I don’t know about you, but I am absolutely loving Sami Zayn’s United States Title Open Challenge.
He is on fire in the ring, having great matches with John Cena, Rey Fenix, Carmelo Hayes, Je’Von Evans, Aleister Black, and Shinsuke Nakamura over the last month-plus. We aren’t getting elaborate storylines, but in this instance, it isn’t needed. It’s pretty straightforward… Sami is the United States Champion, he wants to be a fighting champion, and he wants to give opportunities to anyone that wants to step up for a chance to take the title from him.
A lot of Open Challenge stories in wrestling don’t last very long, but some… like John Cena’s United States Title Open Challenge that paved the way for Sami to do the same thing… go on for lengthy periods of time. Cena’s version lasted for about seven months (with a brief pause after he dropped the title to Seth Rollins at SummerSlam 2015 before winning it back a month later), and it might have gone on even longer if Cena didn’t need to leave for a while to have shoulder surgery.
I’d love to see Sami’s Open Challenge series last for a while. There’s money to be made in him defending the title against any and all comers, only for it to start wearing him down, with him getting closer and closer to losing his title, before everything finally catches up to him and he drops the belt to someone. Ideally, that could be used as a vehicle to truly get someone over huge as the person who finally takes Sami down.
I’ve even seen some people say the series should last until Kevin Owens is able to return to the ring, making him the final surprise challenger. While that story would make sense, there’s some logistical issues there. For one, we don’t know if Kevin Owens will ever return to the ring. I’d love to see him back, of course, but having that serious of a neck surgery at the age of 41 is no joke. Even if he is able to return, expectations are that it wouldn’t happen until AT LEAST next summer. That would mean Sami would need to defend his title in this series for approximately one full calendar year, or have it end up like Cena’s series, where he drops the title at some point, then wins it back and continues the series. That’s asking for a lot.
We know who Sami has already faced in the series, but who are some names that he should face in the coming weeks and (hopefully) months?
I’m glad you asked.
Alex Shelley and/or Chris Sabin: There’s a lot of history between Sami and both members of the Motor City Machine Guns. They, along with Kevin Owens, all started their pro wrestling careers at about the same time, and they often found themselves working for the same independent promotions. They’ve found themselves sharing a ring on several occasions, both in singles competition and in tag team bouts. It’s been a while, though. Sami and Shelley haven’t wrestled since a tag match (El Generico & Ricochet vs Shelley & Roderick Strong) for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla back in 2011, while Sami and Sabin haven’t shared a ring since a tag match (Generico & Kevin Steen vs Sabin & Shelley) for Ring Of Honor back in 2008. The match(es) would be fun, there’s plenty of history for commentary to talk about, and it would be a chance for Sabin and/or Shelley to get some spotlight again after being lost in the mix because of Smackdown’s loaded tag division.
El Hijo del Vikingo: We’ve already seen Vikingo make a handful of television appearances for WWE, but the company continues to try and build interest in the AAA product, and this could go a long way in making that happen. Vikingo is someone who can make your jaw drop with the things he’s capable of doing in a wrestling ring. Sami is the type of opponent who can make Vikingo look even better. What’s not to like here?
Apollo Crews: He’s been on the shelf since January after tearing his pectoral muscle, but he has started training for his return, and WWE has begun to look at ways to bring him back to television. I think answering an Open Challenge would be a successful way to do it. Reintroduce Apollo to the WWE Universe by letting him have a banger of a match, in a high profile spot, against one of the best workers alive today.
Jimmy Uso: This one makes way too much sense not to happen. The ties they have from The Bloodline are still there, and one of the easiest stories to tell on television would see Jimmy getting a title shot. It could happen with Jimmy simply asking for a shot, or with Sami hyping Jimmy up to show the world that he, too, is worthy of accomplishing something as a singles competitor. There are a bunch of ways to make the match, but the point is that it needs to happen.
