3. AJ Styles – 43 Years And 10 Days
Speaking of the “Phenomenal” AJ Styles, the former two-time WWE Champion defines what a workhorse champion is. As aforementioned, Sami Zayn opted to stay home for parts of the COVID-19 pandemic. This led to the creation of a tournament to crown a new Intercontinental Champion. Styles faced a familiar foe in a fellow former multiple-time world champion in Daniel Bryan.
Unsurprisingly, Styles and Bryan hit a home run in an outstanding Intercontinental Championship match. Their match was held in the Performance Center, but it was crowdless due to COVID-19 restrictions. Styles defeated the former Intercontinental Champion, kickstarting his maiden run with the coveted Intercontinental Championship.
The Phenomenal One exclusively defended the title on SmackDown successfully against the likes of Drew Gulak, Matt Riddle, and Gran Metalik. Ultimately, Styles was 10 days removed from his 43rd birthday when his Intercontinental Championship reign officially began. His two-month Intercontinental Championship reign was brought to an end by Jeff Hardy.
