The string of successive US Open Challenges issued by John Cena has been one of the wrestling high points of his careerCredit attributed where it’s due – when the time came to slowly but subtly inch John Cena away from the WWE World Heavyweight Title picture, the creative team sought out a window of opportunity just as they closed a door behind him.Now in hindsight, especially highlighted by the man’s absence, moving John Cena into the US Title picture was a masterstroke in more ways than one. For starters, it was an apt category to move him into rather than the Intercontinental title picture, given how naturally his obvious love for the country could engender momentum and support from the audience. Apart from that, it also allowed John Cena considerable creative leeway to express himself inside of the ring thereby quashing one of the most frequently levied accusations against him – that he could not wrestle, in an emphatic manner.More than either of these reasons, though, the most effective outcome that was gleaned from putting the US Title on John Cena – was how he elevated the significance of the title and a large number of Superstars who stepped up to the plate to try and wrest it from him.Now on the cusp of his return to Monday Night Raw after his hiatus, here are the 5 best matches from the John Cena US Open Challenge in 2015.
#5 Neville
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The man that gravity forgot may now be good for at least one solid ‘pop’ every match owing to his immensely popular finishing move, but the traction gained by Neville as a character perhaps falls well short of the expectations that weighed in along with his promotion into the main roster this year.
Without ever being granted time on the mic to get over as a persona, Neville’s push in the WWE has been patchy at best despite being a dependable worker in the ring.
Of all his matches, though, the fact that his answering call to John Cena’s US Open challenge may have evoked his best performance in a WWE ring and also contributed tremendously towards his momentum is a cogent testament to Cena’s wrestling prowess in itself.
While the match featured Neville kicking out of an Attitude Adjustment and coming within a hair’s breadth of pulling off a momentous victory himself, it was not afforded a clean finish thanks to the zealous interference run by a certain Bulgarian.
Nonetheless, the segment arguably accomplished what it had set out to in the first place by promoting Neville as a legitimate threat in the ring despite his diminutive size and overlooked persona.
#4 Sami Zayn
In front of a home crowd in Montreal and introduced by it’s favourite son Bret Hart, NXT Superstar Sami Zayn enjoyed nothing short of a dream debut on WWE programming after availing an opportunity to fight for the US Title against the franchise player of the company.
Although Zayn was already injured before the match had actually begun, and reportedly felt his shoulder pop early during the course of it, it still did not stop him from executing one of the more impressive US Open Challenge matches against John Cena.
Filled with creative spots that have become the flagship of the NXT, one of the developmental brand’s finest exponents braved a dislocated shoulder to ensure that a convincing match was delivered to the home fans that were vociferously pledging their support to him throughout.
Although the match was slightly curtailed owing to Zayn’s injury, the fact that it was still a more convincing spectacle than Wade Barrett or Kane’s attempt of dislodging the US Championship from John Cena only points towards a brighter 2016 for him on his return from injury.
#3 Dean Ambrose
Surrounded by a raucous crowd replete with ‘smart’ fans, the first ever John Cena US Open Challenge was issued by the ‘Face that runs the Place’ in the fallout episode of Monday Night Raw immediately after Wrestlemania 31.
True to the nature of typical Wrestlemania crowds, the fans were highly invested in the match as Dean Ambrose, somehow still standing after his near inhuman exertions in the 7-man ladder match for the Intercontinental Title the previous day, stepped out to an overwhelming reaction to slug it out with John Cena for the US Title.
Despite the audience making obvious their anti-Cena sentiments throughout the match, it was highly indicative of the show that both men put on that they were unanimous in their appreciation once the match had concluded.
Not only was this a solid bout in terms of the in-ring action, it also set the trend for the Open Challenge to feature stellar matches in the future as it clearly underlined John Cena’s vulnerability as the US Champion through a series of near falls and shifts in momentum from one Superstar to the other.
#2 Kevin Owens
Despite this match not officially coming under the umbrella of a US Open Challenge issued by John Cena, it was nonetheless contested with the US Title on the line and was also the deciding rubber match between the Leader of the Cenation and Kevin Owens.
Having each scored a victory apiece over the other, their third and final face-off played out in Battleground with Kevin Owens coming into the match on a white-hot streak and John Cena never before looking so pregnable.
While it was always going to be hard to out-do the two rollicking matches that they had put on at Elimination Chamber and Money in the Bank, Cena and Owens did deliver a classic that stole the show on the night despite being on the receiving end of staggering amounts of ire from the internet fanbase for the manner in which it ended.
Although John Cena emerged trumps in the deciding encounter, thereby also diffusing what was one of the more entertaining feuds of the year, it is not even up for debate that feuding with and picking up a victory over the company’s mainstay has served Kevin Owens’ fledgling WWE career quite astutely in hindsight.
#1 Cesaro
While it is completely within the realms of comprehension why the detractors of John Cena keep slating him for not putting over other talents, purely portraying him as this egomaniacal and self-servant backstage behemoth does not quite do justice to the isle of the man.
Not only did John Cena afford Cesaro opportunities to cross swords with him for the US Title on back-to-back episodes of Raw, but he also called back Cesaro into the ring after their second match to give him the props that the internet fanbase has long been clamouring for.
Apart from just being a wake-up call for the WWE top brass, that fact that John Cena took the trouble to vouch for Cesaro when he had absolutely no necessity to do so is telling of the man’s magnanimity.
While it certainly did not hurt that the match that they had just finished wrestling was a classic in itself, the top babyface of the company breaking Kayfabe to endorse a mid carder was a scenario thus far unheard of in the WWE with either the likes of Hulk Hogan or Stone Cold Steve Austin.
