The US Title Open Challenge- 5 Best things about this gimmick

John Cena for the first time in a long time is back to the mid-card. This is precisely done to bring back some prestige for the US Title. For the third week in a row, John Cena defended his title on Raw. The longest reigning US Champion Dean Ambrose, Stardust and Bad News Barrett all went after the title, worked great matches and lost to John Cena.There are definitely discussions about how Cena is burying the mid-card and doing what he’s known to do- win. But having Cena lose straight after winning the title just recently will affect this gimmick of an Open Challenge immensely.Here’s why this gimmick works on so many levels-

#5 The Element of Surprise Part 1

The one thing that nobody can predict is who’s going to walk through that curtain to answer Cena’s call for an open challenge. It could be anybody and over the past three weeks it has been someone you wouldn’t even have thought about. This gives this gimmick a certain unpredictability- an art under the threat of extinction given the various platforms available for spoilers to make their way through.

It has been quite sometime since we saw the audience get surprised and give loud pop to someone making their way to the ring. You don’t know who Cena is going to face next. Such minimal amount of advertising works in this gimmicks favor.

#4 Great matches

This US Title Open Challenge gimmick has already set a towering reputation. This certain reputation comes from the fact that for three continuous weeks we’ve come to see some great matches. Matches that have more or less gone on to become the match of the night. Dean Ambrose (who is still the most popular star with no real direction), Stardust( who has an intriguing character but not much content to work with) and Bad News Barrett (another pretty over superstar who has nothing to work with) have all gone to have a great match in a long time thanks to this challenge.

This also improves Cena’s reputation. Week after week he’s proved that he can work a match as great as it can get.

#3 Relevance

With this open challenge, WWE has created a certain aura around this very title. It is not about how prestigious a US title is. It’s about how prestigious winning the title is. John Cena being the champion has certainly made this title worth fighting for. John Cena holding this title has paved the way for some much-needed attention and made it something to care about.

Otherwise, it’s just a title with a country’s name on it. Why is anybody who’s not an American supposed to care about who has that title?

#2 Short routes

Cena may not fight the same superstars again who made their way to the ring in the past three weeks to answer the open challenge. It’s a moment during an episode where you see two superstars, despite their lack of creative direction, come out for a match. This is the epitome of pro-wrestling- just two guys battling it out in the ring. You see their own gimmicks shine during the match. They showcase their skills and their idiosyncracies and produce what is called a well- worked match.

It has worked so far. It seems like it will work even further down the line.

#1 The Element of surprise Part 2

This open challenge will undoubtedly amount to Cena winning a lot of great matches. This will improve Cena’s reputation and as this progresses, it will come back full circle. He’ll still be the guy who acts like the odds are against him but still least miraculously wins his matches. And that, right there, is the key to the success of this gimmick. You expect Cena to win but you want to see him lose. You cheer at the end of the bout because you are appreciative of the work two superstars put in the end you want to see someone come really close or really beat Cena.

So, if anybody who answers Cena’s open challenge further down the line and beats Cena, just imagine the kind of pop it will recieve.

It’ll be surprising as well.