Dolph Ziggler: US Champion. But Who's Next?

[Johnny Scumm]

On June 19th, at Capitol Punishment, Dolph Ziggler became your NEW, 1st time United States Champion. He defeated Kofi Kingston to win the Belt. Currently, he has held the Belt for 16 days and we are still counting. But as always, every Champion has to lost their Title, even if they hold it for a year or two. So, who is Mr Ziggler going to lose his United States Title too? Being on Raw, I will go through a few Superstars now who could possibly be his foil and defeat Ziggler for the Title. There is a Poll you can vote on for who you think will be the next Champion and feel free to share your own opinions. So, here we go;

1) - Kofi Kingston
Yes, the man who Dolph Ziggler beat for the US Title could always get his way into a Match for the Belt. Granted, it would be Ziggler & Kingston's 2000th Match, but at least we know they would put on a good show. At any point, he could challenge Ziggler to a Title Match, if he still thinks he's better than him. Ziggler always seems up for a bit of a challenge himself, so he could go for it. However, there's the possibility that Kingston beats him and ends up becoming the US Champion yet again.

2) - Alex Riley
Recently, Alex Riley broke away from The Miz, beating him now in two matches straight. Since becoming a face character and being what could be called a crowd favourite, he needs some kind of accomplishment to go along with it and give him something to have fun with. Granted, beating Miz twice now might be big news in Riley's books, but why not give him a Title as well? He could very easily win a Number One Contender's match, or be a surprise opponent for Ziggler. Either way, if Ziggler was to face Riley, I would definitely see Alex coming out on top, there's no doubt about that.

3) - Evan Bourne
Well, recently, Bourne has been coming up the ranks and been on Raw weekly. He's defeated Jack Swagger multiple times and on Raw just this week, he made a save for Sgt. Slaughter, whilst Jack Swagger attempted to beat him down. Surely, Bourne has a case to make for his own being the Contender to the Title?? Maybe, one day, we'll see Bourne become a Champion. He's been in Money In The Bank Matches, even an ECW Title match, but Bourne's never come out on top. Is this his chance?

And finally... (For my choices)

4) - Mason Ryan
Yes, this is the "unlikely" choice to be honest, but Mason Ryan's a beast, who recently has only been showing that. We all know that Vince loves his big men (take that how you will) and surely, if he wants to try and get Ryan over, he'd give him a Title? It's possible and with Ryan in a Match against Ziggler, I could only see him destroying him in what would be a very simple win. With Vickie at Ringside, I'm sure Otunga & McGillicutty would be with him there, to scare her away. So, maybe Ryan WILL be the Champ sometime soon?

Allright, there we go. There's my 4 top choices for who I think may win the Title.

Vote on the Poll, share your own opinions and if there's someone else you think will win the Title, vote "other" and let us know.

 

[wwe1997]

Well its not going to be Mason Ryan because he is injured. I think it will be Evan Bourne because he has been having a good fued with Swagger and after it ends he should start one with Ziggler because they could put together great matches. And it would be a great fued for the U.S. Title. My second pick is Alex Riley because he is really impressive lately beating the Miz multiple times. I don't want to see kofi have it again he needs to stay away from the us title for a while maybe win MITB.

 

[Theo Mays]

Waits for Zack Ryder marks to claim him as the next US champion. Though he would definitely be on my short list of potential contenders, but it would be a ways away.

I think you hit the nail on the head on the choices J4L. I think it really comes down to Evan Bourne and Alex Riley. Riley is in a high profile feud with Miz at the moment, so the US title could be a step down for him though that is where I truly see him. Bourne would be my top guy though. He has some pull backstage with Cena, he has scored big victories over the likes of Swagger and Sheamus in the past, and is one of the most entertaining guys on the roster. I'd expect him to jump in the chase for the US title and maybe get his first shot at Summerslam with Ziggler and capture the belt sometime this fall.

 

[JamJam]

I think and I'm hoping that it'll be Evan Bourne. This kid has been impressive lately and its a crowd favorite as well as Riley. I believe Riley will go on to another feud before they give him a title to establish him even more. So, Evan Bourne, you're next US Champion.

 

[Johnny Scumm]

Waits for Zack Ryder marks to claim him as the next US champion.

Never! I could not put Ryder down on the list as I think he'd be a terrible Contender/Champion. He's not entertaining to me and I would not take the US Title seriously after he held it. Although, if anyone believes Ryder will be the US Champ, they're allowed to say so.

