{"id":146673,"date":"2025-11-23T06:00:40","date_gmt":"2025-11-23T11:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=146673"},"modified":"2025-11-22T22:04:24","modified_gmt":"2025-11-23T03:04:24","slug":"john-cena-oldest-wwe-intercontinental-champions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/11\/23\/john-cena-oldest-wwe-intercontinental-champions\/","title":{"rendered":"John Cena &#038; The 4 Oldest Wrestlers To Win The WWE Intercontinental Championship, Ranked By Age"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The WWE Intercontinental Championship is one of the most prestigious championships in history. The late WWE Hall of Famer Pat Patterson was the inaugural titleholder. He infamously won the championship in a fictional tournament in Rio de Janeiro in 1979. Furthermore, the Intercontinental Championship is traditionally seen as a stepping stone to becoming a world champion.<\/p>\n<p>Winning the Intercontinental Championship is an integral part of becoming a Triple Crown Winner or Grand Slam Champion in WWE. In some instances, it&#8217;s become the final piece of the jigsaw to complete WWE&#8217;s Triple Crown or Grand Slam.<\/p>\n<p>Ask four-time WWE world champion Sheamus who&#8217;s failed so far in his quest to become a Grand Slam Champion. However, despite the Intercontinental Championship being a workhorse title, there have been some wrestlers who have won the Intercontinental Championship at a later stage of their careers.<\/p>\n<p>RELATED: <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/11\/19\/every-becky-lynch-wwe-womens-intercontinental-championship-title-defense-ranked\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Every Becky Lynch WWE Women&#8217;s Intercontinental Championship Title Defense, Ranked<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The oldest wrestlers to win the Intercontinental Championship in history had contrasting reigns with the title. Some had some memorable runs with the gold, and others had abrupt reigns as the Intercontinental Champion.<\/p>\n<h2>5. Bobby Lashley &#8211; 42 Years, 7 Months, And 26 Days<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Finn B\u00e1lor vs. Bobby Lashley - Intercontinental Championship Match: Raw, March 11, 2019\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ic0obHRL9P8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The Almighty&#8221; Bobby Lashley won the WWE Intercontinental Championship for the first time when he defeated Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins for the title in a triple threat match on an episode of Raw in January 2019. However, Lashley dropped the gold to Finn Balor in a handicap match at Elimination Chamber 2019, with Lio Rush taking the fall.<\/p>\n<p>Lashley regained the Intercontinental Championship from Balor on Raw&#8217;s March 11, 2019 edition. Lashley was four months shy of his 43rd birthday when he became a two-time Intercontinental Champion. Furthermore, Lashley&#8217;s stints as Intercontinental Champion are often forgotten since he went on to win the WWE Championship twice.<\/p>\n<p>His second reign lasted just 27 days, and he only defended the championship once against Balor in a title rematch at WrestleMania 35. The Almighty dropped the strap back to Balor, who was in Demon form at the Showcase of the Immortals.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>4. Jeff Hardy &#8211; 42 Years, 11 Months, And 21 Days<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Jeff Hardy vs. AJ Styles \u2013 Intercontinental Championship Match: SmackDown, August 21, 2020\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NqgM7My5lGo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>For almost 25 years, Jeff Hardy has been in the record books as the youngest Intercontinental Champion in WWE history.<\/p>\n<p>The Charismatic Enigma was just 23 when he upset Triple H to win the Intercontinental Championship for the first time in April 2001. However, despite having a storyline knee injury, Hardy managed to dethrone AJ Styles on the August 21, 2020, episode of SmackDown to become a five-time Intercontinental Champion.<\/p>\n<p>Hardy was set to turn 43 at the end of August, going on to hold the Intercontinental Championship for five weeks. Sami Zayn returned as he never lost the Intercontinental Championship in the first place.<\/p>\n<p>He opted to stay at home during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Zayn claimed that he was the real Intercontinental Champion, a throwback to Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon&#8217;s storyline over the Intercontinental Championship in 1994.<\/p>\n<p>Nevertheless, a triple threat ladder match at Clash of Champions 2020 between Hardy, Zayn, and Styles took place. This bout was one of the highlights of WWE&#8217;s ThunderDome era, but it&#8217;s a shame that a live crowd wasn&#8217;t present to witness it. Ultimately, Hardy&#8217;s championship reign was curtailed by the Great Liberator, who took pride in becoming the Undisputed WWE Intercontinental Champion.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>3. AJ Styles &#8211; 43 Years And 10 Days<\/h2>\n<p>Speaking of the &#8220;Phenomenal&#8221; 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.<\/p>\n<p>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. <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=DHU9wERxKgY\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Styles defeated the former Intercontinental Champion<\/span><\/a>, kickstarting his maiden run with the coveted Intercontinental Championship.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>2. John Cena &#8211; 48 Years, 6 Months, And 18 Days<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"John Cena | Last Time in Boston: Raw highlights, Nov. 10, 2025\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lMnTtm0s6zE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The WWE Intercontinental Championship was one championship that eluded John Cena. &#8220;The Never Seen 17&#8221; had a stellar 2025 as Cena&#8217;s retirement tour is coming to a close, and <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/11\/18\/john-cenas-17-wwe-world-title-reigns-ranked\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">he won a record 17th world championship<\/span><\/a>. Nevertheless, Cena needed to win the Intercontinental Championship to become a Grand Slam Champion.<\/p>\n<p>Raw&#8217;s November 10, 2025, episode was John Cena&#8217;s final appearance on Raw in front of his hometown fans in Boston. He challenged &#8220;Dirty&#8221; Dominik Mysterio for the Intercontinental Championship.<\/p>\n<p>Cena dethroned Dominik to become the Intercontinental Champion for the first time in his Hall of Fame-bound career. Cena&#8217;s Grand Slam haul is complete. With the victory, Cena is the second-oldest man in history to capture the Intercontinental Championship at 48.