5 reasons why Ricochet should hold the Intercontinental title for a year
Ricochet won the Intercontinental Championship by defeating Sami Zayn on the March 4, 2022, episode of SmackDown. He has since defended the title against the likes of Zayn, Angelo, Humberto, and Jinder Mahal.
After months of spinning his wheels, Ricochet was booked to win the Intercontinental Championship before WrestleMania 38. Unfortunately, WWE did not book him for the WrestleMania card, instead having him defend his championship on the SmackDown before it.
While it was nice to see the company backing The One and Only, they have to persist with it. In Ricochet, WWE have a champion who is one of the best wrestlers on the planet. With fans clamoring for him to hold on to the title for the long term, Vince McMahon and company have a decision to make.
In that regard, here are five reasons why Ricochet should stay the Intercontinental Championship for at least a year.
#5. On our list of reasons why Ricochet should hold the Intercontinental title for a long time: It would restore the prestige of the title
The last few months have seen WWE fully focus on the world championships. As a result, their booking of the Intercontinental and United States Championships has been incredibly poor. The two titles look like afterthoughts in the present day, a far cry from the past.
Instead of having wrestlers play hot potato with the titles, WWE should have a champion and have him hold it for a considerable amount of time. In Ricochet, they have someone for the job, and they should keep the title on him for a long time and have him take on all comers.
#4. SmackDown needs a workhorse champion
WWE used to use the secondary titles as the highlights of their weekly shows. The current state of the product sees very little reliance on them, something that must be addressed immediately.
The best WWE show episodes are those that have the secondary titles spotlighted almost every week. SmackDown have the Intercontinental Championship and Ricochet as the workhorse champion of the brand. He is a top contender to defend it week in and week out, similar to John Cena's critically-acclaimed US Open Challenge.
For that to happen, WWE should have The Aerialist hold on to the title for a year or so. The longer he stays champion, the more enjoyable both superstar and show become.
#3. He deserves to be pushed
It's common knowledge that Ricochet is one of the best wrestlers in the world today. He is a high-flying superstar who boasts incredible in-ring acumen and technique and is up there with the best of them in terms of every wrestling parameter.
However, WWE's booking of The One and Only has not been ideal. Since his arrival on the main roster, his pushes have been stop-start at best. Apart from a United States and Intercontinental Championship win, his main roster stint has not been satisfactory.
The former NXT Superstar deserves to be given pushes befitting his talent. WWE have an easy way to do it in the form of booking him as a strong Intercontinental Champion, and they can start by having him hold it for a while.
#2. He can give the title all kinds of matches
Ricochet is a world-class superstar who can mix it up with the best of them. But perhaps his best trait is his versatility, being able to wrestle any kind of match against any kind of opponent.
Whether it is contesting a wrestling clinic against Sami Zayn or battling the odds in a David vs. Goliath showdown against Gunther, Ricochet is capable of looking like a million bucks. He also looks at home wrestling any kind of contest, ranging from ladder matches to ones in steel cages.
The former NXT North American Champion could defend the Intercontinental title in all kinds of matches against all kinds of opponents. WWE should allow him to reign long as champion and tick everything off the wishlist.
#1. The uncertainty surrounding the world championships
With question marks hovering over the world championship unification situation, there is no telling what the endgame is there. If it is indeed made into one Undisputed World title, it will have to be defended across both shows.
Such a scenario reminds us of the time before the brand split in 2016, when the world championship and champion showed up one week and dipped the next. In such a situation, if there is no established secondary champion, there will be little to nothing of note on some episodes of the weekly shows.
This is why WWE should have someone like Ricochet hold on to the Intercontinental Championship for a long time. During times when the world champion cannot make it, the company can have a credible champion step up and put on a show.