Potential Challengers for Sheamus' U.S. Title
On Monday Night Raw, we saw one of the longest United States title reigns come to an end when Dean Ambrose was eliminated by Sheamus in a 20-Man Battle Royal.
With the Intercontinental and U.S. Championships changing hands on back-to-back nights, it looks as if the WWE may start to focus on the midcard once again. But who will step up to face Sheamus now?
With the potential for Sheamus to turn heel, that opens up even more options for the WWE to decide what route it wants to go in booking Sheamus' second U.S. title reign.
This list is comprised of wrestlers who would make fine challengers for Sheamus depending on the path the WWE wants The Celtic Warrior to go.
Dolph Ziggler
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Dolph has fallen off significantly since a pair of concussions stunted his push a year ago.
Now with midcard championships looking to be booked better, Ziggler would make a great challenger for Sheamus if The Celtic Warrior became a heel.
Ziggler is one of the best pure wrestlers in the business. He is over with the crowd and hasn't been in a meaningful feud in a while. His segments with Damian Sandow have done nothing to help his career, but challenging for the U.S. Championship would help him get back on track.
Big E
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After dropping the Intercontinental Championship to Bad News Barrett at Extreme Rules and then losing his rematch on Raw, Big E must now move on. What better way to move from a title loss than to the next midcard championship?
Big E would present a physical challenge for Sheamus, something he has not had since his feud with Mark Henry. While both Sheamus and Big E can be comedic on the mic, they can also be very aggressive in the ring.
These two brutes could put on some good matches. An interesting thing about this potential match is that either wrestler could be the face or heel.
Kofi Kingston
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Kofi is another wrestler who has seen his stock go down. A feud with Sheamus could be just the thing that Kingston needs to get going again.
These two are pretty familiar with each other, as it was Kingston who ended Sheamus' first U.S. title run at Extreme Rules 2011. Another program between the two could provide a spark in the midcard and help both wrestlers in their careers.
Although Kofi has lately been used in squash matches, he is still a talented midcard wrestler who has held the U.S. and Intercontinental titles multiple times. A feud with Sheamus would still keep the title prestigious.
Rob Van Dam
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A run at the U.S. title could just be the thing that makes RVD's return mean something.
His current feud with Cesaro and Heyman does not look like it will lead to anything for the veteran. After losing out in the Intercontinental Championship tournament, a feud with Sheamus for the U.S. Championship would present an interesting midcard feud.
RVD's time as a main event star has passed, and the best chance for him to stay relevant is to challenge for one of the midcard championships.
Alberto Del Rio
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If the WWE wanted to keep Sheamus a face, Del Rio could be a fine choice to face the champion.
Many fans would oppose this matchup because they remember the feud these two had over the World Heavyweight Championship. In short, it wasn't very good.
The two worked hard, but it just didn't seem like the two clicked. It also didn't help that their feud was overshadowed by the WWE Championship title picture.
The WWE can give it another try and hope that the two can produce a better feud.
Jack Swagger
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Who would be a better challenger for the United States Championship than a Real American? Jack Swagger would a be good fit for a program with Sheamus.
With Zeb Colter in his corner, a great storyline could be built. After Zeb went after Sheamus and wanted him to be deported, it could be the start of a good midcard feud.
With Swagger likely moving on from Cesaro and into a program with Adam Rose, this feud seems unlikely. However, if WWE did choose to keep Sheamus a babyface, Swagger could present a formidable challenge.
Alexander Rusev
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Rusev continues to devastate his competition. As I mentioned in one of my earlier articles, a Rusev/Sheamus feud would be a good midcard feud.
It gives Rusev a big name to truly develop a feud with, and it provides Sheamus a matchup that would challenge him physically. The power moves between the two could provide some great spots in a match.
The WWE can continue Rusev's development in a feud against Sheamus. It also gives him the opportunity to win his first title and have Lana continue to build momentum as a budding star.
Bad News Barrett
8 of 8After months of rumors that Big E and Dean Ambrose could face each other in a title unification match, both find themselves without championship gold.
However, with Barrett now the Intercontinental champion, this could be the perfect time to finally set up that title unification match.
After watching their match in the Intercontinental Championship No. 1 Contender's Tournament, we know that Barrett and Sheamus are more than capable of putting on great matches. The two have great chemistry, and a win could be a great springboard for either man to progress his career.
A unification match is a long shot with both just recently winning gold. But if both have long title reigns, don't be surprised if the two meet to unify the titles.
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