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In many ways, 2020 has been a breakthrough year for Drew McIntyre. After a disappointing run during the early 2010s, a resurgent McIntyre made his triumphant return to WWE in 2017. He eventually earned Vince McMahon's respect and received an opportunity to headline WrestleMania 36. Since then, he's been enjoying a successful main-event run on WWE RAW.
McIntyre's ride to the top began in January this year when he won the annual Men's Royal Rumble match. He set his sights on Brock Lesnar, and he went on to dominate "The Beast Incarnate" in ways only a select few have.
McIntyre has successfully defended his title against the likes of Seth Rollins, Bobby Lashley, Dolph Ziggler, and even Heath Slater. The biggest challenge for him during his first title reign came when he faced Randy Orton.
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The duo had a lengthy feud throughout the summer. Orton even defeated McIntyre in a Hell in a Cell match at the namesake PPV and became a 14-time WWE Champion. But McIntyre regained the WWE Championship right before WWE Survivor Series 2020.
Drew McIntyre will defend his WWE Championship against AJ Styles at the next PPV event, WWE TLC. The WWE Universe is already thrilled by the thought of watching the WWE Champion defend his title against "The Phenomenal One." McIntyre is a strong champion, so he might hold on to the title for a considerable amount of time before he eventually drops it. Styles will have an uphill task on his hands when he faces McIntyre later this month.
Assuming McIntyre wins at WWE TLC, here's a look at three WWE superstars who have the best chance to take the WWE Championship from him.
#3 Braun Strowman
2020 has been a good year for Braun Strowman, too. He won his first WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 36 by defeating Goldberg. He held on to the gold for a couple of months, and he had a decent title reign. He fought in some impressive, brutal matches against Bray Wyatt and The Fiend during his tenure as SmackDown's primary champion.
While a lackluster feud against The Miz and John Morrison derailed his title reign's momentum, his rivalry with Wyatt helped him get back on track.
Strowman faced The Fiend at WWE SummerSlam, and "The Monster Among Men" lost the title in the culmination of their feud. Strowman then failed to win it back in the subsequent attempts.
He then moved to Monday Night Raw, and he was heavily rumored to be McIntyre's opponent at WWE TLC PPV. But after he got suspended in a storyline, he's been off TV. Ideally, Strowman might come back during the build to WWE Royal Rumble. He could challenge McIntyre for the WWE Championship at the annual January pay-per-view.
It looks like McIntyre might feud with either Sheamus or Roman Reigns early next year. If McMahon does decide to take the title off McIntyre, Strowman could be the perfect option. He always poses a viable threat to any opponent he faces. He even has a clean victory against the indomitable Goldberg, so he can be considered championship material..
#2 The Miz
Over the last few months, WWE booked the Miz as a borderline jobber on multiple occasions. Even after he won the MITB contract from Otis at WWE Hell In A Cell PPV, he's still been struggling to win any matches. His credibility has taken a significant hit, so his stature on the red brand has diminished, too. But by observing the latest developments on WWE RAW, it looks like The Miz might become WWE Champion soon.
McIntyre currently has his hands full, as he is involved in a WWE Championship feud with Styles. On the other side of the spectrum, Sheamus is lurking in the shadows to turn on his friend. We even saw a teaser of this feud when Sheamus and McIntyre exchanged blows backstage during last week's episode of WWE RAW.
In the midst of all this drama, The Miz might sense an opening and use his opportunistic acumen to cash-in his MITB contract on McIntyre. Though Miz will likely be a transitional champion in this saga, dethroning McIntyre would still be quite an accomplishment for "The A-Lister."
#1 The Fiend could be the next WWE Champion
Bray Wyatt made his much-awaited in-ring return at WWE SummerSlam 2019, and he has been unstoppable ever since. As The Fiend, his only pinfall defeat came against Goldberg at WWE Super ShowDown in Saudi Arabia earlier this year. Right now, he has a lot of momentum, and he's one of the top Superstars on Monday Night RAW.
His association with Alexa Bliss has added another layer to his character. Currently, The Fiend is feuding with Orton, and the duo will face off at WWE TLC. Wyatt will most likely emerge victorious in this feud and go on to have a marquee match at WrestleMania 37.
If McIntyre manages to remain WWE Champion until WrestleMania 37, then he will need a credible challenger at the Show of Immortals. On Monday Night Raw, The Fiend is one of the few main-event level Superstars he hasn't feuded with yet. So this program could make sense heading into WrestleMania 37.
It could offer fans a fresh match-up that has the potential to greatly entertain the WWE Universe. If this match does happen at WrestleMania 37, then we can expect The Fiend to become the WWE Champion. McIntyre could also freshen up his character following that loss and rejuvenate his run in the main-event picture once again.
Meet Randy Orton's lovely wife HERE
