IC Title Tournament

[Jack-Hammer]

The main page is reporting, along with other sites, that tonight's Raw will feature the beginning of a tournament to determine the #1 contender for Big E's Intercontinental Championship. Joey Stiles Tweeted about it earlier today, though there aren't any details as to who the participants are or how long the tournament will last.

Off the top of my head, I'm thinking that Alberto Del Rio and Cesaro will be two of the competitors. Cesaro being the new "Paul Heyman Guy" will be featured pretty prominently going forward and Del Rio owns a clean win over Big E in a non-title bout. It won't be surprising if these two wind up facing one another in the tournament finals.

 

[Sid Schmid]

It's an interesting concept and one I'm in favour of.

I think the main competitors will be Del Rio, Barrett, Ziggler, Sandow, Cesaro, Big Show, Sheamus and Swagger.

I can see Swagger and Cesaro screwing each other out of the tournament to continue their feud. For me that leaves Barrett as the obvious winner.

 

[MCMG]

This is a good idea. There is a lot of talent on the roster and they need to try and make the IC title relevant. This could be 8 or indeed a 16 man tournament but I wouldn't be shocked if they just did it with 4.

Ziggler, Del Rio, Christian, Swagger, Cesaro, RVD, Sandow, O'Neil, Fandango, Kofi, Big Show, Rey, Ryder, Sin Cara, Miz and Cody Rhodes. That's 16 right there with plenty of names not used. I do hope they use Raw, Smackdown and even Main-Event to let these guys work a good match and make it seem they want the IC title.

Or, you-know, have Sheamus beat Christian; Del Rio beat Ziggler and the two face off. Whatever is easier.

 

[CeramicDuck]

HHH should strip Ambrose of the US title for lack of defending as part of the Shield vs. Evolution angle and this tournament should be to crown a new US champion with the winner meeting Big E in a unification match

 

[Hakushi]

This is where Trips will force members of The Shield against each other to try and "tease" dissension.

 

[kadroan]

HHH should strip Ambrose of the US title for lack of defending as part of the Shield vs. Evolution angle and this tournament should be to crown a new US champion with the winner meeting Big E in a unification match

That would be great if Ambrose got stripped. He's bigger than the US title at this point. Somebody like Cesaro would benefit being US champion

 

[zomigosh]

The way the brackets work, Cesaro and Swagger can face each other in the finals so I'm predicting a Cesaro win over Swagger. Hope they do the finals and the title match on the Extreme Rules PPV, though I can imagine them thinking if Cesaro wins that'd make Big E look weak.

As a massive fan of Puro, I'm happy for a tourney to be happening. Just wish there was an equivalent G1 Climax for the 'E

 

[BrutalBarrett]

Im thinking Barrett v Cesaro final, swagger to ruin it for cesaro and barrett to win...

 

[Pedigree1]

Awesome Idea,i cant wait on how it plays out. Big E as of late hasnt been pushed like he should have at least imo.. Cesaro is hot shit right now,so its safe to assume when its all said and done,it will be Cesaro and Big E in the Finals! Cesaro is indeed the new paul heyman guy,so a Long IC reign will suit him just fine.. Cesaro will do that title proud and bring it prestige

 

[Punk_Aries_Daniels_Bryan]

I am pretty sure Cesaro will be winning all of this. I personally want Bad News Barrett to win, but I don't think he will. I think after putting the title on Cesaro, they will do a unification match between Ambrose and Cesaro and Cesaro will become champion. Right now they'll be pushing Cesaro to the moon.

 

[duxdelrio]

I'm afraid I've got some bad news. Right now Wade Barrett is the most deserving candidate for Langston's title. He had the match of the night, and has more charisma in his elbow than Cesaro has in his whole body. I figure it will be RVD vs. Barrett in the finals, or Barrett vs. Cesaro. Either way, I see big things for BNB. Also, he's finally getting over, which is awesome for his long-time fans like me.

 

[The Eighties]

I love this, it's a great way to make the IC title feel important as opposed to the champ losing a non title match and thus getting his challengers that way.

Given the set up and the fact there was nothing tonight between Cesaro and Swagger who lost clean, I think Cesaro takes this and restores the IC title to it's former glory.....at least to a degree.

If Cesaro beats RVD and Sheamus to add to Henry on his way to the IC title that is a huge push and really elevates him. I can't see any point in RVD having the title or Barrett who has had it twice before, and I just don't see it as a likely direction for them to take Sheamus.

 

[Sexcellence of Sexecution]

Well given that Cesaro vs. Swagger on RAW 2 weeks ago ended in a count out, there's still unresolved issues there. The question is really, with they resolve those issues before or after Cesaro wins the IC Title? Because make no mistake about it, that is the direction they will be going. Basically the two options are:
1. Cesaro gets screwed in the tournament finals by Swagger, setting up a match between them at Extreme Rules. Cesaro beats Swagger then gets into the IC Title picture afterwards. Whoever wins the tournament would be IC Champ by then, and he and Cesaro would therefore have unfinished business from the tournament finals.
2. Cesaro wins it all and beats Big E for the IC Title at Extreme Rules. Cesaro and Swagger could then feud over the IC Title afterwards.

It doesn't matter which way they go, both are fine. But either way I see Cesaro eventually as a long term IC Champion.

 

[SmattyG]

I really don't mind who wins this tournament. At least the IC belt is in a prominent position on the show again. Tonight we had four good matches and I'm really looking forward to the brawl between Barrett and Sheamus next week. I guess it will be Barrett V Cesaro in the final. I think Big E's days as champ may be numbered either way.

