Ranking the 5 best matches from John Cena's US Open Challenge

The string of successive US Open Challenges issued by John Cena has been one of the wrestling high points of his careerCredit attributed where it’s due – when the time came to slowly but subtly inch John Cena away from the WWE World Heavyweight Title picture, the creative team sought out a window of opportunity just as they closed a door behind him.Now in hindsight, especially highlighted by the man’s absence, moving John Cena into the US Title picture was a masterstroke in more ways than one. For starters, it was an apt category to move him into rather than the Intercontinental title picture, given how naturally his obvious love for the country could engender momentum and support from the audience. Apart from that, it also allowed John Cena considerable creative leeway to express himself inside of the ring thereby quashing one of the most frequently levied accusations against him – that he could not wrestle, in an emphatic manner.More than either of these reasons, though, the most effective outcome that was gleaned from putting the US Title on John Cena – was how he elevated the significance of the title and a large number of Superstars who stepped up to the plate to try and wrest it from him.Now on the cusp of his return to Monday Night Raw after his hiatus, here are the 5 best matches from the John Cena US Open Challenge in 2015.

#5 Neville

The man that gravity forgot may now be good for at least one solid ‘pop’ every match owing to his immensely popular finishing move, but the traction gained by Neville as a character perhaps falls well short of the expectations that weighed in along with his promotion into the main roster this year.

Without ever being granted time on the mic to get over as a persona, Neville’s push in the WWE has been patchy at best despite being a dependable worker in the ring.

Of all his matches, though, the fact that his answering call to John Cena’s US Open challenge may have evoked his best performance in a WWE ring and also contributed tremendously towards his momentum is a cogent testament to Cena’s wrestling prowess in itself.

While the match featured Neville kicking out of an Attitude Adjustment and coming within a hair’s breadth of pulling off a momentous victory himself, it was not afforded a clean finish thanks to the zealous interference run by a certain Bulgarian.

Nonetheless, the segment arguably accomplished what it had set out to in the first place by promoting Neville as a legitimate threat in the ring despite his diminutive size and overlooked persona.