3 Possible Endings for WWE IC title Ladder match at Wrestlemania 31

The 7-man ladder match for the Intercontinental Title has all the attributes to steal the show. And if the in-ring build up is anything to go by, we are in for a rollicking ride come Wrestlemania 31. Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler, Dean Ambrose, Luke Harper, Stardust, R-Truth and champion Bad News Barrett are all wrestlers capable of putting on a good show.While the in-ring action promises much, the hide and seek storyline that played out often lacked depth and actual heat between wrestlers. To compensate, the WWE has started plugging betting odds for the match. The character build-up has been slightly comical at times. BNB has been ranting about how everyone seems to steal his belt from him while Ambrose, ZIggler and Bryan have been chummy with one another.The Stardust gimmick has not really caught on, what with the audience chanting “Cody” at every opportunity available. R-Truth has signed up for a ladder match after claiming to have a fear of heights. Luke Harper hardly does anything other than stare.However, in fairness to the WWE, they have been promoting the match as a wrestling-centric show stealer, and it promises to be as much. All the aforementioned wrestlers each bring their unique style of fighting to the table, and come Wrestlemania 31, the ladder match for the IC Title promises to be a jaw-dropping encounter that could well steal the show as promised.

#1 Credibility to the IC Title

Of the 7 men, it is hard to argue with the theory that Daniel Bryan, on current momentum, would help to most elevate the Intercontinental Title. Bryan has spoken recently about how his heroes when growing up were yesteryear greats who held the title, and how he has held all the belts in the WWE excepting the Intercontinental Championship.

The ladder match at Wrestlemania 31 could provide the completion in Daniel Bryan’s trophy cabinet, and early signs point to the fact that the WWE are going with this outcome as Plan A.

Daniel Bryan is a fantastic in-ring worker, and has developed a massive fan following with his affirmative Yes! Movement backed up by awesome in-ring performances. The WWE only needs to remember the fan backlash following Royal Rumble to understand how popular Bryan is.

The primary reason why the fans started booing Roman Reigns is not because they did not like Reigns, but rather because the WWE gave Roman Reigns the Royal Rumble victory instead of Daniel Bryan.The WWE does not seem likely to repeat the same mistake twice, as Bryan is the odds on favourite to walk out of Wrestlemania 31 in possession of the Intercontinental Title.

#2 Who better to steal the show, than the Show-off?

Dolph Ziggler and Daniel Bryan had one of the best one-on-one bouts in recent WWE history during the Gauntlet match that Ziggler won. It promises much for the future, with both superstars taking to social media to tout a possible match in the future.

The ladder match at Wrestlemania 31 could be the stage that this potential feud needs to play out. The match could be booked in such a way that Ziggler prevents Bryan from winning, and claims victory for himself.

Owing to Daniel Bryan’s spiking popularity with the audience, it is likely that Dolph Ziggler would turn heel if he steals the IC Title from Bryan’s grasp. This could lead to a feud that could steal the show at any upcoming pay-per-view.

The mutual respect between Bryan and Ziggler is apparent, and for good measure, as the duo are arguably the two best in-ring workers in the company today. This only bodes well for their potential feud, as I see them pushing each other on to greater heights while performing.

Also, putting the Intercontinental Title on Dolph Ziggler is not a bad decision. He has been a consistent performer for the WWE now for a few years, and his in-ring work deserves recognition. Putting the IC title on him would be a reward richly deserved, and the WWE can always have Daniel Bryan win it back from him at the end of the feud.

#3 Ive got some bad news for you

Having Wade Barrett retain the Intercontinental Title might not be a bad booking move on the part of the WWE. While it might deprive the IC Title of the credibility that it stands to gain from Daniel Bryan, it at least offers continuity in the form of Bad News Barrett.

An English heel, Barrett is a formidable presence inside the ring and a classy trash talker outside of it. Having had many wrestlers lay siege to his Intercontinental Title in the past few weeks, Barrett could go on to establish his credibility as the IC champion if he defends his title at Wrestlemania 31 and lay to rest his doubters. The fan expectation surrounding Daniel Bryan winning the title has been so voluminous that BNB has slightly gone under the radar as the champion thus far.

Having Barrett win would provide a shock result, and could also prime him for a feud with an incoming Sheamus, whose return the WWE have constantly plugged. And If Barrett prevents Bryan winning in the build up to defending his title, he is likely to draw a considerable amount of ire from the fans, that can only serve to cement Barrett as a top heel.

There is no denying that it would be a shock result if Barrett wins, but the WWE is bound to include a surprise or two in every Wrestlemania and the 7-man ladder match could be considered easy prey. Apart from the good number of superstars participating in it, the match is also being strongly tipped to steal the show. The match has the potential to endure a shock result, and still stand out as a great match, hence allowing the WWE leeway to spring a shock result. Bad News Barrett could most profit from that scenario.