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Reigning Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura is one of the most talented superstars currently in WWE.
Apart from being in his second reign as the IC Champion, The Artist has previously held a host of other championships. He is a former two-time United States Champion, two-time NXT Champion and has even been SmackDown Tag Team Champion alongside Cesaro. He is also a Royal Rumble winner.
Nakamura's second reign as Intercontinental Champion began when he beat Apollo Crews on the August 13 episode of SmackDown. He then successfully retained the championship against The Pride of Nigeria on the September 24 episode of the Blue Brand.
The King of Strong Style has since not defended his title on WWE television. While Happy Corbin beat Nakamura on the October 22 episode of SmackDown to become the number one contender for the Intercontinental Championship, he is yet to stake his claim for the title.
In this article, lets take a look at five WWE superstars who could dethrone Shinsuke Nakamura for the Intercontinental Championship:
#5 WWE Superstar - Happy Corbin
Despite being the number one contender for Nakamura's Intercontinental title, Happy Corbin is yet to challenge him for a championship match. Corbin and his partner Madcap Moss have been in a feud with Drew McIntyre and Jeff Hardy.
Having said this, Happy Corbin and Shinsuke Nakamura have had some memorable bouts in the past. Nakamura even dethroned the former as King in a Battle for the Crown match earlier this year.
Corbin will want to avenge the defeat by beating The King of Strong Style for his Intercontinental title as and when the opportunity presents itself. He seems like the likeliest opponent for Nakamura in the near future as well, given his contendership.
#4 WWE Superstar Sami Zayn
WWE superstar Sami Zayn has experienced a mixed bag of emotions on SmackDown in the last two weeks.
The Great Liberator won the Black Friday Battle Royal on the November 26 episode of SmackDown to become the number one contender for the Universal Championship. The following week, he was annihilated by the returning Brock Lesnar and as a result lost the title match to Reigns.
With Zayn out of the Universal Title picture, he could possibly look to challenge for another title. Sami and Shinsuke were part of a former stable known as The Artist Collective. From being former allies to now rivals, Zayn and Nakamura could lock horns for the IC title.
#3 WWE Superstar - Cesaro
Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura have been a dominant tag team in the past.
The two superstars soared to become SmackDown Tag Team Champions when they beat The New Day (Big E and Kofi Kingston) at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules in 2020 in a Tables Match.
With that being said, the Swiss Cyborg could look to put his hat in for an Intercontinental Championship opportunity. The contest between the former partners will be one for the ages with Cesaro's unparalleled physical strength pinned against Nakamura's athletic in-ring ability.
#2 WWE Superstar - Sheamus
WWE superstar Sheamus has had an impressive run on SmackDown recently.
On the November 19 episode of the Blue Brand, the Celtic Warrior beat Ricochet, Cesaro and Jinder Mahal to become part of Team SmackDown at Survivor Series. He defeated the Swiss Superman on the latest edition of SmackDown.
With momentum on his side, the former United States Champion could look to add another feather to his cap in the IC Title. The bout between the Celtic Warrior and the King of Strong Style promises to be quite the spectacle.
#1 WWE Superstar - Drew McIntyre
Drew McIntyre has carved a praise-worthy journey on SmackDown. The Scottish Superstar has overcome a host of opponents since being drafted to the Blue Brand. The likes of Sami Zayn, Mustafa Ali and the team of Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss have fallen to McIntyre.
While he would love to challenge for the Universal Title, McIntyre has to wait for his opportunity with Brock Lesnar already staking claim to Roman Reigns. Having said this, McIntyre can certainly look to challenge Shinsuke Nakamura for the Intercontinental Title.
The contest between the Claymore and the Kinshasa will be tremendous. A bout the WWE Universe would surely not want to miss.
