SummerSlam 2019: 3 potential challengers for Shinsuke Nakamura

SummerSlam is set to take place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada this year. It will stream live on the WWE Network and on pay-per-view. It will be the thirty-second edition of the annual extravaganza and is one of the most anticipated events of the year. The Biggest Party of the Summer marks the culmination of WWE's hottest story-lines of the summer and sets the tone for the fall season.

SummerSlam takes place in a little over four weeks and WWE has already announced three matches for the second-biggest event of the year. Seth Rollins will look to regain his Universal Championship from Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam, Natalya will challenge Becky Lynch for the Raw Women's Championship and Bayley will defend her SmackDown Women's Championship against the upstart Ember Moon.

A match for the Intercontinental Championship is yet to be announced, but I'm optimistic and hopeful that the IC title will be defended at SummerSlam.

The Intercontinental Championship is currently held by Shinsuke Nakamura, who won it from Finn Balor on the Extreme Rules Kickoff show. The IC title hasn't been featured as prominently as it should be on television lately, but the title ought to be defended at SummerSlam.

Nakamura just won the IC title and it doesn't look like his feud with Balor will continue. Hence, a new challenger will step up to challenge the King of Strong Style.

Here's a look at 3 potential challengers to Nakamura's Intercontinental Championship.

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#3 Apollo Crews

The dynamic Apollo Crews is currently in the midst of a personal feud with Andrade. The two have traded insults and victories over each other in recent weeks. Apollo has shown just how talented and skilled he is (as an all-round performer) in this rivalry.

Apollo has been gaining some momentum lately and another victory over Andrade could solidify him as a force to be reckoned with. With the way Apollo has improved and developed as a performer, it's only a matter of time before he finally gets a shot at the Intercontinental title. We know how bold and daring Apollo is, hence he would have no problem in issuing a challenge to Nakamura.

Nakamura vs Apollo may not be a high-profile match, but it would be fun to watch. There's more benefit than harm in a feud between Nakamura and Apollo, thus WWE should give it the greenlight.

#2 Ali

Last week on SmackDown Live, Ali and Nakamura ran into each other backstage. After Nakamura cut an eerie promo, Ali interrupted him and appeared to congratulate him. All signs point towards a feud between the aforementioned stars over the Intercontinental Championship sooner rather than later.

Ali has been an inspirational and admirable character on the main roster. He has fought through numerous obstacles en route to becoming a WWE SmackDown Live star. His promos are always so meaningful and fans adore and love a star like him. However, Ali hasn't had much success recently.

Given that Ali and Nakamura ran into each other backstage last week, it seems like Ali will be the first to challenge Nakamura. Ali and Nakamura are great in-ring performers and can put on an instant classic.

Although these two are equally good in the ring, they both have different characters. Ali is the die-hard and lovable babyface whereas Nakamura is the abominable heel. This would make for an interesting rivalry.

#1 Aleister Black

After cutting numerous eerie and mysterious promos, Aleister Black finally made his long-awaited return to the squared circle at WWE Extreme Rules. Black convincingly defeated Cesaro at the event and then followed it up with another dominating performance over the latter on the subsequent SmackDown Live episode. In just a few months, Black has established himself as a dominant force.

Nakamura and Black have faced each other in tag-team matches earlier this year, but they haven't faced off in a one-on-one contest yet. It's a shame that we haven't witnessed Black and Nakamura battle it out in a singles match.

Black vs Nakamura is a dream match for many fans who have followed their careers. Now that both these exquisite talents are on SmackDown Live as singles stars, it is only a matter of time before we finally get the dream match we have been clamoring for.

Imagine these two wrestlers squaring off in a singles contest, it will be the Kinshasa vs Black Mass, it will be the Dutch Destroyer vs the King of Strong Style. Black is the perfect opponent for Nakamura at SummerSlam.