Big name teasing heel turn, underutilized drafted performer - 4 WWE stars who could win the Intercontinental Title No.1 contenders tournament on RAW
WWE has numerous championships thanks to having three full-time brands in operation, plus several B-shows and even Speed. While the belts all vary in age and importance, one of the key championships is currently held by Bron Breakker.
Bron Breakker is the Intercontinental Champion. He managed to defeat the beloved Sami Zayn for the belt at SummerSlam. The two then had a Two-Out-Of-Three Falls Match where Bron retained his gold. The bout was epic, but Bron is now moving on.
It has since been announced that a tournament will be held on Monday Night RAW to determine Breakker's next challenger. The full lineup of the tournament is yet to be revealed, however, and it isn't even clear how many stars will be officially involved.
This article will take a look at one confirmed name and three others who could potentially be involved and even win the entire thing. Bron could have epic matches with all four men on this list, so if any of them advance, the fans win. Still, who could potentially stand tall in the tournament?
Below are four WWE stars who could win the Intercontinental Title number one contenders tournament on RAW.
#4. Jey Uso has already announced his participation
Jey Uso is arguably one of the greatest tag team wrestlers in WWE history. He and Jimmy Uso are the longest-reigning tag team champions in the history of the promotion. Over the past year or so, however, Jey has been away from Jimmy and The Bloodline as a whole.
The former WWE Tag Team Champion was hoping to chase the World Tag Team Titles alongside Sami Zayn. Unfortunately, The Underdog From The Underground disappeared after his loss to Bron Breakker, and Jey is now solely focused on singles gold.
Given that Jey is the first one to publicly enter himself into this tournament, it would make sense that Uso wins the entire thing. He and Bron Breakker clashing for the title at Bad Blood, for example, could be quite entertaining.
#3. Ludwig Kaiser has elevated himself in WWE
Ludwig Kaiser has had quite the career so far. Perhaps best known as Gunther's number two and a member of Imperium, Ludwig is a former NXT Tag Team Champion and one of the more underrated in-ring talents in all of WWE.
The A+ Specimen has been working hard to get himself out of Gunther's shadow recently. He has had major bouts with the likes of Sheamus and even main-evented Monday Night RAW with Randy Orton this past week.
Given how hard Kaiser is looking to break out as a singles star, this tournament could be how he does that. Plus, a match with Bron Breakker is where Ludwig was injured many weeks ago. If he can win the tournament, there is a chance the German star can get revenge.
#2. Xavier Woods has yet to win a singles title in the company
Xavier Woods is a WWE veteran. Not only has he been with the Sports Entertainment juggernaut for longer than most, but he has even been a part of The New Day for over a decade. This has led to him becoming one of the most decorated tag team competitors ever.
Despite all of Woods' success in WWE, both in terms of tag team titles and winning the King of the Ring, he has yet to hold a singles championship. This clearly bothers him, as Xavier has brought it up on multiple occasions.
Given that it is his goal to capture the prized Intercontinental Title, this tournament could be Xavier's for the taking. Considering his current frustrations with Kofi Kingston and Odyssey Jones potentially fueling him, Woods could be the tournament's dark horse.
#1. Ilja Dragunov should be elevated soon
Ilja Dragunov has had a fair bit of success in WWE. He started his career in the company on the NXT UK brand where he held the United Kingdom Championship. Upon joining the white and gold brand, Dragunov also managed to capture the NXT Title.
The Mad Dragon was called up to WWE's main roster in the 2024 Draft. While fans have been eager to see him, Ilja hasn't actually done too much on RAW outside of main-eventing a few episodes. As far as stories go, he hasn't been involved in very much.
It is about time that Ilja is elevated. Given his recent history with Bron Breakker, along with their past on NXT, the two competing over the Intercontinental Title makes a lot of sense. He just needs to win the tournament first.