4 SmackDown stars who should challenge Logan Paul for the WWE United States Championship
The 2024 WWE Royal Rumble was an epic event with four major matches. Roman Reigns successfully defended his world title in one bout. Meanwhile, Bayley and Cody Rhodes won their respective Royal Rumble Matches.
The fourth bout on the card featured Logan Paul battling Kevin Owens. The Prizefighter hoped to dethrone Paul of the coveted United States Championship, but things didn't go as Kevin had anticipated.
Toward the end of the bout, A-Town Down Under made its presence known, as did other associates of The Maverick. With the distraction, Logan attempted to use brass knucks on Kevin. Instead, Owens grabbed the knuckles and hit Paul with them. Unfortunately, while pinning Logan, the referee saw the brass knucks and disqualified the Canadian star.
While the win was certainly achieved under dubious means, Logan is still the United States Champion. Now, fans are curious about who could challenge The Maverick next. This article will look at a handful of possible challengers.
#4. Pete Dunne and Logan Paul have fought before
Pete Dunne is one of the most talented performers in all of WWE. He was the second-ever United Kingdom Champion and a former NXT Tag Team Champion. He has been on SmackDown for around two years now.
For a long time, Pete was known as Butch on WWE's main roster. While he pulled the gimmick off well, fans missed The Bruiserweight. He slowly started to shed much of the Butch character over the past year, but he officially became Pete Dunne again a few weeks ago.
Now that Dunne is back in action, it is clear he's in for a push. Some fans may expect himself and Tyler Bate to chase after tag team gold, but instead, Dunne could target Logan. Every time he and Logan interacted in the past, there was animosity between them. It would be wise to make a story out of it now.
#3. Carlito could challenge Logan Paul
Carlito is one of WWE's top stars. He returned to the company in 2023 and has since joined the Latino World Order. He is joined by WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio, Joaquin Wilde, Santos Escobar, and Zelina Vega. Dragon Lee is also affiliated with the group but isn't an official member yet.
The "cool" superstar is currently involved in a major feud. He and the Latino World Order are battling Legado del Fantasma's Santos Escobar, Angel, Humberto, and Elektra Lopez. Still, his focus could be shifted soon.
If Rey Mysterio returns to the ring soon, Rey may take over from Carlito in pursuing revenge on Escobar. This could allow Carlito to focus on the United States Championship, a title he first won around two decades ago.
#2. Jimmy Uso could race Jey to winning their first singles title in WWE
Jimmy Uso is one of the greatest tag team competitors in WWE history. He, alongside his brother Jey, won tag team gold numerous times.
Unfortunately, the two had a very public split last year. Jey Uso is now on Monday Night RAW, and his goal is to become a singles champion for the first time in his career. Jimmy, now no longer part of The Usos, could decide to race his twin and rival to a title.
While Jey is looking to win the Intercontinental or World Heavyweight Championship, Jimmy likely wants the United States Title. While many fans believe Jey has proven to be the better twin, Jimmy could shake up the narrative by bringing gold to The Bloodline.
#1. LA Knight should be the one to dethrone Logan Paul
LA Knight is one of the most popular professional wrestling stars. His rise to the top of WWE was quite organic, as fans naturally gravitated towards him in a way rarely seen before.
The Megastar was in action at the 2024 Royal Rumble. He challenged for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship in a Fatal Four-Way Match. Roman Reigns, AJ Styles, and Randy Orton were also involved in the bout. Unfortunately, Knight failed to win gold.
However, that doesn't have to be the end of LA looking to win a title. He could challenge Logan Paul for the United States Championship. This could happen at Elimination Chamber Perth or even at WrestleMania 40.