What’s the story?
On the latest episode of Monday Night Raw, the WWE announced that the Intercontinental Championship will be defended next week on May 15, 2017.
Dean Ambrose will defend the title against The Miz next week in Newark, New Jersey, at the Prudential Center.
In case you didn’t know...
The feud between The Miz and Ambrose began earlier this year on SmackDown Live. The Miz would eventually lose the Intercontinental Championship against Ambrose and would cut another scathing promo on Talking Smack regarding it.
During the Superstar Shake-Up, The Miz and Ambrose were both drafted from SmackDown to Raw and the two resumed their feud. The feud truly picked up during a MizTV segment where the Miz called Ambrose a complacent wrestler.
The Miz became the #1 contender for the championship last week on Raw when he defeated Seth Rollins and Finn Bálor in the main event.
The heart of the matter
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter previously claimed that the match between Ambrose and The Miz would take place at Payback, but that didn’t happen.
With Universal Champion Brock Lesnar still on hiatus, the focus of Monday Night Raw has primarily been the feud between Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns, and the feud between Ambrose and The Miz.
What’s next?
The Miz winning the title next week will mark his 7th Intercontinental Championship reign; two title reigns away from tying the all-time record held by Chris Jericho.
Winning the belt would mark the third time The Miz has won the Intercontinental Championship on Raw. His previous victories were last year on the Raw after WrestleMania 32, and in 2012, when he defeated Christian at Raw 1000 to win the championship for the first time.
Author’s Take
A championship match on Raw could be a great way to increase intrigue for next week’s show as well as elevate the Intercontinental Championship even further.
With Brock Lesnar missing in action, Ambrose and The Miz fighting in the main event for the workhorse title only adds to the interest and attention the title has garnered these past few years.
Since 2014, the Intercontinental Championship has regained much more of its former glory with stars like Daniel Bryan, Kevin Owens, and Dolph Ziggler holding the championship. The title legitimately feels like the stepping stone that it’s meant to be as both Owens and Ambrose became world champions after they won the Intercontinental Championship.
Hopefully, the WWE can continue the momentum with the Intercontinental Championship and bring it back to a place of relevance fans associated with in the 80s.
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