 

[JoVilla21]

Damn, whatever happened to Big E? The problem with the IC title is the feuds. They really need to create a feud for the title as opposed to just guys fighting for it. One poster put it best; the tourney's different as oppose to the usual "IC champ" loses a non title match and that's how he gets his challenger". The tournament's good and all, I really like it but it still won't solve the problem. We'll finally find out who the number 1 contender is on the go home show so it's not like we'll get a feud.

The IC champ needs to cut promos and have storylines to back up his matches. They need to develop a story and develop a legit feud as opposed to just matches. I like the tournament though, the right way for someone to get a shot at the title is by being the number one contender, not just pinning the champ.

 

[JWGunslinger]

I've gotta say I dig it, nice way to give the title some deserved attention and a grander stage if you will for these superstars. As it stands right now with Barrett moving on to face Sheamus and RVD set to face Cesaro next I think the right people moved forward, although I'm disappointed Ziggler had to get knocked out in the first round of matches. I'm hoping for Barrett to win it and face Big E but I'm going to venture a guess that Cesaro on his big push will do it and very possibly take the title. Regardless of who wins it this is good for all the guys involved, I think it's great and I look forward to the semi-finals.

 

[Mr.Fortuna]

I have this feeling that Bad News Barrett will be the one to win the tournament and then go onto face Big E for the title and become champion. As of right now I feel Coulter guy vs Heyman guy will continue into Extreme Rules with the payoff match between the two. I see Swagger costing Cesaro the match against RVD.

After Barrett becomes champion I see him and RVD starting a fued for the title.

 

[kadroan]

I'd say Sheamus. I can't see nobody beating him. The main event is too crowded for him to get involved in as a face, unless he turns heel and takes advantage of his good standing with HHH.

Sheamus would bring credibility back to the IC championship and whoever beats him, would get credibility vs. seeing Barrett IC champion for the fourth time. You know who else been IC champion, 4 times - Kofi. Nobody cares. That would be the same for Barrett.

Lost his title at the WM29 pre show, after winning it from Kofi at the end of 2012 and losing it to Axel and that didn't help anybody.

Cesaro needs meaningful feuds and matches. A reign wouldn't do any good for him. Remember his long US title reign?

RVD - He's solid but as you can see he's not memorable.

 

[Wally Dangerously]

I hope that this IC #1 Contender tournament is a sign that WWE is going to start putting more emphasis on the belt. The IC title has been hot, but mostly cold, in recent years. Now that there's only one World title, it makes sense that the belt's importance/relevance should increase, and I'm glad.

The general formula as of late has been for the IC champ to win the title, go 50/50 or so in non-title matches, and then drop the belt. It didn't help Wade Barrett, and it's not helping Big E, unfortunately. I hope this trend will change.

That being said, I expect Cesaro to win this tournament, but it makes me worry. He's hot right now coming off of his Battle Royal victory at Mania and being a newly-annointed Paul Heyman guy, so I don't see any other outcome. However, putting the IC strap on him right now, given its recent booking, could do more harm than good. Knock on wood.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Big E's reign has been very lackluster. I hope that this tournament's winner can bring some much needed attention to the Intercontinental Championship. Doubtful, but I hope it does. When looking back on the past several reigns, most have been nothing to write home about. They came close with the Curtis Axel reign, but had Heyman not been involved it would have amounted to absolutely nothing. Besides Axel, there hasn't been a title holder who made the belt feel important since Cody Rhodes' lengthy reign that got ended by Big Show at Wrestlemania 28. Show's reign was useless as were the reigns that followed by Miz, Kofi, Barrett, Cody's next reign, and sadly even Christian's reign wasn't as great as it could have been.

I've got either Cesaro or Sheamus winning this thing at the moment. RVD will get a great match with Cesaro in the semi finals of the tournament, but he's not winning it. Barrett could very well beat Sheamus, but he's already had a few lackluster reigns. I'd rather see him get his chance at Money In the Bank this summer for a briefcase win like the rumored win he missed out on a couple of years ago. So, it comes down to Sheamus or Cesaro. Sheamus would bring prestige to the Intercontinental Championship being a former multi time World Champion. Cesaro won the Andre Battle Royal though and is getting a push with Heyman, the signs are pointing to a Cesaro win with a second attempt at a type of angle like the one they did with Axel.

I'm fine with any of the final four winning the tournament but the order of them needing the win the most is as follows: Cesaro (all signs point to him winning and it makes the most sense), Barrett (if he's not winning MITB this is a big shot for him), Sheamus (bring some prestige to the IC belt), RVD (not winning but it would be cool to see him get another title reign).

 

[laodaron]

I mentioned this in another thread...but I feel as though the WWE really put the wrong people into this tournament.

You can't go with Sheamus or Cesaro winning it, because Sheamus is currently a face, and Cesaro needs to finish the thing with Swagger at ER.

You could try Barrett to win, but I'm not sure that he's had enough to get back into a title push with the new gimmick. He's had what, 3 televised matches as BNB? I mean, I like him, and he's a solid heel to go against Big E as a face.

But my pick to win it is RVD. He's a part timer, which means that he won't really be in contention to win the belt, he can probably put on a decent match with Big E, and this gives Big E at least one more Special Event to try and get over as the champ. This also gives RVD his probable Special Event contracted payout on his part-timer contract.

But, like I said, I don't think that any of the 4 really have any business in this. You could have had Ziggler, you could have had Sandow, you could have had Del Rio. Any of those three (flop Ziggler back to heel) would have been better choices to advance last week on Raw.

 

[gotemo]

Cesaro has no need to finish anything with swagger. In fact being forced to finish the feud with swagger on a bigger stage is actually blow to cesaro's momentum. Facts are facts and swaggers stock has been down for awhile and cesaro has already been boosted past him.

 

[laodaron]

It was already booked for Raw that zeb would challenge heyman. Swagger v. Cesaro is happening soon.