Best Booking Options to Showcase United States, IC Titles at WWE WrestleMania 32

In-ring masterpieces will be key for WWE WrestleMania 32 to reinvigorate the United States and Intercontinental Championships.

Last year, WWE gave both midcard titles a wealth of momentum by having megastars John Cena and Daniel Bryan win them on its biggest stages. A roster hurt by injuries forces WWE to change strategies at WrestleMania 32. If the company pairs its best performers against each other, it will set the table for two instant classics.  

That will have fans talking about those titles in the aftermath of WrestleMania. Desperation and drama in the ring will bolster the idea of how precious they both are.

Both Kevin Owens and Kalisto are fully capable of stealing the show and creating buzz around their championships if given the right opponents.

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That should be the focus as WWE completes the WrestleMania card: finding the foes for these champions who would compose the best matches and having marquee names seek out the U.S. and IC gold.

Jericho vs. Kalisto/Kevin Owens

Chris Jericho's star power instantly makes this WrestleMania match bigger. He's a future Hall of Famer and former world champion. WWE doesn't exactly have a ton of those left to plug into the card.  

Should his character continue to grow more villainous, he would be the ideal opponent for Kalisto.

The masked man seeking the U.S. title would brighten the spotlight shining on him, and if The King of Flight is able to knock off Jericho at WWE's biggest event, it would go a long way in legitimizing him as champion.

The action promises to be excellent, much like Neville and Jericho's thriller at Beast in the East last year. Jericho also has a long history of working well with luchadors, dating back to his days at WCW.

Credit: WWE.com

Y2J would also be a good fit opposite Owens, especially if he holds off on his apparent in-progress heel turn.

Jericho's association with the Intercontinental Championship is a big part of that. He is often considered one of the best champs in the title's history. For Owens to fend him off would be huge for his momentum moving forward.

Count on that match being one of the best of the night, too.

Jericho hasn't been nearly as good as he was in his prime but still thrives in big spots, as we saw at Fastlane on Feb. 21. Owens flourishes against high-flyers, and both he and Jericho are top-notch storytellers. 

WWE can't go wrong with Jericho chasing either belt.

Owens vs. Styles

This is the dream match WWE has at its fingertips.

AJ Styles has been hugely popular since his arrival in January. Having him face another Internet Wrestling Community favorite in Owens would be a smart way to throw a bone to diehard fans who are anti-Roman Reigns.

It would be a great way to announce Styles' arrival, either by pushing Owens to his limits or taking home the IC title.

And now that Styles has two wins over Jericho, it makes sense for him to climb into contention. WWE should let him beat a few more notable names and send him soaring into WrestleMania with his eyes on gold.

It's a clash that promises to be special, as John Canton of TJRWrestling.net noted:

Coming off Owens' killing it against Dolph Ziggler and Styles' excelling versus Jericho at Fastlane, it's easy to imagine them thrilling fans at WrestleMania. The action promises to be a fun blend of brawling and high-flying, with two indy favorites looking to prove they belong on WWE's top tier.

Kalisto vs. Neville

This matchup doesn't have the star power that one involving Jericho would. It would make it up for it with the quality of the action, though.

A high-flying showcase with two electric dynamos could easily be one of the best matches of the year. They have certainly looked good against each other in their past meetings.

It would also serve as a way to highlight two emerging stars. Putting them both on the card in singles action and giving them ample time to work their magic would make a statement about WWE's commitment to the future.

Just as Cena's open challenges for the U.S. title did so often last year, a premier in-ring exhibition would force fans to take notice of Kalisto's championship.

Ladder Match for the United States Title

The way WWE ignored the IC title for much of Dean Ambrose's reign and how many times it has changed hands leads one to believe that Owens may not be getting a singles match. Instead, the company may choose to go the same route it took last year: cramming a number of challengers into one contest.

After Fastlane, Bill Hanstock of SB Nation believed that's the direction WWE was headed. He wrote, "It seems more likely that several people will start gunning for the Intercontinental Championship, setting up a multiperson match at WrestleMania."

The smarter move is to allow Owens to shine in singles action and let Kalisto be the one who collides with a multitude of challengers in a ring filled with ladders.

Owens is the better one-on-one performer. Pitting him against Styles, Jericho or even Sami Zayn from NXT is a surefire way to bolster WrestleMania's card.

A ladder match suits Kalisto better. He can wow the crowd as he did at Tables, Ladders & Chairs by soaring from great heights and taking crazy bumps.

This way, WWE can include both Neville and Jericho into the battle for the U.S. crown. Pack it full of high-flyers, and this promises to be a stunner. Should Kalisto survive this overwhelming test, he will come out of WrestleMania looking like a worthy champion, and interest in the gold around his waist would increase.

WrestleMania 32 is a prime chance to do that for both him and Owens. Finding the right puzzle pieces to connect is the key to maximizing that opportunity.