WWE SmackDown: 3 Superstars who can challenge Finn Balor for the Intercontinental Championship next

This week on RAW we saw Ricochet emerge as the new #1 contender for the United States Championship after he defeated Braun Strowman, Bobby Lashley, The Miz and Cesaro in a fatal-5 way elimination match. With a plethora of Superstars vying for a US title opportunity, the mid-card of RAW looks stacked at the moment.

But, the same cannot be said of the blue brand, where the Intercontinental Champion, Finn Balor is finding himself short of challengers. The leader of the Balor Club has successfully defended the title against Sami Zayn, Elias and Andrade ever since he won it at WrestleMania 35.

With WWE Stomping Grounds taking place this Sunday, it is highly unlikely we will see a new challenger emerge for the Intercontinental title. At most, we may get another rematch on the show featuring Andrade and Finn Balor. However, the chances of Andrade becoming the new Champion are minimum at the moment.

In this article, we will have a look at the 3 Superstars who can challenge Finn Balor for the Intercontinental Championship next -

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#3 Aleister Black

Aleister Black has been issuing open challenges on SmackDown Live

The Dutch Destroyer, Aleister Black, has done nothing but cut promos on SmackDown Live and if he wants to establish himself as a main roster worthy Superstar, then he should get inside the ring as soon as possible. With no Superstars ready to challenge Finn Balor, it would be great if Black emerges as the one who takes him on.

These two Superstars have the potential to tell a fantastic story and this feud could culminate with a marquee match at WWE SummerSlam, where Black would face the Demon King. Black and Balor can steal the show on SmackDown Live with their antiques and hence, WWE should not waste any moment in kick-starting this feud.

#2 Lars Sullivan

Lars Sullivan is the Superstar whom the WWE Universe loves to hate

It is no secret that Finn Balor is one of the most over Superstars in the company right now. He has a huge fan base, which is often called the Balor Club. WWE should try to capitalize on Balor's popularity and pit him in a feud with someone who has been struggling to garner reactions from the crowd. Yes, I am talking about Lars Sullivan.

His main roster debut was hyped the most, yet he has failed to capture the attention of the WWE Universe and the WWE Creative team is to blame here. They booked The Freak in a meaningless feud with Lucha House Party. On top of that, they had him win the match at Super Showdown via disqualification. This led to the WWE Universe rejecting Sullivan as the next monster heel.

However, given how huge Lars Sullivan is, Vince McMahon is not going to stop his push and with him being a SmackDown Superstar, we may soon see him emerge as the new challenger for the Intercontinental Championship.

#1 Randy Orton

The Viper is hungrier than ever before

It is surprising that Randy Orton has been kept away from SmackDown Live. It has been over a month since the Apex Predator made his presence felt on the 'B show'. Randy Orton is one of the few legends who has not shown any interest in careers outside wrestling, his finisher, the RKO, has just got better with time as well and his heel work is still unmatched.

WWE should try to indulge Randy Orton in more feuds because he can help putting over up and coming Superstars. While Finn Balor is not new to the main roster, a feud with Randy Orton will help the Extraordinary Man's profile a lot. Balor's status will rise immensely after a rivalry with someone like The Legend Killer.Interestingly, just a few days ago, Orton called out the Intercontinental Champion on Twitter -

And @FinnBalor for that matter. First title I ever won is around his waist. Maybe I want it back. https://t.co/r3B0yKuTuS

— Randy Orton (@RandyOrton) June 9, 2019

Seeing the development on social media, it is all but confirmed that we may see a Randy Orton vs Finn Balor feud for the Intercontinental Championship after WWE Stomping Grounds. The fact that WWE Extreme Rules will take place in the 2nd week of July has just added my excitement for this feud.