Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes def. John Morrison

NEW ORLEANS – At WWE Hell in a Cell, Intercontinental Title holder Cody Rhodes opened a stunning new chapter in the history of the Intercontinental Championship, adopting a classic title from the past as the prize he would carry forth from that day forward. Moments later, the bitter Superstar cemented the legitimacy of the retro championship with an impromptu title defense against John Morrison, allegedly set up at the behest of WWE COO Triple H. (MATCH PHOTOS)

Rhodes shocked the New Orleans Arena when he “bagged” the current Intercontinental Championship, replacing it with a much-loved incarnation of the title from WWE’s past, once worn by iconic champions including Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, Bret “Hit Man” Hart, the late Randy “Macho Man” Savage and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Declaring that he would wear the title with more dignity and pride than any of the legendary Superstars ever had, Rhodes pledged to return the Intercontinental Championship to its former glory.

However, moments later, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis came forth, claiming that WWE COO Triple H had ordered Cody to defend his title in an impromptu match against John Morrison.

Still in his suit shirt and pants, Rhodes was forced to battle tooth and nail against the always-unpredictable Morrison. And despite its frantic beginnings, the bonus pay-per-view encounter quickly proved to be an extremely entertaining match-up, whose pure electricity kept the WWE Universe on the edge of its collective seat from start to finish. In the end, however, Rhodes overcame a tremendous effort of his surprise opponent, using his incredible presence of mind to roll up Morrison for the quick three-count.

With his intense victory over The Prince of Parkour, Cody Rhodes’ classic Intercontinental Championship has been presumably accepted as the symbol of his self-imposed crusade of renewed excellence. But, will Cody live up to the awesome standard he has created for himself? Find out Friday on SmackDown at 8/7 CT on Syfy.