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After being away from in-ring action for the past few months, Aleister Black made a triumphant return to the squared circle by defeating Cesaro at Extreme Rules last month. Before his match with The Swiss Cyborg, Black was cutting dark backstage promos asking for someone to pick a fight with him. His challenge was finally answered by Cesaro and the duo ended up having what many are calling the match of the night at Extreme Rules.
Black has been one of the most protected characters in WWE. During his two-year stint in NXT, The Dutch Destroyer only lost clean only a handful of times and went on to defeat the who's who of the Black and Yellow Brand. Although he has lost a couple of tag match since arriving on the main roster, he hasn't been pinned or submitted since his loss to Tomasso Ciampa at NXT Takeover: Pheonix.
The Amsterdam-native has everything one would want in a top star. He has a great look which is unlike anybody on the current roster. He is very charismatic and has a very unique in-ring style which keeps you hooked every time he steps inside the squared circle.
Here are five potential opponents for the former NXT Champion at SummerSlam.
#4 Cesaro
Ok, let's get the obvious one out of the way first. Black and Cesaro have had two matches so far and both of them were pretty solid. They have solid chemistry inside the ring and their style seem to mesh well together. Their match at Extreme Rules was one of the best main roster matches of the year and while their match at SmackDown the next week didn't exactly set the world on fire, it was a great TV match.
With only two weeks until SummerSlam, WWE needs an opponent for Black. Although Cesaro has lost both of their previous matches, he looked good in both of them and was able to take the Dutchman to the absolute limit. It was ultimately the 'Black Mass' which made the difference as Black hit Cesaro with utmost precision and pinned him to the match for a three count.
Black and Cesaro would once again blow the roof off if they were to be paired for SummerSlam. Although the story behind this feud hasn't been great, the in-ring work by both men has been so good that the story itself has taken a backseat.
The rubber match between Black and Cesaro would be a great opener for the Biggest Party of the Summer. Both of them will bring their A-Game in Toronto and we are sure to get another instant classic from the duo if they were to lock horns once again.
#3 Sheamus
Cesaro's former tag team partner, Sheamus, hasn't been seen in a WWE ring for quite some time. The Celtic Warrior was said to have suffered a concussion during a tag match on an episode of SmackDown in April. Following this incident, rumors began surfacing about the former Tag Team Champion possibly retiring due to said injury and a severe neck injury that has been plaguing him for the past few years. This has since been refuted by numerous sources.
Despite his recent success in the tag team division alongside Cesaro, Sheamus has also tasted success as a singles star. He is a former WWE and World Heavyweight Champion, Royal Rumble winner, King of the Ring and Money In The Bank contract holder. With Cesaro being drafted to RAW during the Superstar Shake-Up, we can expect Sheamus to return to singles competition.
With his history of concussion and neck-related injuries, it is safe to say that Sheamus is wrestling on borrowed time. It won't be long before the Irishman calls it a day and steps away from the squared circle. A match between Sheamus and Black would be the perfect way for Sheamus to return to in-ring competition.
Black and Sheamus are two of the stiffest wrestlers in WWE today. Both of them use stiff kicks and hard strikes to put their opponent down. It will be quite a sight to see a Brouge Kick being countered by a Black Mass.
#2 Shinsuke Nakamura
The King of Strong Style has been on a hot streak as of late. After defeating Finn Balor twice within six days and capturing the Intercontinental Championship in the process, some time away from the ring seemed to have worked wonders for the Japan Superstar. Shinsuke Nakamura looks more focused and lethal than ever.
Nakamura doesn't have an opponent announced for SummerSlam yet. Ali was teased to be in next in line for an IC Title shot against Nakamura on SmackDown a few weeks ago. The duo had a championship match at Sackville on Saturday, which Nakamura won convincingly. If WWE is indeed grooming Black to be the next big thing, which by the looks of it they most certainly are, they need to put him up against an opponent who can test his limit. Nakamura is that opponent for Black.
Nakamura and Black have an eerily similar style which is heavily influenced by Japanese puroresu, drawing elements from various Martial Arts disciplines. Both of them use strikes and stiff kicks very frequently during their matches. A match between the two has the potential to be an absolute barnburner.
#1 Daniel Bryan
Ever since losing the SmackDown Tag Team Championship to the New Day at Extreme Rules, Daniel Bryan has been teasing a career-altering announcement. He was initially expected to make the announcement on the SmackDown following Extreme Rules. But the self-proclaimed Planet's Champion decided to hold off the announcement and left without even uttering a single word. We haven't heard or seen Bryan ever since which is quite surprising as we are just two weeks away from SummerSlam.
There have been conflicting reports regarding Bryan's announcement. While some have said that the announcement would be that Bryan is moving to 205 Live, others have argued that Bryan is moving away from tag team competition. Smackdown's Executive Director, Eric Bischoff, is said to be a big fan of Bryan's work and reportedly wants to move the bearded superstar back in the main event picture.
Bryan and Black had previously faced off against one another almost a decade ago at a WXW event in Germany in a shoot-style match. Bryan would end up winning the match via count-out after Black failed to get up after Referee 10-count following a stiff leg kick by Bryan. If their last encounter is anything to go by, this one surely isn't going to be for the faint-hearted. Bryan Vs Black is a perfect summer feud which could help take Black to the main event scene. Bryan is pretty much bulletproof at the moment and a defeat against Black will not dilute his aura in any way, shape or form.
