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After not being defended on PPV since October, the Intercontinental Championship has a new holder in Braun Strowman. The Monster Among Men finally received his title shot on SmackDown and he won the title from Shinsuke Nakamura.
Nakamura had held the title since Extreme Rules last July, which is an absurdly long time in today's WWE. Most mid-card reigns last only a few months while Nakamura's lasted nearly seven. Strowman had pinned the King of Strong Style on multiple occasions but was consistently denied a shot at the Championship.
After finally receiving his opportunity on the SmackDown following the Royal Rumble, Strowman didn't waste any time. Even interference from Sami Zayn and Cesaro could not save Nakamura's title reign. While Zayn's interference did lead to his client losing (he took off a turnbuckle cover but Nakamura hit it instead) may cause some friction, Strowman is certainly going to move on to different challengers.
With WrestleMania season upon us, he could have any number of challengers both leading up to and at the Show of Shows. Now that a face has the title, Strowman will likely have to fend off several heel challengers. Here are five feuds for new Intercontinental Champion Braun Strowman.
#5 Sheamus
He might still be trying to rid Friday nights of stars under six feet, but Sheamus can only beat Shorty G so many times before it gets too repetitive. While Strowman doesn't fit the "little guy" status that Sheamus has targeted upon his return to action, he does fit into the whole "size matters" saying now used by the Celtic Warrior.
Sheamus is a physical threat and a former World Champion so it would only make sense for these two to square off. SmackDown doesn't have a ton of believable threats but The Celtic Warrior could at least give the big guy a run for his money.
Nothing much is set in stone just yet for the IC title at WrestleMania, but this could certainly be a pairing for the Showcase Of The Immortals. The title will be defended either in a singles match or a multi-person match. Since the mid-card on RAW has more depth and varied performers, I think the IC title match will be a one-on-one affair. It just might be between these two. Sheamus even said he is targetting the IC title as it is the only one championship missing from his accolades and will make him a Grand Slam Champion. You can find the video right here:
#4 Cesaro
While Nakamura could just as easily go after Strowman to reclaim his title, the burden of trying to bring the title back to the Great Liberator's camp could certainly also fall to Cesaro. The Swiss Superman has been a supporting character in the entire feud between the current and former Champion. He's either been an obstacle or an opponent to Strowman.
If Zayn or Nakamura do not go after him, then the former could choose to send Cesaro after the new Champ instead. He's only won one singles title in his career but is a physical specimen who could offer up a huge challenge for The Monster Among Men.
We've seen Cesaro perform incredible feats of strength with the likes of the Big Show and other large WWE Superstars. That potential alone is worth a feud. The Swiss Superman is also one of the most underrated Superstars in the whole company, so a good portion of the WWE Universe would be in his corner as well.
It all comes down to if Nakamura is going to go after The Monster Among Men or if this is the end of the angle. Will Strowman be moving on to other things now that he's finally captured that elusive singles title?
#3 John Morrison
John Morrison did just return to action in January after an eight-year hiatus from the WWE. The Shaman Of Sexy is also currently involved in an ongoing feud for the SmackDown Tag Team titles with the New Day. Morrison faced off with Kofi and Big E on the Blue brand and defeated them both. Even The Miz also defeated the former WWE Champion.
They didn't receive their shot at the titles at the PPV but did earn the right to challenge by winning a four-team match on the latest SmackDown. They'll get that title shot at Super ShowDown and the jury is out as to if they'll be able to wrest the belts from the current Champions.
If the newly reformed duo fails to dethrone the New Day, then they will need a new direction heading into the countdown to WrestleMania. It would be a smart decision to have the Friday Night Delight challenge Strowman at some point in the near future. He's uber-athletic and would make Strowman's offense look incredible.
Morrison may not win a singles title so soon after his return, but he could certainly enter into a program from one. He's fought monsters before so he wouldn't be afraid to travel to this monster's lair in order to capture some gold.
Here is what our experts, Tom Colohue and Korey Gunz had to say about Morrison's return.
#2 The Miz
As the roster currently sits, SmackDown is filled with a lot of mid-card heels. There are several former champions like Robert Roode, Dolph Ziggler, Morrison and The Miz. All are being used in the tag team division at the moment but are usually thrust into title programs as needed. Ziggler and Roode are likely to be used more so as lackeys for King Corbin rather than as valid challengers for the title. For that reason, another heel team's two members may get title chances against Strowman.
The Miz became synonymous with the title over the last few years so he could easily target The Monster Among Men on the Road to WrestleMania. It would provide both men with a featured match at the Show of Shows. If The A-Lister and Morrison fail to capture the SmackDown Tag Team titles, then they will certainly focus on another type of gold.
Strowman and The Miz also have a history from a few years ago on RAW that can be built upon if they choose to use it. While the Blue brand's mid-card heels are all remnants of the past in WWE, they are still useful in putting others over.
The Miz might win a war of the words with The Monster Among Men but he may not provide the same kind of threat that someone like Sheamus or Cesaro would pose.
#1 King Corbin
I think this feud makes the most logical sense for a potential WrestleMania match. WWE clearly values King Corbin as evidenced by his multiple title shots against Seth Rollins over last summer. He's also been heavily featured in multiple segments throughout SmackDown following the move to FOX.
He's done great work at getting the fans to hate him. It's a hard thing to do in today's game. So many fans cheer for the bad guys simply because the bad guys (The Fiend, Undisputed Era) are great at their jobs. In Corbin's case, it's hard to like him with every word and ensuing action.
Like The Miz and Strowman, Corbin and the Monster had battles on RAW when both were a part of Monday nights. That history could also be revisited in a potential feud on the Road to WrestleMania. Corbin is going to try get some of his luster back after recently getting doused in dog food in the latest chapter of his feud with Roman Reigns.
If he's not destined for a major title run on SmackDown, the next best thing - and opponent - could be the new Intercontinental Champion. He'd likely throw Roode and Ziggler at the Monster Among Men but would likely be more successful this time around against one of the top faces on Friday nights.
