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Apollo Crews will compete in the most important match of his WWE career next week on RAW, when he locks horns with Andrade for the coveted United States Championship. After staying directionless for years, Crews' career finally received a proper direction when Paul Heyman brought him to the flagship show.
The NXT graduate put on a stellar match against Aleister Black and even sealed his position in the 2020 Money in the Bank ladder match. However, Heyman played a masterstroke and booked him to suffer a kayfabe injury that turned the audience in his favor.
The wrestling universe is rooting for Apollo Crews for the first time in a long time. Hence, most of the fans feel that he will leave the Performance Center with some gold around his waist next Monday.
The landscape of RAW could change if the US title changes hands because Andrade has been holding this title for the last few months. Here are the five major things that could happen if Apollo Crews becomes the US Champion.
#5 A rematch at Backlash
Apollo Crews and Andrade are two of the most talented individuals in the company right now. The fans will not mind witnessing a series of matches between the two if there is proper storytelling. The first bout of this series told a fantastic story, and as Paul Heyman is so high on Crews, the wrestling community can expect the next phases of this rivalry to deliver.
Apollo Crews' first match as United States Champion
The face star is the favorite to win the upcoming match on RAW. While a few fans would feel that the coronation of a new champ at a grander event would make it feel more significant, WWE also needs to give rich content to the TV viewers. Since Andrade has lost many matches recently, the title changing hands next Monday would make sense.
This defeat would prompt Zelina Vega to ask the backstage officials for a rematch soon. The rematch for the title can occur at the Backlash pay-per-view event where Apollo Crews would end this feud with a massive win. 'El Idolo' and Angel Garza could then enter into a new storyline while the new United States Champion would try to elevate the title to the next level by having a magnificent regime.
#4 A rivalry with AJ Styles
Apollo Crews as United States champion more than likely means a collision course with a former champion.
AJ Styles has not been featured in a prominent storyline since his feud with The Undertaker ended. 'The Phenomenal One' is one of the eight men taking part in SmackDown's Intercontinental Championship tournament. Styles will clash with Shinsuke Nakamura in yet another dream match this Friday. Since he is not an official member of the SmackDown roster, the probability that he wins the Intercontinental title is very low.
The best way WWE could use him after that could be in the United States Championship picture. The new champ, Apollo Crews, would need a veteran opponent who could put him over with the fans. Styles can do this job to perfection. Also, both the Superstars are incredibly talented wrestlers. Therefore, they would create magic inside the ring together.
A rivalry with the former WWE Champion could help Apollo Crews become a top guy on RAW. Besides, there are not many options available for Styles right now. Drew McIntyre is feuding with Bobby Lashley while Aleister Black and Rey Mysterio are in a battle with Seth Rollins' faction. Also, Edge is still busy with Randy Orton.
Thus, a United States title feud between AJ Styles and Apollo Crews would be best for both parties.
#3 A new manager for Apollo Crews
The Creative team often uses wrestling managers for heel Superstars only. However, they can build Apollo Crews as a face, preferring to showcase his talent inside the ring rather than talking much on the mic. Now, to be fair, he has improved a lot on the mic. However, Apollo still needs to work on his promo-cutting skills before ascending to the top.
The rumor mill had reported that WWE is planning to align him with MVP, but as the former 2-time US Champion has taken over as the new manager of Bobby Lashley, he is unlikely to do the managerial duties for Apollo Crews. This rumor still indicates how the backstage officials feel about the RAW Superstar's mic skills.
Looking at the developments on last week's RAW, Kevin Owens has a slim possibility of talking for Apollo Crews in the future. It would be refreshing to see 'The Prizefighter' in this new role. The Canadian is pure gold on the mic. Hence, his new character could have a positive impact on the ratings. Otherwise, even Samoa Joe can take up this role if Vince McMahon allows him to leave the commentators' desk.
This move would prove right in the long run as WWE could plan a future storyline where the manager would turn on Crews, leading to a blockbuster rivalry between the two.
#2 Apollo Crews embraces the dark side
There have been multiple reports suggesting that Vince McMahon has big plans for a heel Apollo Crews on RAW. As per WrestlingNews, the Creative team had plotted a heel turn for him on SmackDown, where he would turn his back on Shorty G. However, he soon became a part of RAW.
A few days later, Dave Meltzer made the following statements on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter:
"Crews was giving off heel tendencies on last week's Raw and it's been speculated he will be part of a stable headed by MVP."
After taking note of these rumors, the fans cannot rule out the possibility of Apollo Crews embracing his dark side soon. Perhaps, he could win the US title and then reveal that MVP played a massive role in his resurgence. MVP would later become the head of one of the mightiest factions featuring Bobby Lashley and Apollo Crews.
This heel turn would allow the writers to dissolve Zelina Vega's faction. Andrade could turn his back on Angel Garza and try to become an essential name in the singles division once again.
A heel Apollo Crews could defend his title against Kevin Owens, Humberto Carrillo, or even Jinder Mahal.
#1 Return of the United States Championship Open Challenge
The wrestling community cannot wholly ignore the rumors of Apollo Crews turning heel, but he is still a face who will compete for the United States Championship next week. The US title has not received a proper amount of spotlight in the last few weeks. Andrade received a suspension for violating the company's wellness policy, and when he came back, he could never gain his momentum back.
The first thing WWE could try to achieve with the new US champ Apollo Crews would be to restore the belt's prestige. Crews could bring the famous US title Open Challenge back and put his crown on the line every week. The WWE universe has not witnessed an open challenge since Seth Rollins' first Intercontinental Championship reign ended.
This change would make RAW unpredictable every week. Besides, it will take Apollo Crews' popularity to the next level. He has the caliber of delivering top-class bouts every Monday. Superstars like AJ Styles, Seth Rollins, Murphy, Austin Theory, Shelton Benjamin, Randy Orton, and even someone from SmackDown could answer his challenge.
The fans would welcome this idea with open hands. Hence, WWE should book Apollo Crews in this direction after he wins his first prominent singles championship.
