Though not everyone is a fan of the KOTD chain, title matches continue to be among the last officially judged battles in the scene and present a clear narrative at a time when most match-ups don't have stories behind them anymore.

Almost all emcees who actively battle on KOTD are in some capacity striving to be the best in the league, whether they vocalize it or not. With that said, there are always a few battlers who come to mind when discussing the most likely contenders. Based on the guidelines the league has set and previous title contenders, we know the next pick must have a handful of recent notable performances on KOTD, demonstrated loyalty to the league, and of course the desire to clash against Rone, the league’s current champ.

After careful consideration, we narrowed it down to four possible battlers who might be given the title shot at KOTD’s upcoming "Blackout 7" event. Let us know in the comments below who you think will/should get it, and if they have what it takes to beat the current defending champ.

Head I.C.E





Get a load of him, there ain’t no controlling him, I dot C to the E has had a banner year for KOTD and would definitely be a title contender for a few reasons. First and foremost, he delivered strong performances at four major KOTD events in 2016 with his BO6 battle vs. Arsonal reaching over 700,000 views. Not only has he proven to be loyal to the league, but he's also shown he's good for three tough rounds every single time. Secondly, ICE and grandma’s favorite grandson have never stepped in the ring together making this a brand new storyline.

ICE’s popularity has steadily skyrocketed with KOTD fans since his "World Domination 3" debut in 2012 and he and the league have been tying their brands together even more recently too. How many times have we seen KOTD staff members rocking Wolf Love merch? A lot.

Cortez





Cortez was one of the most active battlers in 2016 but managed to mostly stay consistent with the quality of his performances. He had a successful year on KOTD, taking on some of the league's biggest names (like Charron and Bigg K) and there were calls for him to step up as the next contender, but after a clear loss to an on-fire Arsonal at WD6, he wasn't seen as a shoo-in anymore. But that was before his show-stopping performance against B Dot (especially that first round) at The Bunker in December, which gave him some forward momentum.

His long-time relationship, standout performances and previous near-misses for the chain would also prove to be a marketable storyline — fulfilling the classic “always a bridesmaid never a bride” narrative.

Iron Solomon





There's no denying that this battle rap legend has been putting in work for KOTD ever since his triumphant return against Daylyt at WD5, and it would only make sense for him to get a shot at the throne. Iron had two contenders for KOTD battle of the year in 2016 with his clashes against Dizaster and B Magic, and has shown that he rocks heavily with KOTD.

Iron’s distinguished presence and obvious notoriety would make him a monster of an opponent for Rone, who has yet to be tested by someone as ferociously consistent as Iron. Plus, the retirement to retribution plot line is pretty damn near heroic.

The Saurus





First off, Saurus has pretty well been on every KOTD card for years and totally defines the term "consistent." Even though Saurus already battled Rone on KOTD at the first "Back To Basics" event in April 2015, his past 18 months of battles are extremely hard to ignore. He never spits generic rounds or takes payday battles, which makes him all the more ideal for the decisive main event.

The rematch definitely wouldn’t disappoint seeing as how both guys are at entirely different places in their battle rap careers than they were almost two years ago. Their last battle was one of KOTD's best of the year, and this time the stakes would be much higher.

Who do you think should/will battle Rone for the chain? Let us know in the comments below