JC Mateo: The artist-formerly-known-as Jeff Cobb made his WWE debut five months ago. I say this as a big fan of the guy, but can any of you name a single thing he’s done in that five month period? It boggles my mind that WWE signed him to do just about nothing with him from day one. There are countless members of the WWE Universe who never saw a Jeff Cobb match and think that JC Mateo is all he’s capable of. If you want to put that to an end, give him a one-on-one match with Sami Zayn. This would be another instance where you can have Sami win, putting him and his Open Challenge over, but you can also put over the man who lost the match, showing the world what he’s truly capable of. It could even turn JC’s career around entirely. This option looks a bit different now that Solo Sikoa and his crew have seemingly targeted Sami. We could see this match, but it’s probably more likely that Solo himself tries to regain the United States Title that he lost to Sami in the first place.
Omos: On paper, this pairing might not make any sense. The reason I have Omos here is wrestling history. Time and time again, “giant” wrestlers are used as a measuring stick, of sorts. Got a hot babyface that is building momentum? Bring out this seven-footer for him to battle. Got a champion that is running out of competition? Here’s a 500-pounder for him to overcome. In kayfabe, everyone knows Omos is not quite on the same level as Sami Zayn, but when he walks into an arena, people take notice. If he were to come out as Sami’s opponent, the entire mood changes. How is Sami going to deliver a Helluva Kick to someone as tall as Omos? He certainly can’t hit him with a Blue Thunder Bomb, can he? There’s the intrigue.
Ethan Page: NXT officials have proven to be very high on “All Ego” and what he brings to the table. Recent reports say that WWE officials may feel the same way. Well… if you feel so strongly about him, putting him in a situation like this could go a long way toward getting the WWE Universe on your side. Even in a loss, having someone who is a newcomer to many fans come out and take an established talent like Sami Zayn to the limit can really get that person over. Again, I’m all about having good matches, but I think it’s more important to make sure both Sami and his opponent are in better spots when the match is over than they were going in.
Mr. Iguana: This one is similar to what I said about Vikingo earlier. WWE is looking for ways to boost the profile of AAA, and one of their favorite ways to do so is by using Mr. Iguana on WWE programming. He’s over, and he (hopefully) gets more people to want to watch AAA for the type of entertainment that he brings to the table. That type of entertainment is precisely what a match between Mr. Iguana and Sami could deliver. Getting a bunch of people to say “hey, that Iguana guy is a lot of fun, and I need to see more of him” is incredibly beneficial to all involved.
Akira Tozawa: While all of my picks are personal preferences, I think this one might be the most personalest preference of all the personal preferences, foregoing any real logic. Tozawa is a Raw roster member, while Sami is a Smackdown roster member. That’s a hurdle right off the bat, albeit one that is somewhat easy to clear, with wrestlers appearing on the “other” show all the time. I’ve been such a big fan of Tozawa for years and years, and although he’s closer to the end of his career than the beginning of it, he can still “go” in the ring. On the rare occasion that WWE allows him to do something more than be on the losing end of a squash match, he has proven he can have entertaining performances. You could have Sami on Raw for something else entirely, only to come across Tozawa and Maxxine Dupri backstage somewhere getting bullied by some random Raw heel. Sami comes to the aid, runs the heel off, says that he admires Tozawa’s bravery, and then Sami can go off to have a “talk” with Adam Pearce. Then, the next thing you know, Tozawa is appearing on the following episode of Smackdown to challenge for the United States Title. Simple stuff like that works, especially in situations where it’s only for a one-off match, and not anything beyond that. Maybe… just maybe… a good performance against Sami could lead to Tozawa getting more to do on Raw.
