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At WrestleMania 37, Apollo Crews captured the WWE Intercontinental Championship after beating Big E in a Nigerian Drum Fight. With some assistance from the repackaged Commander Azeez, formerly known as Dabba Kato or Babatunde, Crews won only his second singles title in WWE.
A former WWE United States Champion, Apollo Crews' win at The Grandest Stage of Them All marked the beginning of his first reign as the Intercontinental Champion. Having undergone a huge character change in WWE over the course of the past few weeks, Crews is arguably at the top of his game right now.
In the aftermath of 'Mania 37, a host of fresh faces could step up and challenge Apollo Crews for the Intercontinental Championship.
The WWE Universe is expecting the start of some fresh feuds on SmackDown and a host of new challengers could challenge Apollo Crews for the IC belt from here onwards.
With that being said, here are 5 potential challengers for Apollo Crews' WWE Intercontinental Championship.
#5 Shinsuke Nakamura and Apollo Crews could run it back
While Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Apollo Crews shouldn't be considered a "fresh feud" by any means, a match or two between the pair is something that the WWE Universe wouldn't mind at this stage.
After missing out on WrestleMania 37, WWE should try to utilize Nakamura's star power for the SmackDown after the show and have the former Intercontinental Champion challenge Apollo Crews.
Given how excellent Apollo's current run has been on WWE TV, a perfectly crafted match against Nakamura has all the potential to be a classic.
WWE could even extend the feud between the pair until this year's Backlash pay-per-view and have them square-off once again on PPV instead of weekly TV.
During Nakamura's previous run as the WWE Intercontinental Champion, he mostly worked as a heel. But this time around, WWE could experiment with a babyface Intercontinental Title run for Nakamura if he captures the belt from Apollo Crews.
#4 WWE could utilize Murphy once again by making him feud Apollo Crews
A feud against Apollo Crews could revive Murphy's career in WWE. The former WWE Cruiserweight Champion has fallen down the pecking order over the past few months.
However, WWE creative has the opportunity to get Murphy back on track and they could do so by pairing him against the newly crowned WWE Intercontinental Champion.
Matches between Murphy and Apollo Crews are almost guaranteed to be a classic. Both men are agile and athletic inside the ring, and the Australian, especially, is well capable of executing some of the finest high-flying moves in the game.
WWE has teased the possibility of Murphy rejoining Seth Rollins earlier. However, having the former go back to his old self and reunite with The Messiah wouldn't make sense, especially if WWE is aiming to create fresh storylines post-WrestleMania 37.
Instead, a rivalry between a babyface Murphy and heel Apollo Crews could lead to some classic matches.
#3 Aleister Black could return as Apollo Crews' newest challenger
Aleister Black has been off WWE TV for a while but could make his return against Apollo Crews. Since being called up to the main roster, Black has had his moments. However, he has never reached the heights that he did on NXT.
It's not too late to once again turn Black into one of the hottest Superstars in WWE, something he already was during his time on the black and gold brand.
Over the years, the WWE Universe has witnessed Aleister Black being in a tough spot. Ironically enough, Apollo Crews himself was in a similar situation not so long ago.
During his time on Monday Night RAW, Crews struggled to find success. But fast forward to 2021, the former NXT sensation won the WWE Intercontinental Championship at The Grandest of Them All.
Apollo Crews and Aleister Black also have also shared the ring with one another in the past on RAW and with the latter teasing the debut of a new character on social media, a full feud between the two men would be interesting to watch.
#2 Kevin Owens could target Apollo Crews and aim to regain the WWE IC Title
Kevin Owens and Apollo Crews were both victorious at WrestleMania 37. With Owens beating Sami Zayn in another classic between the two, the former WWE Universal Champion would surely get the chance to call a few shots.
A former WWE Intercontinental Champion himself, Owens could shift his focus on the title that he once held in WWE. Despite Apollo Crews being at the absolute top of his game right now, he would definitely feel a bit insecure with The Prizefighter chasing his Intercontinental Title.
Crews and Owens could go well together inside the ring. Given the fact that the latter likes to fight against adversity, WWE could fit Commander Azeez right into the mix of a feud featuring Crews and Owens.
A feud between the two is sure to give us a lot of incredible matches and the feud can be extended well past the Backlash PPV.
#1 Cesaro could cash in on his big WrestleMania 37 win and demand a shot at Apollo Crews
Much like Apollo Crews, Cesaro also picked up a huge win at WrestleMania 37. Several fans from the WWE Universe also believe that his win over Seth Rollins at The Grandest Stage of Them All was one of the best matches of 'Mania 37.
After another solid in-ring performance for The Swiss Cyborg and a big win, Cesaro definitely deserves a push for a title post-WrestleMania. WWE could do that by having the former United States Champion challenge for the prestigious title.
For his constant top-notch performances, The Swiss Superman could get a crack at Apollo Crews and the fans definitely wouldn't mind.
The two men are almost guaranteed to put together a great and Cesaro could even walk out with the WWE Intercontinental Title if WWE decides to go that direction.
Cesaro is on one of his best pushes at the moment and it would make sense for him to challenge Crews next.
