WWE.com and Pat McAfee Show contributor Mark Kaboly gives his top 5 intriguing potential matchups for newly crowned Women’s Intercontinental Champion AJ Lee.
THE SETUP
When AJ Lee took the microphone during Raw on Monday after winning the Women’s Intercontinental Championship from Becky Lynch at WWE Elimination Chamber, she made it clear that she intends to be a fighting champion, saying, "If you want a shot at your favorite wrestler's favorite wrestler, then come at me." With WrestleMania 42 a little more than a month away, who would be the best to challenge Lee?
The Bella Twins: Pick one, pick both, and they would bring the past into the present, and we all love that. AJ battled Nikki Bella and Brie Bella during her previous runs as the Divas Champion. AJ defended her title four times against Brie during her initial 295-day run as the champ from 2013-14 and lost the title to Nikki during her final run. Nikki is also a fighting champion, as she put her title on the line 13 times over her career. AJ has had a storied past beyond just title matches with The Bella Twins, and it makes perfect sense that one or even both take up the Women's Intercontinental Champion on her challenge. And seriously, who doesn’t want to see that?
Raquel Rodriguez: Nobody is on a bigger heater than Big Mami Cool. Rodriguez has stepped out of the shadows of the tag team division to make herself a force in terms of title matches. Rodriguez was impressive inside Elimination Chamber with a double elimination of Kiana James and Asuka before coming up short. She just may be at the top of her game right now, and it’s time to strike. Rodriguez’s size and power would pair nicely with AJ’s quickness and athleticism, which would make an AJ even more impressive. With her best buddy Liv Morgan already scheduled to challenge Stephanie Vaquer at WrestleMania 42, Rodriguez needs a way into the The Showcase of the Immortals and alluded on Raw that AJ and the Intercontinental Title could be a way to get there.
Nattie: You have to love the new edgy Nattie. Sure, she’s still embroiled in a heated battle with Maxxine Dupri that has yet to be resolved, but the allure of holding a title – any title – for the first time since 2017 has to be enticing to The Queen of Harts. Actually, Nattie deserves a chance, and her new outlook on how she approaches the business makes an interesting dynamic between her and AJ. Other than Nikki Bella, Nattie has faced AJ more than anybody in televised singles matches. Nattie hasn’t been successful, either, which furthers the interest. She has won only 40 percent of her matches against AJ, including one of five title matches, with the lone victory because of a disqualification. Nattie has earned a chance to again call herself a champ.
Sol Ruca: Sol Ruca hasn’t been seen on the main roster since having one heck of a Royal Rumble, where she was an eyelash away from winning. She was so impressive that it is kind of a surprise that she hasn’t resurfaced on Raw or SmackDown. However, she did crash the NXT Women’s Championship Match earlier in the week, which suggests that she might have some unfinished business in NXT. It would be a nice addition to the 26-year-old’s resume, and maybe AJ would get her Sol Snatched if it goes down.
IYO SKY: Rhea Ripley won the Elimination Chamber for an opportunity at Jade Cargill’s WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 42, though the victory now leaves IYO SKY in an uncertain place. Where does The Genius of the Sky go from here? She doesn’t have the WWE Women's Tag Team Title, doesn’t have a tag team partner while The Eradicator concentrates on The Storm, and there’s no clear path for one of the top players in the game to get to WrestleMania… unless there is a program with her and AJ that leads us to The Showcase of the Immortals. There is no real history between the two. There is, however, great anticipation of a potential showdown.
Honorable mentions: Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, Bayley, Asuka, Kiana James
