Being the only SmackDown superstar to survive against Team Morrison, McIntyre faced and defeated John Morrison a few weeks later, putting him in line for Morrison's Intercontinental Championship at (TLC). Days before the event, Morrison mocked McIntyre's Scottish heritage by dressing as a "Braveheart"-inspired William Wallace, but at TLC on 13 December, McIntyre managed to pin Morrison after a thumb to the eye to win the Intercontinental title, his first championship in WWE. He retained the title against Morrison and later against Kane using underhanded tactics. His televised undefeated record ended in a Money in the Bank qualifying match against Kane on 26 February episode of "SmackDown", but Mr McMahon forced SmackDown's general manager Teddy Long to expunge the loss. The same thing happened again with Matt Hardy before McIntyre finally qualified for the Ladder match by pinning an unsigned wrestler. McIntyre then lost to The Undertaker on 19 March and also failed to win the Money in the Bank match on 28 March at WrestleMania XXVI, his first WrestleMania appearance. In weeks after this, McIntyre continuously attacked Matt Hardy until he was stripped of his title on 7 May by Long and suspended for the purposes of the storyline; McMahon decreed he be reinstated as champion the following week, undermining Long's authority which developed tension between McIntyre and Long.