5 WWE Superstars who should answer the Intercontinental Open Challenge
Five may just be too short a number of wrestlers fans want to see duke it out with Seth Rollins. Despite what may seem like an up and down trajectory, Rollins has possibly had the best competitive calendar year on the main roster of the WWE.
Whether Becky Lynch agrees or not (sorry Becky) but Rollins is 'The Man' and it has shown from a stellar gauntlet run early in the year, to his 1000th match against Dolph Ziggler this past RAW.
The Intercontinental championship and challenge should have also provided a breath of fresh air and more for Rollins to do. Its surprisingly been the low point of a high year for him, where he's seen nothing but an endless stream of Dolph Ziggler matches.
As such, despite a heated rivalry with Dean Ambrose, it would be equally fun to see this open challenge play out against a myriad of competitors across the board. Seth Rollins is such an adaptable competitor that he gels with a variety of opponents, so it'd be interesting to see who else answers the challenge.
This is specially made potent by the fact that his feud with Ambrose doesn't necessarily require the championship, giving his open challenges an edge lacking in earlier iterations.
In that case, lets consider five powerful and intriguing challengers fans want to see take on Seth Rollins for the Intercontinental Championship, along with some honorable mentions.
Honorable mentions
Elias: A formidable challenger who gave Rollins a run for his money prior to the Summer feud with Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre. Babyface Elias versus Seth could literally burn it down.
Matt Riddle: The latest big get for NXT, the former EVOLVE and PROGRESS Atlas Champion has been a quick rising sensation in the indies. The Bro versus The Man is an undeniable dream match.
Kyle O'Reilly: It doesn't seem that WWE sees Kyle O'Reilly as much beyond the tag team division. Yet O'Reilly has unbelievably improved his mic and character work since he entered the yellow brand. The heel turn as part of Undisputed Era has seen the classical technician amp his game considerably - imagine that up against Rollins.
Buddy Murphy: A juggernaut of a competitor, Murphy is a stellar lightning rod for the cruiserweight division, and seeing him finally collide with main roster talent is a treat. However, the question is if it would devalue the 205 Championship.
Tommaso Ciampa: In a hilarious tweet, Tommaso Ciampa has made it clear that unlike Cena and Rollins, people need to earn a shot at his gold. Yet for him to challenge Seth would be a treat, a refresher of the Kevin Owens vs John Cena feud from years ago.
#5 Pete Dunne
The British champion of WWE is the longest reigning title holder of the modern era, an unbelievable wrestling specimen at the ripe age of 25. A mat technician with brute force, The Bruiserweight provides a fascinating challenge for Seth Rollins.
He made one undue stop on RAW during the company's UK tour, challenging the horribly inept Enzo Amore, and thankfully destroyed him. Here the bout would be a move to move with both men proving themselves as equals in more ways than one. Their varied styles meshing with their systematic similarities.
This is a match that not only could be won by Dunne, but also would be the final push in sending him up to the main roster. Sure, Pete Dunne is the lynchpin of the NXT UK division, yet The Kingslayer is the perfect opponent to introduce a fresh-faced star to unfamiliar audiences.