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The United States Championship is a symbol of excellence and prestige. For the likes of John Cena, Ric Flair, and Bret Hart, it served as a stepping stone to a brighter future. The legacy of the US Championship is unparalleled, it has been held by several Hall of Famers and has remained relevant. The current US Champion, Apollo Crews, won the title from Andrade on the May 25th edition on Monday Night RAW.
Crews was last seen on the June 29th edition of RAW, where he lost a non-title match to MVP. WWE has kept the situation about Crews' absence a closely-guarded secret. From storyline perspective, the mysterious disappearance has been attributed to Bobby Lashley's vicious attack on the champion a month ago. Dave Meltzer reported that Crews had tested positive for COVID-19 and was, thus, taken off television immediately.
Crews was unable to defend the championship against MVP at Extreme Rules, which has aroused more certainty over the future of the US Championship.
With such an uncertain creative atmosphere over the title and his recent absence, Crews may lose the US Championship much sooner than anticipated, which raises the question of who the next US Champion should be.
#5. MVP
This one is pretty straightforward and rather obvious. Montel Vontavious Porter has taken a keen interest in Crews, trying to recruit the resilient fan-favourite into The Hurt Business. The astute veteran in MVP sees potential in the charismatic US Champion and wants to take the latter's career to unimaginable heights. However, Crews has repeatedly declined the veteran's offer.
Given their history together, it makes absolute sense, from a logical and storyline perspective, to make MVP the next US Champion. The leader of The Hurt Business scored a pinfall victory over the champion, which earned him a title opportunity at Extreme Rules.
When Crews didn't show up to defend the US title at Extreme Rules, the challenger, MVP, declared himself the new champion. After all, he is one of the longest-reigning US Champions of all time, hence he could definitely help elevate the US Championship to much greater heights.
#4. Bobby Lashley
Another likely possibility is that Apollo Crews' assailant, Bobby Lashley, ends up winning the US title. Lashley also happens to be MVP's insurance policy and the man who put Crews out of action indefinitely with his devastating Full Nelson submission hold. Crews would be itching to deliver payback to Bobby Lashley, and Lashley would love nothing more than to win the US Championship.
Even though MVP was slated to challenge the US Championship, Lashley would benefit more from a US title run than his associate would. The Dominator recently tapped into a more vicious side of his character and that has helped the powerhouse gain considerable momentum. However, he hasn't been able to translate that dominance into championship success. He came off a failed WWE Championship pursuit, but a US title run would serve as an apt consolation prize.
Unlike MVP, he is a full-time talent that has ample gas left in the tank. Hence, if WWE wants a member of the Hurt Business to hold the championship, Lashley is the most feasible option in the long run. The Dominator has been hunting for championship gold for a long time, and it's time that he finally gets his due.
#3. Dolph Ziggler
The Showoff, Dolph Ziggler, was recently shifted to WWE RAW alongside his tag-team partner, Robert Roode. As Roode has been off television for months, Ziggler has become a singles competitor. His first target, upon moving over to the Red brand, was his former tag team partner and current WWE Champion, Drew McIntyre. McIntyre defeated Ziggler at Extreme Rules, and on RAW this past week, putting their feud to an end, for now.
The WWE Champion has moved onto a feud with Randy Orton, leaving the Showoff without creative direction. It would be an absolute waste and a short-sighted decision to have brought Ziggler in for a one-off feud with McIntyre, especially considering that Ziggler came in place of AJ Styles.
The Showoff is an overlooked, underrated performer in WWE, who has, thus far, been unable to reach his maximum potential. In terms of talent and charisma, Ziggler is second to none. T
he US Championship and Ziggler are no strangers to each other; the Showoff has held the championship multiple times. However, it's been a long time since he last held the title. An established veteran like Ziggler would add prestige to the US Championship.
#2. Mustafa Ali
In addition to Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode, Mustafa Ali was also sent over to the Red brand. The innovative, charismatic cruiserweight is one of WWE's most talented in-ring performers. He exudes passion and heart, making him one of the most lovable faces on the main roster. Unfortunately, he has been misused and underutilized in WWE, lately.
As his career was heading nowhere on SmackDown, it was a smart decision to send him to RAW. He returned to television last week on the post-Extreme Rules edition of RAW, where he teamed up with Ricochet and Cedric Alexander to defeat all three members of the Hurt Business. A week later, he would confront Lashley and MVP, leading to a match-up with the former which Ali lost. It's good to see WWE at least utilizing Ali, although he should be booked more strongly.
With Crews likely to drop the title soon, Ali seems like a viable candidate to become the next US Champion. The high-flyer hasn't won championship gold on the main roster, hence it would be a welcome sight to watch him hold the US title above his head. If WWE wants someone as charismatic and talented as Crews to hold the title, then Ali is the best choice.
#1. Kevin Owens
Kevin Owens has had an odd couple of months in WWE. After defeating Seth Rollins at WrestleMania, he underwent surgery to repair his ankle. This kept him out of action for a month or so. When he returned in late May, he began a feud with Andrade and Angel Garza, but he also had a few run-ins with Apollo Crews.
Then, due to the rapidly evolving pandemic, he took himself off TV out of concern for his family, but he did return a little while later.
The former Universal Champion has played a supporting role in the rivalry between Seth Rollins and Rey Mysterio. He was expected to restart his feud with the former, but that hasn't happened yet. Owens is just too talented to be kept off television randomly. With such a thin roster, The Prizefighter could help add depth and cultivate interest.
Having said that, Owens is deserving of a US title run. As noted previously, he did challenge Crews for the title a couple of months ago, but there wasn't a conclusive finish to that match-up. A US Championship run could provide KO with the boost he needs to gain momentum.
