5 potential Intercontinental Championship challengers for Ricochet

Ricochet won his first Intercontinental Championship by defeating Sami Zayn on Friday's SmackDown. For anyone that has followed his run on the main roster, this is well-deserved and a small sign of hope for WWE.

The aerial superstar is a workhorse and a show-stealer, and it's great to see the company getting behind someone who's been so underutilized.

Now comes the question of who his first challenger will be. There is certainly a long list of deserving talent to choose from. It will be interesting to see whether the company gives The One and Only a lengthy title run in an attempt to make the Intercontinental Championship more credible than it has been in recent years.

With that in mind, let's examine five potential challengers for the IC title. How any of these challengers factor in WrestleMania 38 remains to be seen, but it will be exciting to find out in the coming weeks.

#5. Ricochet vs. Sheamus

Sheamus has been a consistent mid-card performer for WWE throughout his career. Given his history with Ricochet, he is a logical choice to challenge for the newly-won title.

Their matches have ranged from good to less than stellar, including one particularly memorable bout where Ricochet broke Sheamus' nose. Could the creative decide to play into that and ignite a feud between the two?

It's a match fans have seen before, but with the right booking, it could be interesting.

#4. WWE tries to establish Ridge Holland

While the company seemed to be high on Ridge Holland when he debuted, he now appears to be floundering in the lower mid-card.

Holland has the look that Vince McMahon is fond of, and if booked correctly could be a major force in WWE. The Intercontinental Championship would be perfect around his waist, as it's a great title for up-and-comers the company wants to transform into bigger stars.

#3. Ricochet vs. Drew McIntyre

Since reigning as WWE Champion last year, it appears that Drew McIntyre's stock has dropped within WWE. He is booked for WrestleMania, but in a lower-card match against Happy Corbin.

That being said, it's likely the company still considers him a top-level star. With Roman Reigns likely dominating both world titles for the time being, it would make sense to insert The Scottish Warrior into the IC title picture coming out of the big event in Dallas.

#2. Pete Dunne Debuts from NXT

While WWE has strayed from their formula of calling up NXT talent on the night after WrestleMania, it remains a possibility. Pete Dunne has been an NXT mainstay for many years and has the talent to flourish on the main roster if booked well.

Having him debut shortly after WrestleMania to challenge for the title would result in an excellent match, assuming the two are given enough time. Plus, if Dunne were to go over, it would quickly establish him as a credible talent on the SmackDown brand.

#1. Ricochet vs. Sami Zayn in a rematch

Unfortunately, it's likely that Ricochet's title reign will be short-lived and will only serve as a small chapter in the story WWE is building around Sami Zayn vs. Johnny Knoxville at WrestleMania.

While this match will more than likely take place, booking it with the Intercontinental Championship on the line would be a mistake and would only serve to devalue a title in sore need of some credibility, given its rich history.