10 Best Candidates To Take John Cena's US Title
The champ is leaving!
If the rumors are to be believed, John Cena will be taking a leave of absence from WWE following October 25's Hell in a Cell Pay-Per-View event, and he won't be returning to the company until the very end of the year.
A two month absence for Cena is incredibly newsworthy - barring serious injury (and sometimes in spite of it), Cena hasn't had a break that long since debuting on TV in 2002. WWE has been nervous over taking Cena off of television before (he never missed Raw during his Nexus "firing" angle), and with ratings at 18-year lows, a lack of Cena presents a problem for the company.
Another problem presented by Cena leaving is the fact that he's currently the United States Champion. Cena has held the title almost consistently since WrestleMania, and his weekly open challenges and defenses have become an important part of Raw. In fact, there have been many times throughout the year when the title seemed to be held in higher regard than the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Cena needs to lose the title before his break. Losing it to the right person can create compelling storylines, elevate the title even further, or create a new star...
10. Rusev
It's almost hard to remember, but less than a year ago, Rusev was the undefeated United States Champion - he even made John Cena pass out at Fast Lane to win their first encounter. Unfortunately for the Bulgarian Brute, three straight losses to Cena followed, then a split from Lana, and finally an injury. Today he's healthy, but his stock is fairly low.
Getting some revenge on Cena - and reclaiming the U.S. Championship - would do a lot for Rusev. As an incredibly underrated talent in the ring, he would be a welcome addition to the top of the card, and this could be the first step in getting him back there. Plus, with Cena's weekly open challenge, neither Rusev nor any of the other superstars on this list need a protracted feud to capture the title - they can simply show up and win it on Raw.