After a hard-fought battle, Roman Reigns dethroned the Miz and became the new Intercontinental Champion. Whether this whole run is going to be a retread of his US title reign remains to be seen. What we do know is that the Miz is out. There’s going to be some new blood in the title picture.
Who on the roster dares to step to Roman Reigns and fight him for his title? Who on the roster will bark at the Big Dog? Here are a few likely suspects.
The Miztourage
This is one of the easiest stories to book right now. Both Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas could be out for blood. They want to avenge their fallen master. Boom. Story is set.
While no one would be jumping out of their seats to see Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas on a WWE PPV match, this could be a little time-killer before Reigns really sinks his teeth into a feud. As far as I know, Raw has no more PPVs this year, so it’d be easier to place Axel and Dallas in a high-profile match.
The storytelling here could also be cool and unique. Imagine they’re in a Triple Threat. Axel and Dallas have dealt with Reigns in the meantime. Can they bring themselves to fight each other? And without their leader, are they able to function together? There are lots of interesting stories to be told because of the dynamic between Axel and Dallas.
While no one expects either man to win (despite the fact that Axel is a former Intercontinental Champion), this would be a good way for Reigns to build some momentum as a champion.
Elias
Elias has just seemingly got out of a feud with Jason Jordan. What started as a man throwing vegetables at another and culminated in a Guitar on a Pole match is now over. What’s next for Elias?
There’s not really much left for him to do if WWE insists on keeping him out of the title picture. He’s defeated Apollo Crews, Titus O’Neil, Matt Hardy, and even Finn Balor. The dude’s been built up pretty well, and he lugs around a guitar for a weapon. He could feasibly challenge for the Intercontinental Championship.
Whether or not he wins is an entirely different story, but I think Elias and Reigns could put on some really good matches together. They’re both actually good brawlers, so seeing them slug it out might be pretty cool. Also, imagine Elias playing the Shield theme on his guitar. In conclusion, it might be great.
Elias shocked us before with how good he’s been on the main roster; maybe he can shock us again by winning the Intercontinental Championship.
Samoa Joe
Samoa Joe is quite the hungry predator. He’s currently in a feud with Finn Balor, and hopefully it does wonders for both men’s careers. Maybe Balor can be built up a bit and maybe fight Brock Lesnar, but whatever. Right now we’re talking about the Samoan Submission Specialist.
Of all the potential challengers that Roman Reigns can face, Samoa Joe is the one who needs the win the most. He is a certifiable bad ass. He is one of a few wrestlers who seem legitimate and really buy into their characters. His promo work is low-key top notch. Quite frankly, Samoa Joe is a complete package.
The intensity Joe could bring to this feud would perhaps help Reigns come out of his shell a bit.The Big Dog is at his best when he’s smug, cocky, and laid back, while Joe brings power and dominance everywhere he goes. The two of them butting heads would probably be something to see.
