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Former WWE star Eric Young made headlines last week when he defeated Eddie Edwards in the main event of IMPACT! to win the promotion's World Championship.
The former SAnitY leader winning the title will surely bring more eyes to the product and IMPACT Wrestling needs to use this opportunity to their advantage to grow their fanbase. It is often the main event scene that new fans check out the most, and thus, Scott D' Amore and Co. need to present an intriguing main event scene that keeps the new viewers at the edge of their seats.
Building up a strong contender for the World title should be the primary concern of IMPACT creatives in the coming weeks, given that Bound For Glory, IMPACT's equivalent of Wrestlemania, is the next Pay-Per-View on their schedule.
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In this article, we try to predict the five IMPACT stars that can challenge the World Class Maniac for his championship.
Honorable Mention: Eddie Edwards or Heath for IMPACT World Champion?
Let us get the obvious pick out of the way first. Eddie Edwards is entitled to a rematch, and we can expect to see that match soon on an episode of IMPACT!, where Young pins Edwards clean to put an end to their rivalry.
While this is not a knock on Edwards, who has been the cornerstone of IMPACT during the pandemic, there isn't a lot left in his feud with Young and it would be better if the creatives don't stretch this rivalry all the way to Bound For Glory.
Coming to Heath, his reunion with Rhino to fight off Reno Scum is doing just fine for him, so there's no need to rush him into the World title picture right now.
Speaking of Heath, what is your opinion on Heath using the Wake-Up Call (aka Dolph Ziggler's Zig Zag) as his finisher, dear readers? Be sure to comment!
#5. Ace Austin for IMPACT World Champion?
The fact that Ace Austin is not at the top of IMPACT Wrestling is quite surprising, given how the promotion has been drawing parallels between him and AJ Styles, along with portraying him as the next face of the company.
IMPACT's youngest World Champion, Tessa Blanchard, left the company earlier this year while still being the champion, and the promotion may try to remove her name from history books by making Ace Austin the youngest IMPACT World Champion ever.
IMPACT has time till February to make that happen, so they have enough time to help Austin gain some momentum before challenging for the World Title.
Also Read: 5 Reasons why Eric Young won IMPACT Wrestling's World Championship
The best way to kick off Austin's run to the top will be his muscle Madman Fulton turning on him to join Eric Young. This way, Austin can smoothly transition into the main event picture and win the World Title in due course of time.
#4. Cousin Jake (aka Jake Deaner) for IMPACT World Champion?
Jake Deaner is one of the most underrated wrestlers that IMPACT Wrestling possesses and it is time that Cousin Jake steps into the spotlight. While he looks like a monster, his alliance with Cody Deaner allows him to show his funny side to the fans, which makes him a loveable babyface.
Just like how Willie Mack fought Eric Young to avenge his friend Rich Swann, Jake can call out the World Champion for brutally attacking former champion Edwards after their title match.
Deaner's in-ring skills are second to none and the fans will be in for a visual treat if IMPACT books this program. Cousin Jake's humourous gimmick is a complete contrast to the World Class Maniac gimmick of Eric Young, which can work out to be a great thing from a storyline perspective.
If booked well, this program will be the making of a main eventer in Jake Deaner, even if he doesn't win the title. Cousin Jake has proved his worth whenever the situation calls for it, and its time that he gets a shot at IMPACT Wrestling's World Championship.
#3. EC3 for IMPACT World Champion?
Who else can make the list at #3 other than EC3 himself? The EC3 that returned to IMPACT Wrestling isn't the same EC3 that left the company in January 2018. The EC3 of now is a more dangerous iteration, and he is here to control not only his but IMPACT's narrative as well.
In a quest to destroy his past, the former top one percenter has been targeting the TNA World Heavyweight Champion Moose and once he gets done with him, it will only make sense for him to go after IMPACT's official World Championship.
EC3 is a master of mind games and so is Eric Young; this factor will be advantageous to the build-up of this rivalry. Both the former NXT Superstars have a lot of appeal in the wrestling world and thus, booking this match for Bound For Glory seems to be a no-brainer, given that it is Impact's flagship Pay-Per-View.
A rivalry between two TNA originals who failed elsewhere and are now out to prove their existence in the wrestling world by squaring off for the ultimate prize at the ultimate PPV: seems to be a money match, doesn't it?
#2 Rohit Raju for IMPACT World Champion?
While this may seem to be an unlikely option, given that Rohit Raju is a heel in IMPACT Wrestling and the current X-Division Champion, you can never count The Desi Hitman out. As X-Division Champion, Rohit can cash in the Option C clause to contend for the title.
For those of you who are new to IMPACT, Option C is a contractual clause that every X-Division champion is entitled to during his reign. As per Option C, the X-Division Champion can forfeit his championship in exchange for a World Title shot, and this may be the route that Rohit Raju walks on in order to cement his legacy as a singles competitor.
We do know that Rohit is at odds with Chris Bey right now, given how he tricked Bey and won the X-Division title from him. The former X-Division Champion will be out looking for revenge, and this can play into Rohit's World Title match, where Bey interferes, leading to Raju losing the World Title bout.
These two men can then fight over the vacant X-Division Championship in a long, drawn-out program, not only elevating each other but the entire division.
#1 Rich Swann for IMPACT World Champion?
Rich Swann is the best pick to challenge Eric Young for his World Championship, both from the kayfabe and the backstage aspect. Swann made his return from a knee injury at IMPACT Wrestling's Slammiversary PPV, joining Eddie Edwards, Trey, and Ace Austin in the PPV's Main Event to fight for the vacant World Championship.
Things went downhill for Swann soon when Young joined the match as well and viciously assaulted him, leading to the former WWE Cruiserweight Champion announcing his retirement on an episode of IMPACT! Young laid Swann out while the latter was walking up the ramp one last time, and he hasn't been around since then.
It makes complete sense for Swann to make his return and destroy Young, leading to an Unsanctioned match between the two of them. The fact that the bout will have the unsanctioned stipulation adds another layer of intrigue into this rivalry, along with allowing Young to maximize on his Maniac gimmick.
Both these men are great wrestlers and if given the liberty to go All Out (pun not intended), these two will be able to add more prestige to not only their legacy but that of the title as well.
