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At this year's Wrestlemania, Finn Balor entered as the Demon and dazzled the audience with his performance. What was most impressive was the fact that that he lifted Bobby Lashley, a man almost 70 pounds heavier than him, up for a powerbomb, before ending the match with a Coup De Grace.
From what transpired last week on RAW, and the fact that there is an impending superstar shake-up, we may finally see some new challengers for the Intercontinental Championship. Balor and Lashley may be finally done, and we hope more people in the roster get a chance at the title.
Let's have a look at 5 potential candidates from both brands.
#5 EC3
On a dark match this week after RAW, EC3 had a match against Luke Harper and on this occasion, he was accompanied by his long-time associate Drake Maverick. These two had prior association while they were in Impact Wrestling, and WWE are probably looking to replicate the same into their programming as well.
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EC3 hasn't had anything to do ever since he quietly made his debut on the main roster. A fantastic speaker, EC3 hasn't even been allowed to speak in the segments which featured him, which even lead to speculations that this might be his gimmick on the main roster.
Now that Wrestlemania is over, it is probably a better time to start from scratch and give EC3 the chance he deserves. WWE might have delayed all plans for the new crop of NXT call-ups until Wrestlemania 35 ended, and probably are even waiting for the superstar shake-up to end too.
But just like we had seen Lacey Evans finally kick-off her campaign, EC3's time may not be very far. And why not challenge the Intercontinental Champion Finn Balor?
#4 Bray Wyatt
Truth be told, Balor and Wyatt still have unfinished business. The last time these two were supposed to wrestle, Bray Wyatt caught a viral infection that prevented him from being in the TLC pay-per-view back in 2017.
Both men endured a rough ride over the past years but Balor still managed to make his way up the ladder, where he finally got an opportunity to challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship and subsequently, won the Intercontinental Title at the Elimination Chamber PPV this year.
On the other hand, Bray Wyatt had a feud with Matt Hardy, which ultimately turned them into a tag-team. The two would go on to become tag-team champions, but that wouldn't last long. Bray got lost into oblivion and is still looking to make his return to the ring after a long period of absence.
If Bray Wyatt does return next week in the superstar shake-up, it would be quite interesting if he gets a chance at Finn Balor's IC title.
#3 AJ Styles
One of the most eagerly awaited superstar transfers that fans would love to see happen, AJ Styles to RAW would be one of the best surprises that WWE could pull off next week. The Phenomenal One has defined the blue brand ever since the brand split took place in 2016, and it may now be time for him to move on to new avenues.
While he is reportedly injured, it is only a matter of time when he would be back to our screens. And what better way to kick-off a new campaign, than to challenge the IC Champ Finn Balor. Provided Balor stays on RAW too, these two getting into a feud can be one of the most exciting prospects heading into the summer.
Last time both these former NJPW stars met, it was back at TLC 2017, and the encounter was certainly an early contender for Match of the Year. While that was just a one-off match, a feud between these two veterans will make the audience jump out of their seats with joy.
#2 Mustafa Ali
What a disappointing turn of events it has been for Mustafa Ali. What might have been a WWE Championship opportunity at Wrestlemania, he was ultimately let down due to an injury he picked up just a month before Wrestlemania.
But he has shown all the promise and potential to succeed on the main roster, and Vince may have some plans in place for Ali in the coming weeks. We might see Balor arrive on the blue brand, or Ali switch to RAW next week, and there are chances that he might land himself an opportunity to fight for the Intercontinental Championship.
This match-up would be a delight to the fans, who know how both these premier athletes can spark magic between the ropes. It would also be an opportunity for Ali to grab his first title in WWE, as the former 205 Live man is yet to capture any title ever since he made his debut back in 2017.
#1 Kevin Owens
From being hand-picked to wrestle Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship at Fastlane to missing out on Wrestlemania completely, Kevin Owens is stuck in creative limbo. While the original plans for Owens might have been to face Bryan at Wrestlemania, Kofimania ran wild and thus, Owens had to take the back seat on this one. And understandably so.
But now that the grandest show of the year is behind us, WWE shouldn't mess Kevin Owens up. This would an ideal time to set up a proper feud for him, and what a better opportunity would be than challenging Balor for the IC title. From what occurred last week on RAW, Balor is yet to have a challenger for his title.
Just as mentioned earlier about Mustafa Ali, Owens and Balor could light up the crowd with their in-ring skills. These two have some history between them, right from their days in NXT where their rivalry was one of the most memorable ones in NXT history. If they are booked properly, both these superstars won't leave anyone disappointed.
