Who was the first WWE Intercontinental Champion, winning the title in 1979?

Pat Patterson was the first WWE Intercontinental Champion, winning the title in 1979.

The championship was introduced in September 1979, when Patterson was presented as the winner of a fictional tournament held in Rio de Janeiro. WWE later treated the tournament story as part of the title's kayfabe history, even though no such tournament had actually taken place.

Patterson's reign established the championship as a major secondary singles title. He held it until April 1980, when Ken Patera defeated him. The title was initially called the Intercontinental Championship because its invented origin involved a supposed unification of regional championships.

The championship became closely associated with wrestlers who later moved into WWE's world-title scene. Its long list of holders includes Pedro Morales, Don Muraco, Randy Savage, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, and The Rock. In 2023, Gunther set the record for the longest reign under WWE's modern lineage.