The Biggest Party of the Summer is in the books for another year. It was a great night of wrestling that saw a surprise title change and some fantastic championship matches. It was also a night that saw decisive finishes to those championship contests. Finishes that created the need for new challengers.
Coming out of SummerSlam there is a void in the challenger market. Many champions will be looking for new challengers and new programs. Who fits the bill to challenge for some WWE gold? Let’s look at some top candidates below.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship: Chelsea Green & Sonya Deville
The Women’s Tag Team division has been weak for a while now. Champions consist of thrown-together teams with little chemistry and it has hurt their product. Luckily, Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville could pull something off with their talent, but who goes up against them?
It has been reported that Kairi Sane has returned to WWE. Pairing her back with Asuka, who clearly has nothing to do now, would give an immediate boost to the division and give the champs a serious threat to their reign.
WWE Undisputed Tag Team Championship: Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens
The downhill slide of the tag champs has been depressing. Since their high of main eventing Night One of WrestleMania it has been nothing but bad booking for the duo. While putting on entertaining matches they have played second fiddle in every feud they were in. Having them get back into a juicy tag team program would be the best thing for them.
The best tag team to put against the tandem is 100 percent Pretty Deadly. Elton Prince and Kit Wilson have been outstanding on the main roster. They are entertaining, get tons of heat, and are as good as anyone in the ring. They have briefly feuded with Zayn and Owens but something more long-term would be the right choice for both squads.
United States Championship: Austin Theory
Let’s face it Austin Theory has been a bust. He had a moment of greatness when he went over John Cena, but WWE did nothing with it. He hasn’t been presented well and has very little credibility as the United States Champion.
There is a match with Santos Escobar on the horizon but that should just be the appetizer to the main course that is LA Knight. Knight is one of the most overacts in the company. His interactions with the audience are fantastic and he can hold his own in the ring. The time to pull the trigger on his push is now and that starts with the United States Championship.
Intercontinental Championship: Gunther
Gunther has been a revelation as the Intercontinental Champion. He has brought esteem back to the once-loved championship, putting five-star matches on in the progress. By now we can all assume that he will break Honky Tonk Man’s record so his chances of dropping the title soon are non-existent.
Now would be a great time to give someone completely new a shot, and Mr. Thank You himself is the perfect candidate. Chad Gable is massively
over with the WWE Universe. His athletic ability matched with an everlasting wit has created a great character. One that would be awesome against Gunther and make for some great matches.
WWE Women’s Championship: Iyo Sky
The response Iyo Sky got when she won the championship was deafening. She is one of the best highflyers in the world and absolutely deserves her run with the belt. Now, considering she just won her championship days ago it would be nice for the company to give her a lengthy run with the championship.
Since her first championship defense should be a successful one why not give Shotzi a crack at the belt? She has some built-in history with Damage CTRL and she could help to move along the eventual Bayley/ Iyo Sky split. Rhea Ripley is the most significant female act that the company has right now. Her character work is head and shoulders better than any woman on the roster and she can work matches better than most. However, she has rarely defended the title since winning it. The championship has been treated like a prop for Ripley and only a great feud will bring that back.
An excellent rivalry for her would be Shayna Baszler. The Queen of Spades exercised her Ronda Rousey demons at SummerSlam and regained some of her past aurae. It was a defining moment for Baszler and one that should rocket her to the front of the line.
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