11-time Champion to return tonight, huge tournament planned for vacant title (May 15, 2020)

#4 SmackDown to have tournament to crown new Intercontinental Champion

As reported earlier, Sami Zayn refused to be a part of WWE tapings as a precaution amidst the coronavirus crisis. In his absence from SmackDown, the creative have decided to organize a tournament to determine who would be the next Intercontinental Champion. However, it is safe to say that Zayn isn’t very supportive of the idea.

Ashamed of themselves.
— Sami Zayn (@SamiZayn) May 13, 2020

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As far as the new Intercontinental Champion is concerned, this is an opportunity for WWE to bring the spotlight on the rest of the SmackDown locker room. We could see the likes of Cesaro, Shinsuke Nakamura, Sheamus, Jeff Hardy, and others battling it out for the title in the coming weeks. However, the new Champion must be booked in a feud with Zayn if and when the latter decided to return.

Zayn had to wait for a long time before he could finally get his hands on a Single’s title. Even though he has been far from a conventional Champion, Zayn deserved a better ending to his title reign. Hopefully, WWE will consider using Zayn's eventual return to SmackDown for making the Intercontinental Championship picture more interesting.

About the author

Shruti Sadbhav is a WWE writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling. With a triple major in Journalism, English Literature, and Psychology, she has always been drawn to writing. As an avid sports lover, writing about sports was the finest way to combine her passion with her prowess.

Whenever she writes, Shruti puts herself into the shoes of fans to see how she would appreciate an honest account of anything related to something she follows wholeheartedly with engaging and relevant information to cater to the readers' needs.

Shruti has seven years of experience. She previously worked as a content manager at Fox Sports Asia and as an assistant manager and digital marketer at Kickstart FC. Shruti previously worked in multiple roles in Sportskeeda, where she was a WWE features writer, editor, and content manager. She has over 40 million+ reads across all her writer profiles, giving her an immensely diverse audience across WWE and football.

When it comes to pro wrestling, Shruti does not particularly remember the first match she watched. However, she recalls accompanying her brother and getting hooked when she saw The Undertaker – a fascinating wrestler that she, like thousands of others, believed in.
Her views on pro wrestling evolved as she grew older and understood the intricacies of the business. This allows her to appreciate those who dedicate themselves to the craft and, once in a while, it does become what it has always been touted to be – magical. Her favorite wrestler is Finn Balor due to his persistence.

When she is not working as a writer, Shruti loves to read, enjoy a good cup of coffee, and let Manchester City dictate her weekend plans.

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Edited by Zaid Khan