hotty, and Grand Master Sexay to become one of the most popular factions ever. This was an exciting, unpredictable era for fans, thanks to the edgy storylines, and the way the company pushed things to the limit, as far as what was allowed on television.
While many fans remember Rikishi best for his hilarious in-ring theatrics, it's also worth noting that he was involved in some great feuds. As a singles competitor, Big 'Kish went to war with other legends such as Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Triple H, to name a couple. However, it was his rivalry with Chris Benoit that would earn him an Intercontinental Title reign. Rikishi defeated Benoit on an episode of SmackDown in 2000. He only held the belt for two weeks before dropping it to Val Venis.
#3. Two-time Intercontinental Champion Umaga
The Bloodline saga is undoubtedly the most compelling storyline in recent memory. Roman Reigns carried the angle during his historic title reign as The Tribal Chief. But in his absence, Solo Sikoa has stepped up to claim his spot at the head of the table. Many fans see the resemblance between Sikoa and his late uncle Umaga.
After spending a couple of years in Japan, and with TNA, Umaga returned to WWE in late 2005. He proceeded to go on a destructive, undefeated streak that established him as one of the most dominant superstars on the roster. Umaga defeated Jeff Hardy on an episode of RAW in February 2007 to claim the title. He would shockingly lose the title to Santino Marella less than three months later. However, he would avenge his embarrassing loss a few months later when he beat Santino to reclaim his title.
#2. "The Final Boss" The Rock
In the months leading up to WrestleMania 40, The Rock returned to become a major part of one of the greatest storylines ever. Rocky aligned himself with Roman Reigns as the world acknowledged The Bloodline. Dubbed "The Final Boss," The Rock reverted to his villainous ways, in an effort to get into the mind of Cody Rhodes.
Early in The Rock's career, he wrestled under the "Rocky Maivia" persona. As Maivia, he won his first Intercontinental Championship against Triple H (Hunter Hearst Helmsley). After a character change, Rock joined The Nation of Domination during the Attitude Era. During the legendary rivalry with Stone Cold Steve Austin, he captured the Intercontinental Title for a second time. This would be his best run with the belt, at nearly 300 days, before losing it to Triple H at the 1998 SummerSlam pay-per-view.
#1 - "The Original Tribal Chief" Roman Reigns
As mentioned, The Bloodline took the world by storm and elevated the industry to new heights. The Rock may be the biggest name in Hollywood, but Roman Reigns sits at the head of the WWE table. Roman etched his name in history as an all-time great as The Original Tribal Chief.
Roman Reigns made a name for himself as one of the members of The Shield. However, after the group imploded, Roman, Ambrose, and Rollins all went on to become major success stories on their own. Reigns covered the title bases en route to becoming a Triple Crown and Grand Slam Champion. His single Intercontinental Championship reign came in 2017 when he beat The Miz on RAW. His title run was not long-lived, but he made up for it during his historic Undisputed Universal Championship reign of nearly 1,400 days.
