A piece of pro wrestling history is now up for auction.
Heritage Auctions:The leading auction house for wrestling merchandise has released for public sale the 1985-1988 WWF/WWE Intercontinental Championship Belt. As of this writing, the winning bid is a whopping $82,500 (not including buyer’s premium) and there are 22 days left until the auction closes.
The belt, made by Reggie Parks, was a ring used and held by four WWE icons: Tito Santana, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, and The Honky Tonk Man. Wild and Steamboat known to fight for it at WrestleMania IIIas their title clash still ranks as one of the best WrestleMania matches ever.
“No match captures that reputation better than Savage and Steamboat at WrestleMania III,” the item description reads. “On March 29, 1987, the two had a fast-paced, beautifully timed match that ended with Steamboat winning the title. Although Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant headlined the show, Savage and Steamboat created the match that many fans and wrestlers still remember as the masterpiece of the night. The wrestling explosion of the 1980s, this belt is instantly recognizable, it evokes packed arenas, bigger characters and champions who could really work than gold and leather, it represents an era and a standard that still resonates across generations.
Santana got the title firstmarked with the “WWF” logo in bright red paint, in September 1985. Five months later, Savage dethroned him as the WWF/WWF Intercontinental Champion, later carrying the belt to WrestleMania 2 and a 400+ day reign. The reigns of Steamboat and the Honky Tonk Man followed, with the latter notably carrying it at the Survivor Series event in November 1987. WWE officially retired the design in 1988.