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_145356\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-145356\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-145356 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/11\/CS-052559_Raw_Boston_1920x1080-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"John Cena The Last Time Is Now for WWE Raw Boston where it's being rumored Cena will challenge for the Intercontinental Championship\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/11\/CS-052559_Raw_Boston_1920x1080-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/11\/CS-052559_Raw_Boston_1920x1080-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/11\/CS-052559_Raw_Boston_1920x1080.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-145356\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Credit: WWE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Never Seen 17 is set to defend his title against Dirty Dom in a rematch for the title at Survivor Series in Dom&#8217;s hometown of San Diego, California. This will be Cena&#8217;s final appearance at Survivor Series, where he&#8217;ll be looking to sign off in his final PLE appearance with the Intercontinental Championship in his possession.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>1. Ric Flair &#8211; 56 Years, 6 Months, And 24 Days<\/h2>\n<p>&#8220;The Nature Boy&#8221; Ric Flair is a 16-time world champion, but he never held the prestigious Intercontinental Championship. Flair challenged Carlito for the title at Unforgiven 2005, seeking to add the Intercontinental Championship to his overflowing trophy cabinet.<\/p>\n<p>Flair cinched in the Figure Four Leglock, leaving Carlito no choice but to submit, and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=u7gWAmJxL5c&amp;t=725s\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">he captured the Intercontinental Championship for the first time<\/a>. He became one of the oldest titleholders in the Ruthless Aggression era, and the oldest man to win the Intercontinental Championship at 56.<\/p>\n<p>Flair&#8217;s Intercontinental Championship reign was Flair&#8217;s first singles championship reign in WWE since he held the WWE Championship 13 years prior. Moreover, Naitch became a Triple Crown winner after winning the WWE Championship twice and the World Tag Team Championship twice with Evolution stablemate Batista. Flair&#8217;s Intercontinental Championship victory completed the Triple Crown set.<\/p>\n<p>Naitch&#8217;s run as Intercontinental Champion was successful, notably including a win over his former Evolution ally Triple H in a steel cage match at Taboo Tuesday 2005. The Nature Boy&#8217;s lone Intercontinental Championship reign lasted five months until he dropped the title to Shelton Benjamin on Raw&#8217;s February 20, 2006 episode.<\/p>\n<p><strong>More From LWOS Pro Wrestling<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><i>Header photo \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/Category:Jeff_Hardy_in_2017#\/media\/File:Jeff_Hardy_as_Brother_Nero_in_January_2017.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">WikiMedia Creative Commons<\/a> \u2013 Stay tuned to the <\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/\" target=\"_self\"><em><u><i>Last Word on Pro Wrestling<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i> for more on the oldest WWE Intercontinental Champions and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the significant news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world.<\/i><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><i>You can check out WWE programming on\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.netflix.com\/title\/81788927\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>Netflix<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(Raw),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usanetwork.com\/wwe-friday-night-smackdown\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>USA Network<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(SmackDown),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cwtv.com\/shows\/wwe-nxt\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>The CW<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(NXT),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/tubitv.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>Tubi<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(WWE Evolve),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aetv.com\/wwe\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>A&amp;E<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(WWE Superstar Sunday \u2013 Rivals, WWE LFG, and Greatest Moments), and\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peacocktv.com\/watch\/home\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>Peacock<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(WWE Main Event, as well as archives and premium live event streaming). Follow WWE on social media to relive top moments and matches on\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/wwe\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>YouTube<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>, and catch fast-paced action on X (<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/i\/events\/1773457579022155776?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>WWE Speed<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>).<\/i><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The WWE Intercontinental Championship is one of the most prestigious championships in history. The late WWE Hall of Famer Pat Patterson was the inaugural titleholder. He infamously won the championship in a fictional tournament in Rio de Janeiro in 1979. Furthermore, the Intercontinental Championship is traditionally seen as a stepping stone to becoming a world [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5695,"featured_media":146819,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,7205,4,3],"tags":[145,183,124,165,469],"class_list":["post-146673","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-history","category-wwe","category-wwe-universe","tag-aj-styles","tag-bobby-lashley","tag-jeff-hardy","tag-john-cena","tag-ric-flair"],"modified_by":"Michael Joseph Sugue, Manager","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146673","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5695"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=146673"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146673\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":146820,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146673\/revisions\/146820"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/146819"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=146673"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=146673"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=146673"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}