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AJ Styles won the Intercontinental Championship in an instant classic against Daniel Bryan on the June 12th edition of Friday Night SmackDown.
In this forty minute match of the year candidate, both men elevated the prestige of the championship that had lost some of its luster after a few lackluster reigns.
Since winning the title, AJ Styles has successfully defended the title against the likes of Drew Gulak and Gran Metallik. With a stacked mid-card on SmackDown, Styles has a plethora of talent to defend his championship against. However with WWE Summerslam on the horizon, Styles needs a Superstar who will pose a threat to his title reign.
In this article, we will take a look at the five most likely challengers for AJ Styles' Intercontinental Championship for the biggest party of the summer. This list will include WWE Superstars who have momentum, a story and pose a threat to the reign of the Phenomenal One. So, let's take a look.
#5 Matt Riddle vs AJ Styles
Matt Riddle has made quite the splash and drawn the ire of AJ Styles since his call-up to the WWE main roster. The Original Bro had a very successful run in NXT, winning the 2020 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, and NXT Tag Team Championships alongside his Broserweight's tag team partner, Pete Dunne, earlier this year.
His final appearance in NXT was a great "Fight Pit" match against Timothy Thatcher, before the hype vignettes for his main roster call-up started on SmackDown.
Riddle made his debut on the June 19th edition of Friday Night SmackDown, interrupting the IC Championship celebration of AJ Styles. Riddle then went on to defeat the new Intercontinental Champion in a good match to make an impact on his first night on the brand.
Through this hard fought win, Matt Riddle earned himself an Intercontinental Title match against AJ Styles on the July 17th episode of SmackDown.
With the title on the line, the Phenomenal One was able to overcome Riddle, but just barely, reversing a Bromission attempt into a pinning combination.
This was another good match between the two men, who have showed a decent amount of chemistry in their two matches on SmackDown. Although Riddle seems pegged for a feud with King Corbin, another match with AJ Styles would be a welcomed addition to the WWE Summerslam card.
With Riddle being the fresh star on the brand, as well as his momentum, he would be an ideal challenger for AJ Styles at Summerslam. His recent interactions with Corbin and defeat against the IC Champ makes him less likely than the other four on this list.
#4 Jeff Hardy vs AJ Styles
Jeff Hardy has had a polarizing return to SmackDown with his feud with Sheamus. The Charismatic Enigma has had his real life issues with addiction at the forefront of his storyline on the brand to some conflicting views from the WWE Universe.
With his rivalry with Sheamus seemingly over, a feud with the IC Champion AJ Styles would be a welcomed follow-up that has not been seen in WWE as of yet.
Although the two men have not crossed paths many times in the WWE, Hardy and Styles are quite familiar with each other from their time in TNA.
Jeff Hardy made his TNA debut at their second anniversary show in 2004 against then X-Division Champion AJ Styles, to a loud pop and surprise of the TNA Asylum crowd. The two men battled that night to a no contest, but they were frequently connected throughout their shared time in the company.
In WWE, the two men were both challengers to Daniel Bryan's WWE Championship in the Elimination Chamber last year.
With AJ Styles as a constant pest heel to most babyfaces over the past few months, he would make an ideal next feud for Jeff Hardy. There is also the fact that Hardy was denied his opportunity in the Intercontinental Title tournament in which AJ won the strap.
Now that Hardy has put Sheamus in his rear view mirror (pun intended), he can now move on and challenge for the title the Celtic Warrior denied him the opportunity to vie for.
Not only do these two men have characters that would play off of each other extremely well, AJ Styles and Jeff Hardy are two of the best in ring performers that SmackDown has to offer.
A feud between the two would definitely deliver a great match at Summerslam. The over reliance on Hardy's addiction storyline may be the only hindrance that this potential feud has. There are also just a few other guys who have more momentum and a better story to forge with Styles that keeps Hardy at this spot.
#3 Otis vs AJ Styles
One half of Heavy Machinery, Otis, has been absent from WWE SmackDown prior to this week's (July 31st) episode.
Mr. Money In The Bank has not had much of a story or feud going on since winning the briefcase at the Money In The Bank pay-per-view.
This may be the reason why so many in the WWE Universe could have forgotten that Otis only won the briefcase due to the error of another participant in the match. That WWE Superstar was none other than the current WWE Intercontinental Champion AJ Styles.
In the most unique Money In The Bank ladder match in history, it was King Corbin and AJ Styles who made their way to the top of the ladder before all the other male participants. Elias' return led to Corbin's undoing, but it was that distraction that threw off Styles.
