5 Potential Opponents for Dean Ambrose and the US Title

At Hell in a Cell this Sunday, several rivalries that have dragged out for months will hopefully finally come to an end. There will be a new WWE champion after the title was left vacant since the farcical ending at Night of Champions.

The CM Punk vs. Paul Heyman rivalry should also now be put to bed, to allow Punk to move on to other feuds.

Despite all that, however, it seems bizarre that Dean Ambrose hasn't been booked for the pay-per-view. Not just because he's a great talent, but he holds the United States Championship. If WWE is to give the midcard the push it so badly needs, then having its midcard titles on the pay-per-view is a must. Even the Intercontinental Championship has been consigned to the pre-show.

Maybe it's because Ambrose is too involved with the Triple H and Stephanie McMahon storyline to be defending his title. But in truth, he really should be actively defending it, or creative needs to a find a man for him to relinquish it to.

Here at Bleacher Report, we'll look at five potential candidates who could take the title from Ambrose and possibly muster up an excellent rivalry with the top dog of The Shield.

Wade Barrett

Photo courtesy WWE.com

Granted, the first man on this slideshow needs to actually return to TV before he becomes a credible challenger.

However, when that does happen, Wade Barrett could become a great challenger for Ambrose. Forget the fact that they are both operating as heels within the company—that really doesn't matter anymore. The crowd is more accustomed to preferring one man over another, regardless of their status.

Barrett has previous midcard experience having held the Intercontinental Championship, and it would be a nice way to ease his return into WWE TV after a prolonged absence.

They are also both excellent wrestlers technically, setting up some superb matches down the line.

Fandango

Photo courtesy WWE.com

Fandango is a guy who clearly needs some direction within WWE.

He's a guy the crowd clearly likes, and his theme tune has gained something of a cult status amongst fans. However, his sporadic appearances on TV just don't seem to be enough.

Why not turn the guy and have him start a rivalry with Ambrose? It's not like it would be exactly hard to make him suddenly likeable to the crowd; they already love him.

It would also give him a big push and hopefully get him on TV a lot more, as well as pay-per-views.

It just feels like all the hype and effort that went into Fandango's arrival is being wasted; a run with the U.S. title would go some way to correcting that.

Kofi Kingston

Photo courtesy WWE.com

If you're looking for a guy who could put some credibility back into the United States Championship, then Kofi Kingston could well be your man.

He's held this title three times and has put some pretty solid matches into his title reigns along the way. His unique wrestling style would make him a great opponent for Ambrose; it would almost be like pitting two completely different styles against each other—the brawler and the flier.

Is there a downside to Kingston potentially picking up the strap? Well, he is a guy who seems to be forever condemned to the midcard. His rivalry with Randy Orton a few years ago looked like the springboard to send Kingston to greater things, but it never really happened.

However, he would put some excitement back into the title in question, which can only be a good thing.

Rey Mysterio

Photo courtesy WWE.com

He's another man who is due to return to WWE TV any time soon, and for Rey Mysterio, a feud with Dean Ambrose could be a brilliant way to get himself back into WWE.

Like Kingston, he would provide a unique style of wrestling that would certainly counter the style of Ambrose, which generally makes for some brilliant matches.

A return to the main event so soon seems unlikely—it is more than crowded enough already without placing Mysterio back in there without any purpose. Unfortunately for Mysterio fans, the midcard seems his most obvious destination.

However, he would reignite the midcard and the title division in it.

Dolph Ziggler

Photo courtesy WWE.com

If you want one man to provide a long-running rivalry with Dean Ambrose, then Dolph Ziggler may be the man creative turns to.

Personally, I think Ziggler's true place is much higher up the card, but he doesn't really seem close to having a push anytime soon. And in all fairness, Ziggler could produce some magic moments with Ambrose.

They are both technically excellent in the ring and can both cut a promo with real flair and style. Ziggler has, of course, won the belt in the past and would certainly be a worthy champion.

One thing is for certain, if Dolph Ziggler did pick the strap up again, it would be hard to keep it off TV.

Agree? Think we've missed anyone out? Get involved with the discussion below.