Who Should Have Been Considered to be The Next IC Champion

With Sami Zayn recently stripped of his Intercontinental championship due to issues related to Covid-19 there is a great discussion regarding who from the Smackdown roster should and could go on to become the new IC Champion. With a diverse roster full of several solid candidates there are plenty of names to discuss and today we are going to be looking five of the best options to go on and take Zayn’s place as the Intercontinental champion looking at what each superstar could bring to the table as the titleholder. Keep In mind this post was written before the tournament started and the list below includes names I personally would have liked to have seen as champion.

THIS POST WAS WRITTEN BEFORE DREW GULAKS RELEASE.

Jeff Hardy 

The WWE is currently telling an interesting story when it comes to Jeff Hardy. Focusing on his time in the industry and questioning whether his career is slowly but surely drawing to a close we can expect some interesting angles and matchups and hopefully the WWE really pull of an epic storyline for a future Hall of Famer in Jeff. Now, of course, I would love to see a WWE championship reign for him and even a potential rivalry with the Fiend in the meantime, however, adding to his momentum by putting him in the IC title scene could be very fitting. It allows him to have a strong position on the roster as champion and open him up to exciting storylines that look to show young up and comers looking to take out the all-time great but also explore dream matches (including taking on former champion Sami Zayn in the future) and revisit previous feuds to add even more story and depth to his reign.

Daniel Bryan 

Daniel Bryan remains a huge fan favourite and key figure over on the blue brand. Of course, we have seen him apart of great matches this year already and opening him up to the chance of an IC title reign brings more opportunities and potential epic matchups to the table for him. From colliding with Drew Gulak again, revisiting his rivalry with Sheamus from years ago, and meeting in the ring with a returning Sami Zayn in the future are just some of the potential must-sees that could come from Bryans reign from a storyline and wrestling perspective. It’s sure to be a while before we see Bryan back in the WWE Championship scene and the Intercontinental title appears to be very fitting for him not to mention there are so many creative angles and awesome matches to come from such a reign.

Sheamus 

If you know me, you know that I have been the biggest Sheamus fan from day one! Rather underrated the former champion has pretty much done it all; king of the ring, Money in the Bank, Royal Rumble and every main roster championship expect the Intercontinental championship. This is the one title that prevents the Irish star from being a grand slam champion and with a dominant run since his most recent return this could be a very fitting time for Sheamus to reach this historic moment in his career. In recent weeks Sheamus has worked dominant squash matches but the former champion deserves to be involved in something much bigger and exciting. A run with the IC title opens new opportunities for the former Royal Rumble winner and will give him a more solid position on the roster and a reason for fans to pay close attention to him.

Drew Gulak 

While I’m sure so many fans would love to see Daniel Bryan as champion (as we mentioned earlier) Drew Gulak is personally one of my main favourites I would like to see go on to become the new Intercontinental Champion. The former 205LIVE star is an incredible up and coming talent with so much to offer! In recent months we have seen Gulak work incredible matches both on PPV and Smackdown weekly and his interesting relationship with Daniel Bryan gives him an even bigger edge. I don’t know about you but I would love to see Gulak and Bryan come to blows one more time, however, this time around for the IC title; give them twenty minutes or more and we are getting a classic and a potential match of the year candidate. Gulak has been working incredibly hard from the moment he arrived on the scene and has had a great transition to the main stage, an opportunity to hold the IC title is huge and what we could see is a star born as well fantastic matches that add prestige to the championship again and give the title a new direction and feel.

Cesaro 

We all know just how underutilized Cesaro is! A huge fan favourite the former United States champion has been apart of so many fantastic matches over the years that have shown him to be worthy of not only a top spot but the position of WWE champion, however, such booking has never happened. Now, there are some amazing potential matches and storylines the WWE could involve Cesaro in, and crowning him IC champion is a great next step in his career. He’s one of the fan favourites for the win and with a potential angle with a retuning Sami Zayn in the future along with collisions with the likes of Nakamura, Sheamus, and Daniel Bryan amongst many that would sure make for must-sees. This may not be the major title reign fans have always wanted to see from Cesaro but the spotlight is at least something and it would be great to see him involved in more!

King Corbin

As one of the world's biggest Baron Corbin fans is it any surprise, I included him in this post today? In all fairness Corbin has been playing a big role over on Smackdown providing great character work, standing out as a strong heel, and showcasing himself in dominant performances both on PPV and Smackdown LIVE weekly. He’s been growing in momentum and I truly do believe its time to see him with a championship around his waist and a more solid position on the roster. As one of the best heels on the blue brand, this is sure to add to his character work and presence and we can expect to see more meaningful storylines and angles.

There were, of course, other names considered when looking at who could/should go on to become the next Intercontinental champion. From Shinsuke Nakamura to Gable there were plenty of superstars who evidently would make for great contenders and could bring something exciting to the title but who will go on earn the spot and who truly the right man for the job?

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