John Cena's United States Championship Open Challenge Needs to Continue

John Cena plays the lion, the United States Championship is the chunk of meat in his mouth and the open challenge is the chance for a would-be alpha male to snatch it from him.

The inherent drama, the string of quality matches and the opportunity to elevate stars make this concept a smart one. WWE can throw around the word "prestige" all it wants about the United States Championship, but it doesn't mean anything until the strap becomes associated with quality title defenses and memorable reigns.

That is exactly what is happening during Cena's first weeks as U.S. champ.

He is still engaged in a feud with Rusev, but until their collision at Extreme Rules, he's going to prove that he's a fighting champion. Last week, he welcomed any willing warrior to come at him. Dean Ambrose did.

The result was a fun match that had Ambrose looking like he most certainly belonged in there with Cena.

It's not often that WWE puts two babyfaces against each other like that. And this kind of impromptu title match hasn't happened nearly enough.

Monday's Raw showed that this open-challenge concept was not just a one-off. Cena showed up again, talked up his newly won title and invited anyone from the back to come get some.

This time out, it was Stardust. Suddenly, fans were treated to an unexpected, fresh pairing. There are only so many times one can see Randy Orton take on Kane. The newness helped make this one of Raw's best offerings.

Cena eventually fended off the face-painted challenger, but he had to work hard to do so.

This needs to keep going. It's a fun, easy-to-write element of the show. Fans will be treated to any number of surprising matchups. Heath Slater could take Cena up on his offer. Kalisto or Luke Harper could do the same.

Any of those bouts have potential to be a valuable contribution to Raw. Each time out, Cena's reign becomes more interesting and the title feels more significant. The open challenge also offers WWE a chance to throw in some surprises.

It could be how WWE introduces Finn Balor to the main roster. Or the company could bring in a former competitor for a one-time appearance. Shelton Benjamin walking through the curtain would be an awesome moment.

The longer the challenge goes on, the more chances WWE has to elevate its roster.

As Will Pruett of ProWrestling.net points out, the string of challenges has star-making potential:

The folks at TheHistoryofWWE.com have similar thoughts:

Eventually, one of these surprise challengers should knock off the champ. That would be huge for whoever did the honors. 

Even before that, there are opportunities to have up-and-comers look good. Should Balor leave Cena with his arm hanging limply from his side, should Harper push Cena to his limit or Kalisto simply show what he can do in a longer, high-profile match, they all benefit.

The open challenge is a smart usage of Cena's star power. He spreads around his impact rather than take on the same familiar set of foes. 

If WWE keeps this concept around, expect an ample amount of excellence. Cena is a producer of tremendous matches. That's just what the U.S. title needs right now.