10 Jaw-Dropping Answers To Wrestling Open Challenges

WWE has taken a great concept, ran it into the ground and stripped away its most important element. I’m not talking about the “worked shoot;” I’m talking about the U.S. Title Open Challenge.

AJ Styles successfully defended the U.S. Championship against Tye Dillinger this past week on Smackdown, and next week is slated to defend against Baron Corbin. The issue is that both Dillinger and Corbin made their intentions known a week before the matches, defeating the purpose of an open challenge. It’s supposed to be spontaneous for fans and illustrate the bravado of the champion, whose confidence is so high that he feels he can defeat anyone at the time.

Open challenges have been a staple of pro wrestling for decades, but recently, the concept has gained popularity due to John Cena. His title defenses against a wide range of opponents, most of whom were midcarders he wouldn’t typically face, became the most anticipated part of Raw. When so much of WWE programming is overly scripted, it’s refreshing to feel a sense of unpredictability.

You never know who will answer the challenge.

Cena began his U.S. Title Open Challenge the night after WrestleMania 31, where he saved America from the evil clutches of Rusev. Taking the moniker of “fighting champion” to heart, Cena invited anyone on the roster to step up for a title shot. The crowd roared as Dean Ambrose swaggered down the ramp.

Besides being a fresh matchup between two of the most popular stars, it felt like the Lunatic Fringe was about to be coronated. After all, Cena was a multi-time World champion and face of the company – he didn’t need a secondary belt. On the other hand, Ambrose was spinning his wheels in the midcard, desperate to gain similar success as his former Shield brethren.

Although Cena turned back the challenge, Ambrose showed he could hang with the champ. He reversed the Attitude Adjustment into Dirty Deeds, and even locked Cena in his own submission.