Who should win the Intercontinental title?

Who would benefit from the IC title 

victory at WWE Battleground?

After Monday’s revelation the vacant Intercontinental Championship will be defended in a 20 Man over the top rope Battle Royal, at the coming Pay Per View Battleground, who would benefit most from the prestigious title gain? Below, Max Waltham looks at who may be capable enough and whose career is in swift need of a reboot.

The IC title is one that can raise a star back onto the WWE platform and give them back their drive and fan faith to the business in light of company favourites clogging up the heavyweight titles. Many are deserving of the title capture and can have multiple options if the winner is someone who can bind all the competitors together for months than one win momentum.

The candidates for the win would be, in no particular order, Rob Van Dam, Antonio Cesaro, Curtis Axel, Alberto Del Rio, Kofi Kingston, Damien Sandow and Dean Ambrose.

WWE are likely to favour Alberto Del Rio, Van Dam or Cesaro. Whilst we have championed Del Rio for regaining his stride from WWE with a needed lift to be granted none of them should win. Why not? It makes further sense to give the title to someone that will bind competitors together over months of television and gather much needed fan adoration. This can also rebuild their star which for all of the above is dipping. By working together all of those mentioned can become better for themselves and drive entertainment to WWE fans.

The initial thought of Curtis Axel gaining the gold is good, however, we go against this. Fickle or wise? It is simple. Curtis Axel needs to win the title as a challenger to the champion. Therefore someone like Rob Van Dam as a victor will re-invigorate the audience, the performer and the competitor. Opening a new feud between Van Dam and Axel would be a newer way forward of interest. Floating around the scene would be Del Rio and Cesaro, also involved with matches as challengers with Axel to widen the IC scene and boost their repertoires. This will re-create Axel, give him the much needed split from Ryback and be a strong singles player once more. Four way matches or six mans can even commence. It is doubtful Kofi will gain the title after causing an eye injury to Cesaro on Raw last week, but can provide participation for the scenery. With Ambrose also hovering around, the WWE has a mid-level scene fans could respect, as well as its players, which will eventually lead some back to the path of the heavyweight gold as a valid contender in the future. Van Dam as a victor would, again, re-boost the star and the WWE landscape. Since previous doubt, Van Dam has taken constructive criticism and turned into a reborn star who can elevate much needed scenarios for the company.

If WWE get it right, they will have a chance to regain their superstars who have peaked and prove to fans the mid-level title is meaningful. The WWE itself will prove it can cater to fan needs, especially in a time of programming crisis.

© Max Waltham 07^th July 2014