On September 20 at Night of Champions, Owens defeated Ryback to win his first singles title on the main roster, the Intercontinental Championship. On October 3, Owens' first title defense came on the WWE Network special, Live from Madison Square Garden, where Owens defeated Chris Jericho. On October 25, at Hell in a Cell, Owens successfully defended the championship in a rematch against Ryback. Owens then took part in the tournament for the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship, in which he defeated Titus O'Neil and Neville, but lost to Dean Ambrose in the semifinals at Survivor Series. Owens then entered a feud with Ambrose, where he lost the Intercontinental Championship to Ambrose at on December 13, ending his reign at 84 days. Going into 2016, Owens unsuccessfully faced Ambrose for the championship on several occasions. On January 24, Owens entered the 2016 Royal Rumble match at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view, but was unsuccessful after being eliminated by Sami Zayn.