WWE Battleground 2016: 10 Wrestling Matches We'd Rather See

7. WWE Intercontinental Title Match: The Miz Vs. Cesaro

Jericho Reigns Battleground
WWE.com

Darren Young is the least enticing and credible title contender since his old tag team partner Titus O'Neill unsuccessfully challenged Rusev last month.

The road to his showdown with The Miz was equally head-scratching. He did nothing memorable in this week's battle royal, and he didn't even win it - it would be more accurate to state that Apollo Crews and Baron Corbin lost the match by eliminating one another. Young has fallen ar*e-backwards into a title match, in yet another case of a shiny new toy being unrealistically thrust into a title environment. We've seen this countless times - Curtis Axel being the most egregious example.

WWE had done a sterling job of restoring the Intercontinental title to somewhere approaching its former glory, and they're in danger of undoing all that in one fell swoop. A one-note comedy character shouldn't be anywhere near it. We've seen this method of star creation fail time and time again.

The blindingly obvious answer is to substitute Young for Cesaro, who is treading water yet again. Granted, the Cesaro/Miz pairing has worn out its welcome, but Cesaro is the one man who can practically guarantee a great match with just about anybody. He is perfectly positioned to reestablish the Intercontinental title as the preserve of the workhorse.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!