Ilja Dragunov: A little over a year ago, Dragunov tore his ACL, and it was announced that he would miss approximately 6-9 months of time. A month or two ago, there were reports that Dragunov was either 100% cleared to return, or was at least very close to being 100% cleared. Answering an Open Challenge is always a good way to bring someone back to television after a lengthy absence, and that would be the case with Dragunov, too. Obviously, a match between Sami and Dragunov could be an absolute classic. That isn’t a concern. What is a concern, though, is bringing Dragunov back to potentially face a loss in his first match back. Do you run the risk of giving him an immediate loss? Or, do you choose him as the man who ultimately defeats Sami and wins the title? Either way, I just want to see these two battle again. Before Ilja tore his ACL, one of his last televised matches was against Sami, and ironically, it was for Sami’s Intercontinental Title.
What do you think of Sami’s Open Challenge series? How long do you want to see it last? Who are some names you would like to see step up to the plate and challenge for Sami’s United States Title? As always, feel free to hit me up in the comments section below, on Twitter (@HustleTheSavage), or on Bluesky (@aaronhyden.bsky.social), and let me know what’s on your mind.
Now, let’s switch things over to my Weekly Power Rankings before closing it out with the list of songs I was listening to as I put this week’s column together.
Weekly Power Rankings (Writer’s Note: With this week’s episode of Raw airing super early in the United States, I made the decision not to include it here. For the sake of continuity, I’ll include anything noteworthy that happened during the episode on next week’s list.)
John Cena vs AJ Styles: A wonderful love letter to the careers of Cena, AJ, and many of their biggest opponents and rivals. It featured a red-hot crowd that played their part perfectly, reacting on the fly and helping the match along nicely. Tons of fun here.
Leon Slater vs Je’Von Evans: A pro wrestling “dream match” featuring a 21-year old facing another 21-year-old. What a world we live in. I’m not as upset about the match finish as many people have been. Yes, the interference from DarkState prevented a finish to what was an insanely good athletic showcase between two future World Champions. However, it also means that we’re going to be seeing more of Slater and Evans. Now they can team up against DarkState, and eventually, we can get a rematch between them. I think I’ll be okay with that.
Cody Rhodes vs Seth Rollins: Kudos to both men for wrestling like this was a World Title match in the main event of WrestleMania, instead of what it was… a match on a C-level pay-per-view for a made up, meaningless “title.” They busted their asses to make the match seem important, and it showed.
Rhea Ripley & Iyo Sky vs Asuka & Kairi Sane: This was a super physical match, with all four women seemingly going out there to prove that they shouldn’t be forgotten about. They were in a terrible spot on the Crown Jewel card, coming after the Cena vs Styles classic and before the main event, but instead of phoning it in, they went out and beat each other up for 20 minutes. I dig it.
Tomohiro Ishii vs Jon Moxley: There wasn’t a person on the planet who thought Ishii would win this. He didn’t win this. The match was still super stiff and more entertaining than it probably should’ve been, though, and that’s due to the two veterans involved.
Ethan Page vs Mustafa Ali: With all of the back-and-forth in the working relationship between NXT and TNA, I’m shocked that it took this long for Mustafa Ali to appear in NXT. After this banger of a match, it would shock me even more if we don’t see him again soon.
Brodido vs Kazuchika Okada & Konosuke Takeshita: The best part about this match? That it was an Eliminator Match, and because Okada & Takeshita won, we’ll be getting a rematch with the AEW Tag Team Titles on the line at WrestleDream. Hell yeah.
Kyle Fletcher vs Kyle O’Reilly: I could be wrong, but it feels like we’ve seen Kyle vs Kyle at least 45 times over the last year or so. Yes, the matches are always entertaining, but the “cute” factor of getting fans to cheer about Kyles and so on is wearing thin.
Damian Priest vs Aleister Black: A really nice, physical brawl. I like that Aleister is now being paired on-screen with his real life wife, Zelina Vega. That adds just a bit to his overall presentation moving forward. Unfortunately, it doesn’t say much for Damian Priest, who just keeps having people turn on him. At what point does he realize it’s all his fault?
