3 problem areas WWE should fix after SummerSlam
By Brett Grega
3. An Intercontinental Title picture lacking a storyline or direction
In my opinion, WWE’s greatest shortcoming going into SummerSlam was their inability to find a spot for Shinsuke Nakamura and the Intercontinental Championship.
There were so many underutilized stars that could have easily been booked into a quick storyline with Nakamura for the show, yet WWE seemed content to leave one of its most well known titles on the sidelines.
That has to change, and change fast. With the overwhelming wealth of rising stars WWE has to work with, it’s ridiculous to think that they can’t find an angle for one of the belts that’s oftentimes seen as a major stepping stones into the main event scene.
Up-and-coming superstars who are already receiving quality TV time like Ali and Cedric Alexander could easily benefit from the exposure an Intercontinental Championship feud would naturally receive.
Similarly, somewhat directionless stars in the making like Buddy Murphy and Aleister Black could hit a real groove in WWE with an extended feud with Shinsuke Nakamura.
To put it simply, that’s 4 insanely gifted superstars who would be perfect inclusions in an Intercontinental Title picture, and that’s just scratching the surface. That’s without even mentioning any new potential NXT call-ups, or completely forgotten NXT standouts like EC3 who would be practically guaranteed to fit the bill as worthy contenders.
If WWE wants to ensure that at least some of those superstars successfully translate their potential into future main event contention, then they have an easy place to start with the Intercontinental Championship scene.
They just need to actually recognize that, and put in the work to develop a real storyline around the title in the coming weeks.