Bray Wyatt Reportedly on Course for Title Feud with Dolph Ziggler

Bray Wyatt has fought legends and battled the face of the company at WrestleMania, yet he has not held WWE gold. According to a report by F4WOnline (h/t WrestlingInc.com), that may soon change as the Eater of Worlds is positioned to challenge Dolph Ziggler for his Intercontinental Title after Night of Champions.

Wyatt wrapped up his feud with Chris Jericho on Monday night to kickoff Raw's "season premier" episode. He defeated Jericho in a not-so impressive manner, barely escaping the cage before his opponent by falling to the floor. The result was far from conclusive, giving the impression that the rivalry would continue, though it appears Jericho will now be focused on Randy Orton, leaving Wyatt free to set a new target.

Ziggler has been a strong IC champ since winning the gold off The Miz. He has looked good in the ring and on the mic, working a solid babyface style while fending off Miz and his new sidekick (stunt double) Damien Sandow (Mizdow?) He's scattered humor into his promos while striking a serious tone when needed and looking resilient in the face of adversity—all good marks to hit in his role.

Now, after presumably knocking off Miz one more time at Night of Champion, Ziggler will have the chance to step up a level and bring a new dimension to his character. The fact is, the WWE considers Wyatt an attraction and a draw. His feuds are prime time, even if he hasn't been on air all that long comparatively. Putting Ziggler up against Wyatt is a major boost to his credibility, even for a guy who once held the World Heavyweight title.

Ziggler will also get to play off a completely different type of character. He hasn't battled a dark, mysterious, menacing challenger before. Ziggler's most notable feuds since turning face were against Alberto Del Rio and now The Miz. We'll get to see if Ziggler has come across as a threat to Wyatt, one who doesn't back down against the odds. 

For Wyatt, this is also a huge opportunity. The fact is, Wyatt is still not a great in-ring performer. He's average at best and has only put on good to great matches against the likes of Jericho and Daniel Bryan. His matches with Cena and Kane were all about theatrics. His flaws were covered by the format of the six-man tags in the Wyatts' clashes with The Shield. 

Wyatt is a powerhouse, or as Husky Harris would've said, an "Army Tank with a Ferrari Engine." A bumping machine like Ziggler will sell big for Wyatt and make him look like a destructive force of nature. But Wyatt must also be able to sell for Ziggler. He must be able to piece together a complete match without relying on spider walks to pop the crowd.

Finally comes the question of whether or not it's a good idea to put the belt on Wyatt? I truthfully don't know how that would work. Wyatt has yet to declare his mission involved a championship belt, other than a brief reference when trying to explain his presence in the Money in the Bank ladder match. 

With the belt around his waist, he can claim it gives him power, which would add new steam to the often mistreated IC strap. The belt would be present in high-profile matches going forward, though, it would need to be defended to really be effective.

The oddest part of that arrangement is that suddenly Wyatt would be the target and not the predator. Wyatt would be in a position of defending something, rather than looking to destroy stability. We don't know how he would play in that environment. 

I also really like Dolph with the belt. He returns the belt to its once proud tradition of the unofficial championship for the top workers in the company. While the big belt was always set aside for the hulking powerhouses and cartoonish draws, the IC title was where the best wrestlers plied their trade and put on fantastic matches. 

Either way, if this feud comes to fruition, it will be a fresh new matchup we haven't seen that will hopefully take both performers to a new level.