Selling the drama; an unexpected winner - 4 Predictions for the Intercontinental Championship tournament on WWE RAW
After dispatching Sami Zayn in a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match on RAW two weeks ago, Bron Breakker is focusing on his future. A tournament to determine his next challenger will start on this week's RAW.
WWE has the chance to make it a memorable event. Several stars can increase their stock with great performances, and others can participate in moments that could set things up for the next few months of action.
Which performers will make the cut? Who will win? Could fans witness some unexpected surprises or heel turns? Below are four predictions surrounding the Intercontinental Championship tournament on RAW.
#4. Which RAW stars will get the opportunity?
RAW General Manager Adam Pearce hasn't disclosed much about the tournament. Since Bash in Berlin is next weekend, the tournament will likely play out over the next few weeks. That means it will include about eight stars.
Having four or six competitors wouldn't make sense, especially since WWE has deep rosters on RAW and SmackDown. There's also a great chance to weave multiple storylines into the matches.
The stars who should compete include Jey Uso, who's already declared, Dragon Lee, Ilja Dragunov, Dominik Mysterio, and Otis. The other participants should be Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods, Pete Dunne, and Karrion Kross.
Dragunov has already crossed paths with Breakker, while The Judgment Day may try to add more gold to its ranks. Dunne, The New Day, Otis, and Kross have all been featured in angles on RAW.
#3. Despite the popularity, Jey Uso doesn't predictably win
Just as with this year's Money in the Bank match, Jey Uso was the only person to declare his participation in the upcoming tournament. Despite his fan-favorite status, Uso ultimately fell short of winning the coveted briefcase.
His name will likely stand out among the other competitors. Instead of giving him the predictable win, someone could cost Jey the chance to earn another big title shot.
It's too soon for Breakker to lose the title, and when he does, it should be to someone like Jey Uso. For those two reasons alone, Uso will seemingly come up short in the tournament.
#2. Odyssey Jones costs Xavier Woods his match
As mentioned previously, weaving several ongoing angles into the tournament would be easy. Putting Kingston and the former King of the Ring as competitors is a no-brainer.
Woods hasn't won a singles title in WWE, and angles have been built around that. He also doesn't completely trust Odyssey Jones, nor should he. Kingston tagged Jones instead of his long-time tag team partner last week, puzzling Woods.
While Kingston could advance, Jones could accidentally cost Woods his shot at the title. This would add another layer of drama and could be the straw that finally leads to a heel turn or breakup of The New Day.
#1. And the winner will be . . . .
Bron Breakker is a heel but a cool anti-hero heel like Stone Cold Steve Austin. Some fans bark to show their appreciation. Unless he was a full-blown face, it wouldn't make sense for Dominik Mysterio or Kross to win.
Kofi and Xavier will squabble, while Ilja Dragunov and Jey Uso could have good runs. Both have been featured over the summer but without direction. Uso winning would likely lead to another disappointing loss. He shouldn't win the tournament but could have his next feud set up.
The person who could use the win the most would be Dragon Lee. He hasn't been on screens for a few months but was wowing fans before WrestleMania 40. Overcoming a hard path to make the finals would get the crowd on his side.
One only needs to watch Andrade's matches with Carmelo Hayes on SmackDown. Whoever wins the tournament won't likely dethrone Breakker, but they can get a nice push out of it. Lee could use a big push after missing the last few months.