Also, to anyone reading this Thread, look out for it's Partner Thread to do with Ezekiel Jackson & the IC Title.

 

[Jtrivera]

I'm going with riley, it'd be a smart move because they could further the Miz and Riley rivalry and have Miz finally coming out on top at summer slam, because let's face it, del rio is favorite to win MITB and Vince won't let cena lose the title to Miz,But Vince won't leave one of his top guys hanging so Riley is a logical choice for next u.s champ... Next pick would be bourne, he's been on a streak and if the wwe were smart they would put Bourne in the match with Ziggler and have mr USA SGT slaughter be in bourne's corner to handle vickie and return the favor, setting up several rivalrys, swagger vs bourne And Bourne vs Ziggler,

 

[silverwraith720]

Never! I could not put Ryder down on the list as I think he'd be a terrible Contender/Champion. He's not entertaining to me and I would not take the US Title seriously after he held it. Although, if anyone believes Ryder will be the US Champ, they're allowed to say so.

I could see it going either way. I'm not big on Ryder myself either, but I am waiting to be impressed by him. I was also never really big on Swagger or Ziggler and they became two of my new young favorites. I definitely feel like winning a title can still help someone these days. I did also appreciate Ziggler's rant last week about it not being the WWE championship, but because he has it, the US championship is the most important title in the company. If everyone else has that kind of intensity about it, then it does good things for the belt. I feel like he brought a degree of legitimacy back to the IC title with his lengthy feud with Kingston (though that is starting to get stale IMO.)

But to answer the OP, I think Kingston will perpetuate himself as nothing more than a transitional champion before someone else takes.

 

[JSpaz]

Bourne would be a good choice, but he is somewhat streaky. He has really only gotten over on Swagger. He had 1 win over Sheamus, but after HHH "destroyed" him. Then Sheamus got back over the following week. He loses way more matches then he wins.

Not sure about Ryan. I don't see heel vs heel for the US title.

If they are really pushing Riley, this may be the way they go. We will have to see how the Miz program plays out.

But, what all that said, I expect Ziggler to hold the title for a while longer and probably lose it back to Kofi. No major excitement here.

The WWE could pack up the US title and the IC title, not show them on TV ever again, and most fans won't even notice. Along with the tag team titles, these titles have no real value anymore. Most of the time they are not even defended at PPVs. What used to be the road to the WWE/World Title, is now just the road to mid-card mania.

 

[The Calgary Kid]

I voted for Riley. We're talking next champion, not next feud. Riley still has business with Miz, but Ziggler still has something cooking with Kofi. They've been doing a good job of keeping Bourne relevant lately, but I don't see him winning the title. I wouldn't be surprised if he became #1 contender and he and Ziggler were given a chance to put on a show, but that's as far as I see it going. If Bourne won, after he went over Ziggler, would he feud with Swagger again? Who, at that point, takes the feud seriously or even cares? The timing isn't right for that.

With the WWE title scene looking pretty deep right now, I don't think they'd throw Ziggler under the bus and saddle him with a one month reign. They're trying to establish him as a contender on Raw, and just like they did with Miz last year, The US title will serve as a means of doing so. Ziggler had a tremendous five months with the IC title, packed with awesome matches and expert usage of heel tactics to repeatedly keep the belt. It was a throwback reign and he excelled. When he dropped the belt, he was put into a WHC feud with Edge and after about a week went by, no one questioned it. They seem to be very high on Ziggler, rightfully so, and I doubt they'd rip the belt off of him and ship him to Superstars the next week. He's been a world champion and he will be again, but there's no room for it at the moment, and his switch to Raw, subsequent booking and makeover stunted his growth. They're trying to build him back up and get him over before they throw him into a Cena program.

As for Riley, I don't see him winning MITB, nor do I see him either moving into WWE title matches or randomly jumping to the bottom of the card. Hell, what if Miz wins MITB? Maybe the blowoff could be Riley challenging for the case and Miz finally going over. Either way, I think Miz needs to win that feud in order to position Riley for the inevitable shift in the card. He's being pushed and will continue to be spotlighted. He's another one they're setting up for the future, but I don't think he'll be rushed. I think he's the next in line for the US title, but it probably won't happen right away.

