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The Bulgarian Brute, Rusev, won his third United States Championship this week on SmackDown Live. Rusev defeated former NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura to regain the prestigious title, and step into 2019 as the US Champion.
Rusev winning the championship opens several new possibilities on SmackDown Live. The heel-dominated roster of SmackDown Live has a new babyface champion. This will lead to several superstars possibly getting an opportunity at the US Championship.
With Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles battling it out for the WWE Championship, a lot of mid-card superstars will look to make a name for themselves fighting for Rusev's title.
Rusev is an exceptional talent and has brilliant in-ring prowess. He has had several great matches throughout his career, most of them coming for the US Championship.
Rusev will be looking for new opponents quite soon. We look at five superstars who could challenge Rusev for the United States Championship.
#5 Shelton Benjamin
The former US Champion, Shelton Benjamin has unfortunately been lost in the shuffle on SmackDown Live. He has not been able to recreate the success of his earlier run and has featured scarcely on WWE television.
Benjamin is a talented superstar and has produced some fantastic matchups in the 2000s. He may have gotten older, but still possesses all the tools for a great feud for the United States Championship.
The McMahon Family has ushered in a new era and has promised new faces on WWE programming. Shelton Benjamin returning to challenge Rusev will be a nice surprise and a fresh never seen before matchup.
Benjamin and Rusev last crossed paths when they fought for the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championships last December, with Chad Gable and Aiden English as their respective partners.
Shelton Benjamin, although a less likely option, will be a fun addition.
#4 The Miz
The King of Midcard, The Miz is always in the talking for the midcard championships. The Miz has become synonymous with the Intercontinental Championship in the past few years. However, the IC belt is currently on RAW and out of The Miz's grasp at least until Mania.
The Miz has not really featured in a major feud ever since his rivalry with Daniel Bryan ended in October. He is always a safe bet when it comes to building a hot feud, as his personality and charisma are one of the best in the industry.
The A Lister could bring his significant other, Maryse to nullify Lana's presence in Rusev's corner. Rusev and The Miz in a feud will have interesting promos and their segments will definitely become the highlight of any show.
The Miz's current storyline with Shane could make this match-up difficult, but it is a possibility nonetheless!
#3 Samoa Joe
The resident villain of SmackDown Live, Samoa Joe has failed to win a single championship in over two years on the main roster. Samoa Joe's short yet interesting rivalry with Jeff Hardy seems to have reached its conclusion, and both superstars will move on to bigger things.
Samoa Joe was dissed by Jeff Hardy regarding his failure to capture a single championship in almost two years. Joe would look to end this sad streak and win his first ever championship.
Samoa Joe is one of the best talkers in the WWE right now, and his menacing personality facing off against The Bulgarian Brute will ensure some devastating encounters.
Joe needs to win a title soon and defeating Rusev for the US Championship will be an interesting decision. Joe carrying the belt like a deadly villain will be a great addition to SmackDown Live.
#2 Andrade Cien Almas
Andrade Almas debuted on SmackDown Live almost six months ago, but has not yet reached the heights of his NXT run. His stay on SmackDown Live has been topsy-turvy, as he has featured in high-profile matches but failed to win any.
He faced off against AJ Styles and Rey Mysterio very early into his main-roster career, but couldn't fend off his opponents. Almas is a highly talented wrestler, who produced arguably the best match in WWE this year against Jonny Gargano at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia.
Almas and Zelina Vega fighting Rusev and Lana will be a nice sight on Smackdown Live and will make the WWE Universe interested in the rivalry.
Almas is due for a major push on the main roster, and WWE will look to push the Mexican stalwart by giving him a US Championship feud.
#1 EC3
Ethan Carter III, one of the "fresh" callups from NXT, is yet to debut on the main roster. Fans are still wondering where the dashing superstar will land up, and it could very likely be on SmackDown Live.
Rusev announcing an open challenge for the championship, only to be interrupted by a debuting EC3, will send shockwaves into the WWE Universe. EC3 was one of the major superstars in TNA, and will undoubtedly be a force to reckon with in WWE.
EC3's run in NXT was quite short and did not feature any significant feuds, but his character will surely succeed on the main roster.
EC3's flamboyant persona clashing with Rusev's crushing gimmick will make for an interesting rivalry and get the fans talking.
EC3 claims to be in the Top 1 percent, but we all know Rusev is the best and Rusev is No.1!