Sami Zayn vs Shinsuke Nakamura: Another good match in a long streak of them for Sami during his Open Challenge series. It was fun getting to relive the rivalry between these two that goes all the way back to Nakamura’s NXT debut back in 2016. I like Nakamura as a heel, but it’s so much better to see him as a face, and getting to have live crowds “sing” his entrance music again.
Stephanie Vaquer vs Tiffany Stratton: If they were given five-plus extra minutes to work with, this match would’ve been higher in the rankings. They were really building to something fun, and then the match just kinda… ended. That’s a shame.
Trick Williams vs Mike Santana: It came three months after it should’ve happened, but Mike Santana is finally the brand new TNA World Champion. Well-deserved, and well-done. Seeing Santana celebrate his title win with his daughter made me emotional as a fellow Girl Dad.
Roman Reigns vs Bronson Reed: A fun Street Fight, even if it never reached “great” status. Bronson joins a very exclusive club now, with a victory by pinfall over Roman Reigns. He joins Cody Rhodes as only the second man to achieve that in true singles action over the last five years. That’s the type of thing that WWE needs to capitalize on. Only time will tell if they do.
Orange Cassidy vs Pac: Pac wrestling in a singlet almost comes across like he lost a backstage bet or something. The fact that he also has short-ish hair while he wrestles in a singlet just doesn’t seem right at all. AT ALL.
AJ Styles, Penta & Dragon Lee vs Finn Balor, Dominik Mysterio & JD McDonagh: Lots of action, and lots of moving parts. That isn’t a complaint in the slightest.
Ricky Saints, Trick Williams, Je’Von Evans & Myles Borne vs Mike Santana, Moose, Frankie Kazarian & Leon Slater: A fun Survivor Series-style match featuring a team of some of NXT’s best facing a team of some of TNA’s best. This was pay-per-view quality.
Iyo Sky vs Kairi Sane: Kairi has almost been lost in the mix during this entire story, with Iyo’s popularity, Rhea’s megawatt star power, and Asuka’s over-the-top personality. Big mistake. She’s still an incredible in-ring performer, and she showed it here.
The Hardys: While the match where they won the titles barely missed the cut here, I have to give props to the brand new NXT Tag Team Champions. They’re still insanely popular, and they’re still winning tag championships, in late-2025. That’s wild.
Becky Lynch vs Maxxine Dupri: Was this Maxxine Dupri’s best match? It certainly felt like it. Kudos to her for stepping up in a big spot, and kudos to Becky for helping her look good.
The Hardys vs Team 3D: God, the nostalgia was strong here. Both teams did better than they had any right doing, and I appreciate the hell out of them for it. The emotional post-match retirement from Bully and Devon, where they handed their boots to Matt and Jeff, was very special.
This Week’s Playlist: “nah” by Khalid… “The Laugh Track” by Ice Nine Kills… “Better Days” by Yellowcard… “Love Letters Lost” by Yellowcard & Matt Skiba… “Bedroom Posters” by Yellowcard… “Look At Me” by Mobb Deep & Clipse… “Clear Black Nights” by Mobb Deep, Raekwon & Ghostface Killah… “Moths” by Arch Enemy… “Black Hole” by All Good Things… “Turn The Lights Off” by Dead Eyes… “Into The Void” by False Saints… “Look At Em” by Erick Sermon, Method Man & Redman… “Feel Me Flow” by Naughty By Nature… “ATLiens” by Outkast… “Big Pimpin” by Jay-Z & UGK… “Thuggish Ruggish Bone” by Bone Thugs N Harmony & Shatasha… “Can I Kick It?” by A Tribe Called Quest… “You Got Me” by The Roots, Eve & Erykah Badu… “Triumph” by Wu-Tang Clan… “Slam” by Onyx… “Bow Down” by Westside Connection… “They Want EFX” by Das EFX… “Gimme Some More” by Busta Rhymes… “Beautiful” by Snoop Dogg, Pharrell Williams & Charlie Wilson… “What You Know” by T.I.
