5 Superstars who could challenge Bobby Lashley for the Intercontinental title

The 14th January edition of WWE RAW was one of the most interesting Monday Night RAW shows in recent history, with some great matches, compelling storytelling, and a huge title change.

Bobby Lashley, who rejoined WWE in 2018, won his first title in 13 years, as he defeated Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins in a triple threat match to win his first Intercontinental title.

This will be Lashley's third title reign in his WWE career, having won the ECW title as well as the United States Championship in his first run with the WWE. Lashley, who turned heel in the latter half of 2018, has looked good in the ring, although his gimmick - that of him showing his backside to the public, and having a loudmouth manager in Lio Rush, has disappointed some fans.

But, his Intercontinental title reign could be the start of something new for The Dominator. Many fans have been dreaming about a match between Bobby Lashley and Brock Lesnar, and I have a feeling we will see it at WrestleMania 35.

But, before that, Lashley could have a few interesting feuds while holding the IC title. Here are 5 Superstars who could challenge Bobby Lashley for the IC title:

#5 Kevin Owens

Owens was attacked by Lashley following which Owens had surgery

WWE announced last month that Kevin Owens will be returning to the WWE soon, although they did not reveal when The Prizefighter will get back in the ring, following his knee surgery.

The last opponent that Owens faced before he had to get surgery was Bobby Lashley, where Lashley turned heel, and Owens babyface. It remains to be seen if Owens will be a face when he returns, but it's set up nicely for the former Universal champion to take revenge, maybe even at Royal Rumble, where he could make a surprise entrance.

I can certainly see this being a great feud with both Superstars' incredible athleticism, as well as the trash talking between Owens and Rush.

#4 Apollo Crews

The McMahon family announced last month that WWE will go in a new direction and that we would see new Superstars getting a chance. One RAW Superstar who was afforded that opportunity is Apollo Crews who won a battle royal to become the No. 1 contender for the Intercontinental title, and lost to Dean Ambrose later that night, in a match that showed what Crews is all about.

Crews is an incredible athlete who is set to get a big push from the WWE, as per Mike Johnson of PW Insider, who had this to say: “They seem to want to do something with Apollo Crews. Maybe he’s on a slow burn because he is going to be entering the Royal Rumble. I feel like there’s a lot more potential to him and I worry that they’ve kind of used him so poorly that he’s never going to recover.”

Crews and Lashley could put on a great show in the ring, showcasing their athleticism in a battle between the power of Lashley, and the quickness and agility of Crews. Crews hasn't held a title belt in NXT or the main roster, but I think it is time that he gets a shot at Lashley and the IC title.

#3 Dolph Ziggler

There were rumours doing the rounds recently that Dolph Ziggler could quit the WWE, but those were put to rest by various sources. Ziggler, who is also a comedian, is set to tour later this month, and it seems like he will be away from a WWE ring for that time period.

It seems like Ziggler has much more freedom to when he wants to wrestle in the WWE, given that he's been with the promotion for over a decade. The 6-time Intercontinental champion can put on a great match with almost any opponent, which makes him a versatile player in the WWE.

Ziggler last faced off against Drew McIntyre and is possibly a face now, which will work well in a heel vs face dynamic between Lashley and Ziggler. At 6 Intercontinental championship reigns, Ziggler is just 3 shy of the most Intercontinental titles, a record currently held by Chris Jericho. We could possibly see Ziggler match Jericho or even usurp him from the top spot.

#2 Elias

Another man who has had a great year in the WWE is Elias, whose gimmick has won him many fans, and he's destined to be a top player in the WWE for the next decade or so. Elias and Lashley have history, having faced each other at TLC, as well as a few times on RAW.

Elias' character has evolved significantly over the last year or so, and he's one of the few Superstars who gets a huge pop every time his name is mentioned.

We could maybe see the two re-ignite their feud at Royal Rumble, and then maybe have a match at Elimination Chamber.

Like Apollo Crews, Elias hasn't held a title belt on NXT or RAW, and I think it would be safe to bet on him winning a title by the end of 2019. The Intercontinental title could be the first one that Elias wins.

Special mention: Dean Ambrose

Could Dean Ambrose win back the IC title from Lashley?

Dean Ambrose may not get his mandatory rematch, with WWE having buried the "mandatory rematch clause" that was used by many Superstars after losing their belt.

Ambrose's feud with Rollins seems to be coming to an end as Rollins possibly sets his eyes on the big prize, the Universal title. We will probably see Lashley and Ambrose battle it out in the weeks to come, and maybe even after Royal Rumble.

Both Ambrose and Lashley are heels, which would make it tricky to get a compelling storyline. WWE could maybe add another person in the mix - possibly a face, to get the crowd invested in the feud.

Ambrose held the Intercontinental title for just 29 days, having won it from Seth Rollins at TLC, in December, and will be itching to put gold around his waist once more.

#1 EC3

EC3 made an appearance on the 14th January edition of RAW, standing outside the office of Vince McMahon to convince the Chairman to give him a shot at Brock Lesnar at Royal Rumble.

The commentators announced that EC3, like the other recent NXT call-ups, haven't been assigned to RAW yet, but will feature on RAW and SmackDown for the next few weeks before they are assigned to one brand.

EC3 and Bobby Lashley have history, having wrestled in TNA on numerous occasions, for various titles in the promotion. And they could very well re-kindle that incredible rivalry in WWE, if EC3 is called up to RAW.

What a better way to make your name in the WWE than face off against at titleholder as well as an incredible athlete like Bobby Lashley? We could perhaps see this feud develop after Royal Rumble, where the two could probably confront each other in the ring.