WWE SmackDown: 3 Possible IC Title Contenders for AJ Styles

1.) Jeff Hardy

On this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown, Jeff Hardy is scheduled for a Bar Fight against Sheamus in what is a sordid storyline that is not worth the time of addressing. Since it would be asinine booking for Hardy to lose this fight, winning this fight should set him up for the Intercontinental Championship opportunity that was robbed of him during the fraudulent Intercontinental Championship Tournament.

Speaking of which, did the WWE ever reveal the red-haired individual who attacked Jeff Hardy and Elias during that dramatic segment on the May 29, 2020 episode of WWE SmackDown? Was it evidently Sheamus? Although it would be banal booking for Sheamus to be the culprit, Sheamus admitted that he didn’t implement that attack. Nonetheless, it’s still ill-advised to trust everything that comes out of a heel’s mouth, so Sheamus will always remain a suspect.

Was it mysteriously Erick Rowan or Merrick Rowan? While our Josiah MacDonald would be an expert on his theories behind why the latter would be the culprit, Erick Rowan is already renown for his mysterious attacks. His storyline with Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan at this time last year would substantiate his initiative to cause this mayhem. Despite being released from WWE, Rowan will always remain a suspect.

Was it coincidentally the former Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn or Eva Marie? Since Sami Zayn claimed on the December 12, 2016, episode of WWE Raw that he is worth a 1,000 Eva Marie’s, he would be capable of implementing this attack all on his own. Zayn was disconcerted about the IC Title Tournament taking place, so it would be convenient for him to attack two superstars who were in that tournament to throw that tournament into total disarray.

With hope that the culprit is Sami Zayn, Jeff Hardy can get the push he was promised by dethroning Styles at WWE SummerSlam 2020. This chaotic storyline would be a smooth transition to setting up Hardy for an Intercontinental Championship match against the real IC Champion Sami Zayn once he returns. If Zayn does win his title back, it would be a neat complement to his fellow artists and current SmackDown Tag Team Champions, Cesaro and Nakamura.