#3 Apollo Crews has already proven himself to the WWE Universe
Prior to his run as WWE United States Champion, Apollo Crews had an underwhelming career in the company. Barely any wins on the main roster, and a short run in NXT which failed to earn him any accolades, Crews looked to be just another underperforming Superstar with a ton of potential.
That all changed when he captured the US Championship from Andrade. Since then, Apollo Crews has put on some of the best matches of his career. In fact, from May-August, Apollo Crews had an impressive 9-3 record, with the losses only coming thanks to some underhanded tricks by his opponents.
It was almost impossible to beat Apollo Crews clean. He'd also held the title for three months, which isn't too bad for his first rodeo. With victories over the likes of Andrade, MVP, Shelton Benjamin, and Angel Garza, he's proven that he's not a flash in the pan.
Apollo Crews may have lost his WWE United States Championship, but he's now leagues ahead in his career than he was prior to winning the belt. He'll be fine without it, and he may even get it back from Lashley in the coming months.