With the briefcase in his hands, AJ Styles somehow let the prize slip through his fingers and fall into the hands of Otis. Styles was the odds-on favorite to win the match beforehand, with him just returning to WWE TV following his Boneyard Match defeat to Undertaker at WrestleMania 36.
However, it was Otis who walked away with the guaranteed shot at the world title of his choosing.
Otis has had a fantastic 2020 so far. He defeated Dolph Ziggler and got the girl of his dreams, Mandy Rose, at WrestleMania.
Otis followed this up with the biggest win of his career at Money In The Bank. Now with AJ Styles seemingly free for Summerslam, could Otis add the Intercontinental Championship to his list of 2020 accomplishments?
Both men have a reason to battle with one another, as Styles will look for revenge, and Otis looking to win his first singles gold.
We could even see a potential Title vs Briefcase match at the biggest party of the summer. With so many storyline elements involved, this is a very intriguing match-up. However with Otis' absence from WWE TV and doubts about his push, there are two other WWE Superstars with reasons to battle Styles at Summerslam.
#2 Daniel Bryan vs AJ Styles
How about running back one of the best matches of the year in WWE? AJ Styles vs Daniel Bryan put on a MOTY candidate and the best WWE TV match of 2020 on the June 12th edition of Friday Night Smackdown. A forty minute clinic in professional wresting showed the WWE Universe why Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles have long been known as two of the best wrestlers in the world long before their time in the company. These two men have tore it up for the ROH World Championship, WWE Championship and now the IC Title. One more match would be a tremendous addition to the Summerslam card.
Daniel Bryan has been one of many WWE Superstars who has been absent from WWE TV during this ongoing global pandemic.
Bryan has been an outspoken Superstar who has sat out of the more recent trips to Saudi Arabia, so it came as no surprise when he chose to sit out during these times.
The former WWE Champion has made headlines most recently due to a reported promotion of sorts contributing to WWE creative.
With this new position, SmackDown has seen more underutilized talent get more opportunities including against AJ Styles for the IC Title, which has been something Daniel Bryan has long pushed for in the company.
A Bryan vs Styles rematch has been something that's talked about a lot since their SmackDown classic.
It is certainly a match that every fan would love to see again. With the added prestige of WWE Summerslam, AJ Styles vs Daniel Bryan would be a candidate for match of the night for sure.
Although they may not get the 40+ minutes they got during their SmackDown encounter, Styles and Bryan would surely put on quite the show at Summerslam.
However, with Bryan sitting out due to the pandemic, there is one more likely WWE Superstar who has seen a boost in momentum and a new story developed due to his tag team partners being out that could push him to this IC Title Match at Summerslam.
#1 Big E vs AJ Styles
Big E. has seen a surge of support and momentum over the past few weeks. After six years of being the big man of the New Day, there has been a section of the WWE Universe who have been rally behind E to get the push he so rightfully deserves.
Without an obvious contender for AJ Styles and the Intercontinental Championship, this could be the big push that fans of Big E have been begging for.
On the July 24th episode of Friday Night SmackDown, Kofi Kingston revealed to Big E and the WWE Universe that he would be out of action for six weeks due to injuries he suffered in the Tables Match at Extreme Rules: The Horror Show.
With Kofi out and Xavier Woods still recovering from ACL surgery, the master of Trouble In Paradise let his tag team partner know that both him and Woods were giving E their blessing to go for singles glory.
Long looked at as the New Day member with the most singles potential, Big E has always had the size, the look, charisma and in ring ability to be a future WWE Champion.
Although there has been polarizing views on his current character, there is no denying the skillset that Big E has and the potential of a match with AJ Styles as something for fans to look forward to.
Big E started his singles push on a good note with a victory over The Miz on this week's (July 31st) SmackDown.
A win over a former eight-time IC Champion is a great way to get on the right foot towards a shot at the current champ, AJ Styles. These two men have crossed paths before briefly in matches on SmackDown, but they have never shared the stage on a WWE PPV.
With his recent surge of momentum and ongoing story of wheteher Big E can gain singles glory without his New Day brethren, makes the best case to be the next challenger for the Intercontinental Champion AJ Styles.
We also know Styles would make an amazing antagonist who could make E question himself on this journey. These two characters and in ring performers make a perfect mesh of contrasting styles.
It is the high flying and technical mastery of AJ Styles against the power and strength of Big E.
This match would be a barnburner and Big E makes a formidable threat to Styles' reign, which is why he is the perfect challenger for Summerslam.
