4 possible directions for Baron Corbin following his loss at WWE NXT Deadline 2023 - Major rivalry with Seth Rollins, new champion targeted?

WWE NXT Deadline 2023 aired last night and the show was a major hit. The likes of CM Punk, Shawn Michaels, Rey Mysterio, Dragon Lee, and Dominik Mysterio all appeared in addition to the standard NXT Superstars.

The main event of the evening was a bout for the NXT Championship. The reigning champion Ilja Dragunov defended his coveted prize against long-time veteran Baron Corbin in what was a very physical main event.

The hard hitting bout went back and forth throughout, with both men failing to hold the upper hand for too long. In the end, however, Ilja won after hitting several H-Bombs and The Torpedo Moscow, putting down his disrespectful rival for what may be the final time.

The feud may very well end up being over and Corbin suffered a major loss. This naturally raises questions regarding what may be next for the former Lone Wolf. Will he again try to challenge for the coveted title? Could he move brands? This article will look at a handful of directions his career could take.

Below are four possible directions for Baron Corbin following his loss at WWE NXT Deadline 2023.

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#4. He could challenge Ilja Dragunov again

The most obvious direction for Baron Corbin is to continue down the same path he's been taking lately. The former United States Champion could continue to target Ilja Dragunov and the coveted NXT Championship.

The two had a fantastic bout, but realistically, this only tied the series up, so to speak. The pair first competed on WWE NXT in June where Corbin actually defeated Ilja. With Baron's loss at WWE NXT Deadline, the record is now 1-1.

A rubber match could truly decide which of the two phenomenal pro wrestlers is the better man. Granted, Ilja has an upcoming title match with Trick Williams at NXT New Years Evil, but there's no guarantee that Corbin can't remain involved in the title picture.

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#3. Baron Corbin could move to RAW and attempt to win the World Heavyweight Championship

Seth Rollins

Seth Rollins is currently "the man" on WWE Monday Night RAW. He is the reigning World Heavyweight Champion, a title he first won in Saudi Arabia earlier this year. Rollins won the belt by defeating AJ Styles in the finals of a tournament to crown the first-ever champion.

In the time since then, Rollins has defended his belt against the likes of Damian Priest, Bron Breakker, Jey Uso, and Sami Zayn in major television matches. He has also defended his coveted prize at massive premium live events against Finn Balor, Drew McIntyre, and Shinsuke Nakamura.

The Visionary will need new and fresh opponents in WWE, so why not Baron Corbin? The pair have history together, but Baron has re-invented himself since joining the white & gold brand. This feud could feel fresh and exciting on Monday Night RAW.

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#2. He could challenge Dragon Lee for the WWE NXT North American Championship

Dragon Lee has had an incredible 2023. He officially made his WWE debut early in the year as part of the NXT brand. He was a key player on the show, but impressed everyone with his guest appearances on RAW and SmackDown, which led to him being called up to the main roster.

Despite that, Lee made a major appearance at WWE NXT Deadline 2023. Wes Lee couldn't end up competing against Dominik Mysterio due to an injury, so Dragon took his place. This led to Mysterio and Lee clashing at the show, with Dragon Lee pinnning Dirty Dom to win the coveted North American Championship.

Now that there's a new champion, Shawn Michaels may want to give Dragon Lee a top tier challenger. Baron Corbin just main evented NXT Deadline, so he could be a major threat to the lucha sensation. Who knows, Baron could still win a title in NXT after all.

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#1. Corbin could make his way back to SmackDown

Baron Corbin

Friday Night SmackDown is the probably top brand in all of WWE according to many. This comes down to the fact that the show has the most weekly viewers, typically by a considerably wide margin. Additionally, the biggest star in the company is the face of the brand: Roman Reigns.

Beyond The Tribal Chief, the brand has several other major stars and interesting faces. This includes the likes of Logan Paul, Jimmy Uso, Randy Orton, Kevin Owens, AJ Styles, and Solo Sikoa, among others.

Corbin could return to SmackDown and face a combination of familiar faces and old stars. A battle between the former United States Champion and LA Knight could be very intriguing. How might Baron do working against a star like Santos Escobar? The options could be quite exciting.