John Cena's Best Options for United States Championship Open Challenges

John Cena is going to run out of challengers for his United States Championship unless WWE plucks talent from its past, from NXT and from the end of its bench.

One of the keys to his open challenges has been the surprise factor. A new unexpected championship-hungry contender stomps down the entrance ramp each week. That's hard to continue as the list of failed challengers grows, but it's certainly not impossible.

Wrestlers with strong connections to the crowd are still available to take Cena's next challenge. Grapplers with history with the champ are out there, as well.

And the lower rungs of WWE's roster offer two intriguing options.

The best candidates to next tear through the curtain after Cena says, "You want some? Come get some," have the ability to craft a special match with the powerhouse, offer WWE an intriguing narrative to tell as the bout goes on and would just be fun to see step up to the champ.

Challengers from NXT 

• Tyler Breeze
• Samoa Joe

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens both traveled from Full Sail University to test Cena. Despite hurting his shoulder before the action even began, Zayn put on a thriller with the champion. Owens didn't actually take Cena up on his title-match offer but used the opportunity to lay out the babyface and make a major statement in the process.

Each time, fans buzzed upon seeing these NXTers on Raw. Each time, the clash of two worlds created a memorable moment.

WWE would be wise to go to that well again.

Breeze isn't as often discussed as one of the very best NXT talents but has put on a number of strong in-ring performances. His mastery of his gimmick has him armed with plenty of momentum on top of that.

The Gorgeous One is sure to be headed to the main roster eventually. Letting him either push Cena or be the one to best him would help ease that transition.

There's a natural juxtaposition of characters to build on, too. The preener meets the powerhouse; the self-obsessed newbie meets the hustle-centric veteran.

Joe vs. Cena would be stellar. If WWE plans on keeping The Samoan Submission Machine at NXT as a means to maintain star power at that brand, a brief trip to the main roster to take on Cena would be a fun option.

Cena works well against bigger, monstrous guys (Umaga, Bray Wyatt, etc.) like Joe. Joe tends to shine in big matches. That's a recipe for a stunner on Raw.

This option would be a nod to the diehard fans and a reward for those investing in NXT. If casual fans who don't watch that show are impressed with what they see from Joe, this match would be a free advertisement for the WWE Network.

Finn Balor vs. Cena would certainly be great, but that's a match WWE would be better off saving for a pay-per-view down the road. 

Less-Used Superstars

• Damien Sandow
• Heath Slater

A pair of men WWE has seemingly forgotten about offer intriguing stories as Cena's possible challengers. And both have competed so infrequently that seeing them answer the challenger will feel like Raw is getting a special guest.

With Sandow, there's a lot to build on from the past. With the Money in the Bank briefcase in hand, Sandow looked to yank the world title from Cena back in 2013.

Since failing that night, Sandow has gone from being on the cusp of the world championship to spending Raw and SmackDown enjoying catering backstage. Sandow's failures make for a chance to tell a story of redemption.

Can he make Cena pay for that huge loss? Can he climb back into relevance via the U.S. title?

That possibility would have the audience's interest piqued. Plus, Sandow has become a sympathetic figure, a guy many fans believe has just been the victim of bad booking.

WWE knows that he and Cena can produce in the ring together. Their 2013 bout was excellent.

As for Slater, the running joke has been that his attempts to challenge Cena have failed. Someone always seems to take his spot by force.

A Randy Orton RKO kept him out of the running one night. An assault from Rusev derailed him another time.

That could help build to the moment he actually does get a crack at Cena. He would enter the fight as the underdog, and if done right, the match could have fans holding their collective breath, thinking the unthinkable is about to happen.

Despite being so underused, Slater has a decent connection with the crowd. Heel or not, he'll have a good amount of support going into this contest.

Outsiders Welcomed Back In

• Carlito
• Shelton Benjamin
• John Morrison

Considering Raw's recent ratings struggles, WWE needs to add more of that "anything can happen" feeling to the show.

Seeing Xavier Woods or Viktor answer Cena's open challenge wouldn't fulfill that. Signing a former WWE star to a one-night deal sure would, though.

WWE doesn't want to go too far back into its past to find Cena's opponent. It has to find guys who can still hang in the ring. Carlito, Benjamin and Morrison all fit that bill.

Carlito has been gone for five years, now mostly working for his father in Puerto Rico. Bringing him back would be a welcome surprise.

It would also help that he has history with Cena. Carlito's Raw debut came against Cena in a bout for the world title. Before that, Carlito's first WWE match saw him beat Cena for the U.S. title. 

The story upon his return would be that he is trying to repeat history.

Benjamin's unexpected arrival would feel much like the reverse of the night he faced a returning Shawn Michaels in the Gold Rush tournament.

He and Cena would promise to be a thrilling matchup. Benjamin has always been an electric performer in the ring.

That goes double for Morrison. At this point, the high-flyer would be the most expensive option on this list. He's established himself outside of WWE as one of the top stars of Lucha Underground.

A one-night return would boost Raw with star power and feed off his and Cena's past. They battled several times during Morrison's WWE tenure, so there would be ample history to play off there. 

And if guys like Benjamin and Morrison made their way back just to get a chance at the U.S. title, it would up that belt's prestige in a major way.

As long as Cena continues his open challenges, WWE wields a powerful tool each Monday night. These options from NXT and elsewhere would make the most of that tool.