Austin Theory Needs To Be The Next WWE Intercontinental Champion
Without sounding like a jaded old wrestling fan who remembers the Attitude Era as being a lot better than it actually was, the Intercontinental Title deserves better. There was a time when winning WWE's secondary title actually meant something. Icons like The Rock, Stone Cold, and Triple H all won the championship as they ascended through WWE's ranks. For the most part, it was a sign WWE was preparing to make you one of its top stars. That and a test to see if you could handle that sort of pressure.WWE clearly hasn't forgotten how steeped in history the IC title is. Whenever it actually gets screen time, Michael Cole tends to hammer home that 12 different Hall Of Famers have held it. The trouble is, those mentions are few and far between because the once prestigious title barely gets a look-in anymore. Most of the time, you could ask a fan who watches WWE on a pretty regular basis and they would likely have to pause and think before correctly answering who the current champion is. Up until recently, that man was Shinsuke Nakamura, and he went months between title defenses.RELATED: Is Vince McMahon Doing More Harm Than Good To Austin Theory?
Sami Zayn Needs Austin Theory
The IC belt is now around the waist of Sami Zayn. Zayn has been doing some terrific work in WWE lately. The sort of stuff that probably has Vince McMahon rolling around laughing backstage, which is exactly what a WWE Superstar should be trying to do if they want to keep getting TV time. Next up for Zayn and the IC Title is a WrestleMania match against Johnny Knoxville. That's the rumor at least. A tentpole match on The Grandest Stage Of Them All. Pretty great, huh? Well, yes and no.
If Zayn really is going to defend the championship against Knoxville, it will get a lot of attention between now and WrestleMania. However, once the show is over, there's a real chance the IC Title returns to obscurity. Unless Knoxville wins, of course, which could be even worse and conjure up a David Arquette in WCW-type situation. WWE needs to forget the Knoxville match, if it's really on the cards, and give the WrestleMania match for the IC Title to Austin Theory.
Theory is a big deal right now in the eyes of those who matter. See above for notes on entertaining the boss being the key to screen time in WWE. If you share that screen with McMahon, even better, and Theory has been doing that a lot recently. He even had his moment with Brock Lesnar at Elimination Chamber and although he was eventually squashed like a fly, Theory really shined in the few minutes he shared a Chamber alone with The Beast.
Put Theory On The Road To WrestleMania
While the moments Theory has had have been great, he really needs an ongoing angle. One that culminates in a big-time match that confirms to WWE brass he really is one of the ones they've been waiting for. A future star ready for the big time they can pin their hopes on. Begin that trial by fire by having Theory show up on SmackDown and mess with Zayn. The roster split isn't respected right now anyway, so there's no real reason he can't defect to Friday nights. Plus, I can't imagine anyone who would hate being in an unsolicited selfie more than Zayn.
Theory is entertaining, there's no doubt about that. What WWE and fans now need to know is if he can put on a great match on a big stage. All the ingredients for that are ready and waiting in the form of the current IC Champion and WrestleMania right around the corner. Not to mention Zayn being one of the best people on the roster to determine whether someone can go or not. He's one of the greatest wrestlers WWE has. If Theory can't have a good match with Zayn, then it's probably safe to assume he isn't the next big thing so many in WWE are hoping he will be.
Above all else, if Theory is held in as high regard as it would appear right now, his loss at Elimination Chamber means he currently has nothing to do at WrestleMania. While it was never confirmed, it seemed as if he might have been preparing for a showdown with Shane McMahon at the show of shows. Theory was taken under the wing of Vince, almost treated like a surrogate son. A jealous Shane coming back and taking issue with that would have almost written itself. No WWE Title, no Shane O'Mac, no WrestleMania plan for Theory. Move the man to SmackDown, give him the IC Title, and build the reputation of both at the event and beyond.