 

[legendkiller1979]

Oh it will probably be Kofi. I fully expect WWE to do the same boring crap they did on smackdown. Dolf will hold the belt way too long and Kofi will get it back and nobody will care. For my money, Dolf vs Kofi has been the most boring feud for a title ever. Two guys with zero personality going after a major championship? Yes they are good in the ring but I think we all agree that takes a back seat to being able to talk and have charisma. I really hope I'm wrong. I would love to see Alex Riley with the belt. He is so over right now. but I fully expect Kofi to win the belt back.

 

[darbare]

At this point Kofi and Ziggler are almost rebuilding the midcard division. They put on excellent matches, and great segments. Miz never really had anyone to feud with last year over it even though he put on superb promos. Daniel Bryan and Sheamus didnt do anything with the title. At least Kofi and Ziggler have some history in which theyve gotten great chemistry out of. I say let them keep feuding because they bring out the best in each other. Its almost the only time I enjoy a Kofi match is when Dolph is nearby

 

[Johnny Scumm]

I forgot! I never gave my own answer.

I voted for Alex Riley. I think that it will be great to see Riley finally get some Gold and parade it around The Miz. Maybe, Riley could do this whole thing where he brags to Miz that he used to be the US Champion, but he's going to hold it for a longer period of time than Miz will. Then, Riley has Title Defenses, but Miz comes out during the Matches, attempting to put off Riley, with Riley still managing to overcome the odds and defend his Title. It's something I would like to see anyway.

 

[legacymember]

Zack Ryder. I think he is the most deserving person to hold that title right now. After Dolph drops the belt, I hope he will be elevated to another status on the card. If anyone could take his current spot right now si none other than "The Long-Islan Iced-Z" Zack Ryder, or maybe A-Ry. But I think Zack is a better choice.

 

[Ming]

Isn't Alex Riley on the Smackdown roster? I thought they would've let him make the jump to Smackdown after this feud with The Miz.

Of the above choices I picked Kofi Kingston. After the promo on RAW where Kofi claimed Ziggler couldn't beat him without Vickie, I see this going until Vickie faces a stipulation banning her from ringside in a match between the two with that potentially being their final match with Kofi perhaps picking up the win and the U.S title. I think this feud Bourne has with Swagger can go on a little longer, maybe until Kofi wins back the U.S Championship so Swagger can compete for the title.

 

[BigRedPunk]

I really do hope there is a new champion soon which will cause a new feud over the title. I am so tired of Ziggler and Kofi going at it. It's to the point where I don't even care about their matches anymore. They recycled that feud as well. It happened on Smackdown as well. Even though I think Riley should be in the ME title picture already if he did win it it could actually make the U.S. matches watchable and non-repetitive. I would also like to see Bourne get the title and become more then just a jobber to everyone.

 

[FutureShocked]

it looks like it'll be evan bourne. hes been winng matches against swagger for a while and it looks like hes on a roll. i would prefer zack ryder or drew mcintyre to win it, as neither of them have anything going for them right now, but evan bourne deserves it. he hasnt won a title in wwe has he? if he has, i apologise, but hes way overdue a title run.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

Ziggles is a decent champ and all, but why not put the United States Title around the waist of the All American American, Jack Swagger? He was a big part of Raw through the Michael Cole days, and you can't tell me a former World Champion can't do better than putting over Evan Bourne 3 times and then finally winning a match - because his opponent was Sgt. Slaughter.

 

[Wrestlingfan100]

Bourne would be a good choice, but he is somewhat streaky. He has really only gotten over on Swagger. He had 1 win over Sheamus, but after HHH "destroyed" him. Then Sheamus got back over the following week. He loses way more matches then he wins.

Not sure about Ryan. I don't see heel vs heel for the US title.

If they are really pushing Riley, this may be the way they go. We will have to see how the Miz program plays out.

But, what all that said, I expect Ziggler to hold the title for a while longer and probably lose it back to Kofi. No major excitement here.

The WWE could pack up the US title and the IC title, not show them on TV ever again, and most fans won't even notice. Along with the tag team titles, these titles have no real value anymore. Most of the time they are not even defended at PPVs. What used to be the road to the WWE/World Title, is now just the road to mid-card mania.

actually according to two websites I keep track of Evan Bourne's win loss record he is 61 wins and 41 losses. Evan Bourne has been in the biz for 11 years and in WWE for 4 with 3 years on screen, he's a hardworker, he's respected{Cena, Jericho} and I think he deserves it

 

