Ranking Best Options to Defeat John Cena for U.S. Title at WWE Hell in a Cell

The king needs to be yanked from his throne at WWE Hell in a Cell 2015 when John Cena issues his latest United States Championship open challenge.

Cena has bolstered the title's prestige with a succession of defenses, many of which resulted in some of the best action that fans have seen all year. He's been a great spokesman for the championship. And the top-of-the-card star has improved a midcard title by his very presence.

But now it's time to move on. Someone needs to benefit from what Cena has done with the belt. WWE needs to have him step aside for a fresh face.

At Hell in a Cell, he will once again issue an open challenge, as announced on WWE.com. And it may be the last we see of him for a while.

Weeks ago, Dave Meltzer reported on F4WOnline that Cena would be "taking time off from wrestling shortly for what the WWE has described as personal reasons."

With that in mind, Hell in a Cell is the perfect opportunity to make the most of the title switch. The pay-per-view format gives this challenger a bigger stage on which to dethrone the champ. It assures the moment is bigger and more memorable.

So who should get that call?

WWE has to consider who would make the most compelling champion. Officials have to ask themselves what's the best story it can tell with the title switch and what kind of match this challenger would have with Cena at Hell in a Cell and in a potential rematch later on.

NXT, WWE's bench and its midcard offer a number of viable choices for that role.

Other Options to Consider

• Heath Slater
• Finn Balor
• Tyler Breeze

Slater makes the most sense from a narrative standpoint. He's been lobbying to get a crack at the title since these challenges began. It's become a running joke that someone pushes him aside to go after John Cena.

It would be a fun moment to see him finally get that chance and to be the one who actually finishes off the champ.

It's hard, though, to imagine Slater as a credible champ. WWE has used him so little, taking away any momentum he had. It would be a big jump down from Cena to Slater.

Balor, on the other hand, would be a stellar titleholder. He's a star with an abundance of buzz. His matches would be great.

The fact that he's NXT champ makes him less than ideal, though. It's smarter to let him drop that title before heading to the main roster.

Breeze isn't handcuffed by NXT gold. It would be a career-making moment for him to win the U.S. title against Cena in his first singles match on the main roster.

The biggest issue with Prince Pretty as the next champion is that his gimmick isn't one that fans who are unfamiliar with him can buy as a threat right away. He needs time to work himself into the audience's mind, showing that he's formidable as well as flamboyant.

5. Damien Sandow

Damien Sandow has ample motivation to take down John Cena. It was Cena who ruined his chance at the world title, making him one of just two men to fail to become champ after cashing in the Money in the Bank contract.

Sandow's career has spiraled since then. There's a rich story to tap into if WWE is willing to dig up issues that began two years ago.

Sandow has shown good chemistry with Cena in their previous clashes. He's sure to have the crowd behind him as they battle again. He's become the underdog whom fans want to see succeed.

The trouble is the WWE would have to fast-track this story. WWE hasn't been planting the seeds for this whatsoever. Sandow hasn't even been on TV since May. 

It's hard to buy Sandow as a guy capable of carrying on the title's revived legacy. His aura has been hurt too much.

4. Samoa Joe

Going with Samoa Joe as the man to topple John Cena would play out differently with two sections of the audience.

The ones who follow his work on NXT and know him from his Ring of Honor and TNA days would be thrilled. To them, this is a dream match. This is a collision of two worlds that is can't-miss.

But unfortunately, not everyone will feel that way. A good number of casual fans will not know who The Samoan Submission Machine is or only know of him in a vague sense. For them, this would be a stranger stepping onto the screen and grabbing a championship in his first outing.

WWE could run with that idea, though, and portray Joe as an ominous figure from another plane. 

This is riskier than going with someone already on the main roster. There's no guarantee Joe connects with this new crowd. Meanwhile, three babyfaces already have a bond with WWE fans, many of whom want to see them climb to the top.

3. Dolph Ziggler

WWE has a number of avenues to take should it go with Dolph Ziggler as the man to beat John Cena.

It can work in Ziggler's past relationship with Nikki Bella and the jealousy brewing in Cena. It can have Ziggler become heel in the process of beating Cena, going to any length to become a champion again.

Ziggler and Cena's alliance at last year's Survivor Series can come into play. The former could feel that the champ stole the spotlight despite him being the one to get the decisive pin that night.

In addition to plentiful narrative options, Ziggler also offers WWE the assurance of a great match. He and Cena are among WWE's best big-bout performers. Their last meeting was proof of that.

Ziggler can get even more of a boost should he come out of his pre-show Hell in a Cell clash limping and still nab the title.

But as fun as it would be to see him celebrate over Cena, two other men stand to be better champions in the long run. Ziggler's reign would have somewhat of a been-there-done-that feel as he's been U.S. champ once before and intercontinental champion four times in the past.

A non-title rivalry with Cena is the better option for him.

2. Cesaro

To crown Cesaro would be to take advantage of his growing fanbase. Fans continue to bring "Cesaro section" signs to shows, rooting for him as he batters opponents with uppercuts.

The narrative here is simple. Cesaro twice failed to beat John Cena in two previous open challenges. This would be his third and final try, a chance for him to prove that he can win the big one.

WWE is assured a great match. Cena and Cesaro have killed it each time they have collided. 

Cesaro would make a strong champion, and a second stint with the U.S. title could be a test run for whether he should continue moving up the card. He's also the best candidate to continue the open challenge tradition, as he works well with just about everyone on the roster.

Dolph Ziggler's story offers more layers to work with, but Cesaro is the more exciting choice. Ziggler has been a midcard champ with so many so-so reigns that fans are likely to be less thrilled about the idea of him grabbing this spot again.

1. Dean Ambrose

Dean Ambrose doesn't have a dance partner at Hell in a Cell anymore thanks to Randy Orton's injury. That could end up being a fortunate turn of events. Rather than have another battle with The Wyatt Family, he can show up to answer John Cena's challenge.

Ambrose is the most charismatic option on this list. His frenetic energy and off-the-wall interviews make him a more appealing character than most of his peers.

That combined with his talent in the ring means that he can be a great U.S. champ.

He held the belt before, but WWE neglected him. He rarely defended and had too few of his own feuds outside of what The Shield was doing.

This time around, he has the potential to keep the title's momentum going. 

WWE can portray him as a man focused on regaining a title he has long pined for. It can bill him as one of the greatest champions thanks to his long reign. And The Lunatic Fringe is one of the few folks outside of the main event picture who can believably take down the champ.

Crowning Ambrose is the best move. It would be one WWE stumbled onto thanks to circumstance, but the company will be glad it did.