WWE Armchair Booking: How to Maximize Ryback's Intercontinental Championship Run

With the Intercontinental Championship draped over his massive shoulders, Ryback is set to reach the peak of his WWE career.

The first title that the powerhouse has won with the company is one that has meant far less in recent years. What was once a catapult into the main event has been more of a hollow achievement. However, with steady attention from WWE Creative, with a strong list of foes charging at him, Ryback can ride that reign upward. 

Not bogging Ryback down with a Big Show feud is the first step to accomplishing that.

The goal from that point on should be showcasing Ryback as a colossal force, giving him a long turn with the title and a healthy supply of wins. When it's time to dethrone him, WWE's best bet is to circle back to the past. Restarting his feud with Bray Wyatt is the smart move.

The Giant Falls Fast, the Braggart Soon Follows

With Big Show clocking The Miz on Monday's Raw before saying he wants the Intercontinental Championship, it's clear what direction WWE is going with him. That's a fine option, but only if it is a short-term one.

Defeating Big Show is a good win to have on one's resume, but it's not an enticing feud for Ryback. The last thing he needs is a sluggish, one-dimensional opponent. Big Show still has name power, but Ryback needs more to work in the ring.

Fans aren't going to love seeing three to four Big Show-Ryback matches. Instead, have them lock horns at Money in the Bank in one hard-fought, intense battle.

Ryback is tested here, but he gets a definitive victory. 

The Miz soon demands his shot. Ryback agrees to face him on Raw. It's not the bout the self-proclaimed A-lister was hoping for.

Ryback manhandles him. This bout is a demonstration of The Big Guy's power. He flings The Miz around and finishes him off relatively quickly.

The narrative then becomes the champion is in need of better competition. That's where Sheamus comes in.

Fending Off a Warrior

A daunting foe with a world championship pedigree, Sheamus makes the ideal rival for Ryback. And unlike Big Show, the chances of some barn-burner matches coming from the feud are high with Sheamus.

Putting these two bruisers together won't be difficult from a narrative perspective. 

After all, it was Sheamus who Ryback last eliminated to take home the IC title inside the Elimination Chamber. After losing out on the Money in the Bank briefcase in June, The Celtic Warrior should switch his focus to getting another crack at the current champ.

Credit: WWE.com

WWE can increase the feeling that the IC belt is highly coveted by delaying Sheamus' title shot and making him earn it. At Battleground, three Superstars on a roll battle it out for the No. 1 contender's spot. Sheamus takes on King Barrett and Neville in a Triple Threat.

The Irishman follows a victory there with a three-pay-pay-view series with The Big Guy.

Their first collision occurs at SummerSlam. It's a back-and-forth battle that changes dramatically when Sheamus pulls a hamstring while going for a Brogue Kick. From that point on, he struggles to deliver moves with full force or stay on top of the champion.

Ryback wins, but Sheamus spends the next few weeks calling it a fluke. At 100 percent, he would kill Ryback, he tells the fans. 

They meet again at Night of Champions. 

An angry Sheamus turns up the aggression and dominates this time around. The referee warns him several times about stomping on Ryback in the corner or choking him with the ropes. 

Credit: WWE.com

Ryback battles back eventually. He frustrates Sheamus with counters and by continually kicking out of his signature moves. Sheamus gets so irate at one point that he kicks the referee in the face. With the official out, Sheamus wallops Ryback with a steel chair.

Other referees come rushing in to break up the attack.

With revenge on his mind, Ryback announces on Raw the next night that he wants to face Sheamus in a Street Fight. That clash comes at SummerSlam.

It's Ryback's stage to prove his toughness. He takes Kendo stick shots to the back and crashes into the ring's steps several times. Still, he comes out on top.

After making it past Sheamus, he's sure to look formidable and worthy of holding the title. It's then time to get him some variety in terms of opponents and prep him for a major challenge down the road.

The Tests Keep Coming

To properly set up an eventual Ryback-Wyatt title match, it's best to make sure the champ has a number of wins on his resume. He should look nearly impossible to take down.

At TLC and on Raw and SmackDown, Ryback takes on a succession of challengers.

Luke Harper vies for the IC crown on a Monday night; Erick Rowan gets his shot on a Thursday. King Barrett wins a Battle Royal to earn him a chance against Ryback. Stardust goes on a 10-match winning streak that nets him a title opportunity.

Ryback wins each time.

The story is not about rivalries here, but about a champion seemingly growing stronger the longer he holds onto the gold. The announcers talk about his guts and heart as much as they talk about his power. 

When he speaks about his progress as champ, he says that he looks up to what Ultimate Warrior and Randy Orton did as champs. He has his eyes set on passing the Honky Tonk Man's record reign of 454 days.

That gives him a goal to shoot for beyond just keeping the belt. As he inches closer to the longest reigns in history, anticipation grows. 

A roadblock lined with nails stands in his way, though.

Reunion with a Monster

Wyatt and Ryback's feud had more buildup than battles. It was over after just one clash at Payback.

There's more drama to milk from that story. And it makes sense to return to it now that Ryback is champion.

The Eater of Worlds can boast about how he beat this Hercules before he went on his current run. Wyatt can remind him of how he left him struggling to breath, clutching his ribs.

He tells fans that Ryback is afraid of him, and that's why he has avoided him since their last meeting.

Wyatt seeks out the title, saying that he wants to rip the prize from Ryback's hand to teach him a lesson about pride. "You have grown vain since you acquired this gold," he tells the champ. Wyatt promises to strip Ryback of his title and cleanse his soul in the process. 

After stalking The Big Guy for weeks, after issuing beatings to him backstage, he and the champion finally meet at Fastlane.

Ryback is valiant and refuses to give up, even when his legs fail him, even when he is dizzy from right hands. In the end, though, Wyatt topples him.

WWE then arms Wyatt with momentum and has the option of either fully diving into a Ryback-Wyatt rivalry or forcing The Big Guy to earn his way back into contention. Either way, Ryback will have emerged from his reign with far more wins and spotlight than he has had in his career.