WWE No Way out 2012 Results: Christian Beats Cody Rhodes to Retain IC Title

For the first time since returning at Over the Limit and winning the Intercontinental Championship, Christian defended the title at No Way Out. His defense was successful as he overcame Cody Rhodes' attempt to exact revenge and ultimately retained the belt.

Christian missed several months with a severe ankle injury, but he was finally back in action at Over the Limit last month. He was a surprise entrant in a battle royal in which the winner could choose to challenge for either the United States Championship or Intercontinental Championship.

Christian initially chose to take on Santino Marella for the US title, but when he heard Rhodes bragging to Eve backstage later in the night, he decided to face Rhodes instead. This cemented Christian's sudden face turn, which had been teased earlier in the night.

Christian went on to win the match and became a four-time Intercontinental Champion.

He and Rhodes have had several run ins over the past couple weeks leading up to their match at No Way Out. Most expected Christian to retain the title since he had just won it, and that was obviously the case. Rhodes originally lost the belt to Big Show at WrestleMania, but recaptured it in a tables match at the ensuing pay-per-view, Extreme Rules.

For essentially the past year, Rhodes has either held or pursued the Intercontinental Championship, so it will be interesting to see where he goes from here. He could conceivably continue his feud with Christian, but there may be an open spot for him in the main-event scene as well. Alberto Del Rio's injury clearly presents a golden opportunity for a handful of mid-card heels.

Dolph Ziggler is the first man up, but after him, Rhodes may be next in line. Both Ziggler and Rhodes are viewed as future world champions, and even if Rhodes is unsuccessful in winning the World Heavyweight Championship right away, he could really benefit from having a main-event program with Sheamus, as he will be able to showcase what he is made of.

As for Christian, if his feud with Rhodes is indeed over, then he has several options in terms of his next rivalry.

The mid-card is actually fairly ripe with heels, and guys like Jack Swagger, Tensai, Damien Sandow and David Otunga are all real possibilities. Most of those guys are on the younger side, and because of Christian's status as a veteran, he can succeed in putting them over—even if he ultimately wins the feuds.

Neither Christian nor Rhodes gets the credit deserved because each do a great job of holding down the mid-card, despite the fact that the main-eventers receive most of the attention. Both superstars will succeed in whatever they do next, but I'm sure most wrestling fans would like to see their rivalry continue.

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