[THE AWESOME MIZFIT]

personally i would like to see mr ziggles hold the title for a good long while. i think he is a great talent. hes amazing in the ring and with the help of vickie he draws alot of heat. he had some great matches in the last year. his early matches with kofi last year, his matches with daniel bryan, edge, and again with kingston were some of the greatest matches wwe put on tv and on ppv. i would like to see him hold it until as late as next year and then start his main event push. if i had to chose one guy to take the title from him though i would like to see zack ryder take the strap from him. zack has the talent and now the draw power i think.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Given the face roster on Raw at the moment.... the best option would be Evan Bourne. He would make a good choice for a US title contender or champion because then he could excite the crowd with good opening matches on PPV. Guys like McIntyre can't feud with Ziggler without turning face. Kofi needs a new feud so not him. Riley could possibly be next but it might hurt his push if he gets a badly booked title reign. Mason is a heel so not him unless he or Ziggler turns face. Bourne is honestly the best choice unless Ryder finally gets the push he deserves. The other faces on Raw are either too far up the card, jobbing, or never do anything.

 

[SpoodBeest]

I think the next superstar in line to take the title off of Dolph Ziggler will eventually be Alex Riley. He's a red hot face at the moment and his feud with The Miz is one of the best going on currently on WWE programming. The feud is going to end at some point and I think the next best possible feud for Riley will be with Ziggler over the US title, especially coming off of the momentum his feud with Miz will end up giving him.

He will be a perfect candidate for a face to take the title next because he will be a red hot babyface ready to start his first title reign. The only other option is Evan Bourne but given his tract record I don't know if he will be given a reign before A-Ry. I see Ziggler having a nice reign through out the summer and will most likely drop the belt to the next face in line (Riley) at Night of Champions in the fall or somewhere along that time frame.

 

[Cena's #1 In My Heart]

I vote for Evan Bourne

It'd be something different. Personally I'm not all that into Alex Riley yet, Mason Ryan still needs something... maybe to talk and get a personality? Kofi Kingston, move him up into the WWE Title scene right behind Rey Mysterio on the face side.

Evan Bourne's run would be interesting.. I think him and Dolph could have some FANTASTIC matches..

Looking at the Raw Mid-Carders.. I think they could use some help... I don't see why WWE doesn't just hire some old faces... like X-Pac.. bring him back to in ring competition for a year... surely it'd be a change up from watching all these young guns go at it...

I really don't think anyone on the RAW Roster deserves the title besides Evan Bourne, Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger, or Kofi Kingston.

So I think they should just let Dolph Ziggler carry the title for quite some time.

 

[J. Bryan]

Kofi Kingston - I'm getting tired of this Dolph Ziggler Vs Kofi Kingston!! No!!!

Riley - Best option right now, after him beating a former WWE Champion in The Miz, the USA Championship would be a great idea, we could see what he can do against Dolph.

Bourne - Doubt it, but I like him. He's a great in-ring performer, not that much in the mic, but that didn't stop Mysterio, Jeff and RVD right?

Mason Ryan: No!! He's not good at all in the ring, neither in the mic. He just started through so he could improve, but not for now.

 

[Mr. Cash Cow]

There are only 2 guys that i can see becoming the next US Champ. They are either...

Alex Riley:

The Miz is putting Riley over, big time, and Riley will more than likely come out looking better in this fued than The Miz will, especially if Riley continues to beat The Miz. However, after their feud, he still wouldn't be ready for the mainevent, and guys like John Morrison should be in front of him in the pecking order to become World Champion. But a US title run could help Riley become a major star in the WWE in the future. This one out of the two looks more likely.

Zack Ryder:

Whether people like it or not, Zack is very funny and entertaining. The guy is also fairly good in the ring, he has a memorable catchphrase, and his character can easily be liked by the younger fans. I also believe the guy is starting to finally get the push he well and truly deserves. He has recently beaten Mcintyre on Superstars, a recent and random Raw appearance, and a random video package in the middle of this weeks smackdown main event between Orton and Sheamus. Not to mention that his shirts are currently selling out, and probably has a bigger fanbase than other mid-card guys such as Ziggler, Kingston, Bourne, Swagger etc...

I'm a Broski, and i feel Ryder would be a good choice to be the next United States champion, even if The New Nexus help him and that he turns heel again in the process.

 

[Blue Chipper]

I see Alex Riley garnering a US title fairly soon. Every night he receives a nice face reaction from the crowd, he's not main event material yet (and thus needs to stay in the mid-card), and I think WWE looks favorably upon him. The US title will give him a chance to grow and become a main eventer someday. It starts in the mid-card.