Shinsuke Nakamura
On the January 10, 2020 episode of "SmackDown", Strowman defeated the Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura in a non-title match to secure a title opportunity in the future. At the Royal Rumble on January 26, Strowman participated in the Royal Rumble match, but failed to win. On the January 31 episode of "SmackDown", despite interferences from Sami Zayn and Cesaro, Strowman defeated Shinsuke Nakamura to win the Intercontinental Championship, his first singles title in the WWE. However, at Elimination Chamber on March 8, Strowman lost the title to Sami Zayn in a 3-on-1 handicap match, also involving Nakamura and Cesaro.