Sami Zayn to lose his title to 26-year-old star - 3 WWE stars who can be the next Intercontinental Champion
This past weekend at WWE King and Queen of the Ring, Sami Zayn retained the Intercontinental Championship in a hard-fought triple threat match against Chad Gable and Bronson Reed.
Since capturing the title off of the longest reigning holder of the belt, Gunther, at WrestleMania 40 in April, Sami has looked to continue the good work that the Austrian did with the title as he has also elevated it greatly on RAW.
While the former Honorary Uce may feel like the championship is firmly in his possession, there are certainly many superstars who are looking to take the next step in their careers by taking the prestigious title off of him.
Join us as we take a look at three WWE stars who could beat Sami Zayn to become the next Intercontinental Champion.
#3. WWE's Mad Dragon arrives
During the recent WWE Draft, fans saw the arrival of many stars from NXT to the main roster.
One performer in particular who seems destined to make it big on the red and blue brands is the Mad Dragon, Ilja Dragunov.
The 30-year-old has already had a glittering career prior to moving up to RAW, winning both the NXT UK and NXT Championship.
He has also shown in the past as well as recently that he can hang in the ring with some of RAW's biggest stars such as Gunther and Jey Uso.
After being called up to the main roster, Dragunov revealed in a recent interview during the WWE Draft episode of RAW what fans can expect from him on Monday nights moving forward.
“NXT became my home. A lot of these people became a home away from home for me. But now it’s time for my next chapter, and I got to make a promise. One promise that I already kept here; to every place I come, I push the place to the next level. That’s what I do. That’s what I did with NXT. And this is the same thing I do when I come to Raw with incomparable passion, and incomparable intensity."
Having been one of the standout performers in the King of the Ring tournament this past month, do not be surprised if we see Dragunov continue to climb up the ranks on RAW and capture the Intercontinental title sooner rather than later.
#2. Gable finally seizes his moment
The person who arguably has come closest to ending Sami Zayn's run as champion is ironically the man who helped him win it in the first place, that being Chad Gable.
The former Olympic wrestler recently revealed a vicious new side to his on-screen persona after he attacked Sami Zayn ringside after their championship match on RAW.
Rather than looking at himself for the reason he lost, Chad Gable has chosen to blame others for his failures, including his Alpha Academy teammates.
During a recent interview with TNT Sports, Chad was asked why he has chosen to display this new side and whether he has always been like this at his core.
"Not to say I'm a jerk, but I'm a very hard-nosed, disciplined human being in real life. If you ask anyone close to me, they'd tell you the same. I don't necessarily talk to them the way that I talk to the Alpha Academy right now. They also do know that when it comes down to the things that I take seriously like training and fitness, anything I apply that discipline to, they don't interfere in that part of my life. Otherwise, those tendencies in me do come out and they might catch me a little crankier than I normally would be. It's a very real part of my personality, which is cool."
With Sami Zayn still very much in his eyeline, Chad Gable is seemingly set to continue to find a way to beat the Canadian as he aims to capture his first-ever singles championship in WWE.
#1. WWE's next big star moves up in the ranks
Over the years, many young performers have failed to live up to their hype despite many believing that they have the potential to be the next big thing in WWE.
While he still has a long way to go to reach the top of the card, the former NXT Champion and recently drafted RAW Superstar Bron Breakker has shown that he has all the gifts both in and out of the ring to become the future face of the company.
One person who is extremely impressed with Breakker is the current SmackDown General Manager, Nick Adis. While speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda Wrestling, Aldis heaped plenty of praise on the young star.
"He is tremendous, and I have a tremendous amount of time for him. I obviously have a great relationship with his uncle [Scott Steiner]. I love that kid, and he’s ready. I mean he’s ready to take on that spot."
Despite having only been in the WWE for less than three years, the son of the Hall of Famer Rick Steiner has shown that he is more than ready for the bright lights. Although he may not be world championship material just yet, a run with the Intercontinental title seems very plausible.