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With his victory over the Miz this past week on Raw, Roman Reigns entered his name into an elite club of Grand Slam Champions in the WWE.
With WrestleMania 34, and his impending coronation against Brock Lesnar fast approaching, the distinction is yet another feather in Reigns' cap that the WWE can use to push the envelope when it comes to him.
But be that as it may, WrestleMania still isn't until a few months away and there's plenty of time for Roman to establish the Intercontinental Title by defending it against legitimate opposition and either continue on till Mania as the Champion or drop it to a worthy contender along the way.
The WWE has a great opportunity to create a John Cena US Championship Open Challenge like situation for Reigns here, by having him defend the strap against other Superstars on a weekly basis.
On that note, here are 5 deserving Superstars that can step up and challenge Reigns for the IC Championship.
#1 Samoa Joe
The nasty Samoan is as capable as they come, and will give Reigns a run for his money should he receive an opportunity to challenge for the IC Title.
I think it speaks volumes about how legitimate Joe can come across that he's still considered a credible threat to the likes of Brock Lesnar, without ever holding a Title on the main roster.
And it's also safe to say that he just doesn't get along with Roman Reigns, meaning that their match is bound to be an intense and hard-hitting encounter.
What's more, Roman Reigns has never beaten Joe in singles competition on Raw - something that the Samoan Submission Machine will rub in every step of the way.
Now imagine if Joe wins the title from Reigns. That would be an incredible way for The Samoan Submission Machine to win his first title on the main roster
#2 Finn Balor
Whatever Vince McMahon thinks, I think it's plain to see that Finn Balor is quite 'over' with the WWE fans.
He's a solid worker, got bags of charisma and the Demon King persona, if booked right by the WWE, is something that sets him apart from other Superstars.
After becoming the first ever Universal Champion though, Balor has found Championship opportunities hard to come by on Raw.
Having him step up to face Roman Reigns could be a great way to address that, and in the process, allow the pair to work a great match too.
And if the match against AJ Styles at TLC was anything to go by... Finn definitely rises to the big occasions.
#3 Kurt Angle
The Raw GM proved at TLC and at Survivor Series that he's still got enough gas in the tank to work a match on special occasions...and going up against Roman Reigns for the IC Title definitely qualifies as one.
It would be a cool mark-out moment for the fans and a legacy building 'dream match' for Reigns too, almost like when the then Undisputed WWE Champion Rock went up against Ric Flair in a one-off encounter on Raw in 2002.
It would also be a fantastic way to set the ball rolling on the Intercontinental Championship Open Challenge, wouldn't it?
#4 Jason Jordan
Despite the audience souring on him, it appears that Jason Jordan has the favour of the powers that be at least for the time being.
It would explain why he's in and around the important storylines like the one leading up to Survivor Series and got caught in the crosshairs between Triple H and his father, Kurt Angle.
Logically, the next step in getting Jordan over would be to allow him to also impress upon the audience that he's pretty darn good in the ring...which he is.
And challenging Roman Reigns for the Intercontinental Championship would be the perfect way to showcase that.
#5 Braun Strowman
Roman Reigns' rival-in-chief, Braun Strowman is perhaps the only other Superstar that is equally high up on Vince McMahon's 'push' list as the big dog.
Little wonder then that, arguably, both of his and Reigns' most memorable feud was involving the other, when they would customarily rip the arena inside out on a weekly basis trying to put each other down.
And all of this even when a Title wasn't involved.
So just imagine what happens when the Intercontinental Championship is also on the line, and the winner stands to gain much more than just bragging rights.
I can almost envision the destruction already.
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