How an inside joke from McMahon became part of the legend behind the WWE IC Title

Bruce Prichard revealed on Something To Wrestle With how the story of Pat Patterson winning a tournament in Rio De Janeiro to become the first IC champion was not only a plot device, but a way to amuse Vince McMahon.

“Do you know why the tournament took place in Rio De Janeiro? Okay, this is a little tidbit of information that has never been made public before I don’t think. I don’t think it’s in [Pat] Patterson’s book. The tournament site where Pat Patterson won the intercontinental was Rio De Janeiro was because Vince [McMahon] was tickled at the way Pat could not say Rio De Janeiro with his accent”

“And Pat would just say ‘Rio’” Prichard explained. “But it ticked Vince to get Pat to struggle with Rio De Janeiro.”

source: The Spotlight