At the end of 2025, Carmelo Hayes won the United States Championship and has since adopted the US Open Challenge on Friday Night SmackDown.
In 2026, Hayes tallied up successful defenses against the likes of Ilja Dragunov, Rey Fenix, Shinsuke Nakamura and TNA’s Leon Slater.
With there being mere weeks ahead of WrestleMania 42, fans could see any number of challengers step up to face Hayes for the US Title.
Here are seven new potential Carmelo Hayes WWE US Title challengers.
7. Tama Tonga
Over the past few months, fans have seen Tama Tonga taking aim at the United States Championship.
Dating back to Ilja Dragunov’s reign, Tonga made it perfectly clear that his sights were on the US Title.
The former WWE Tag Team Champion has been more of a presence in singles competition with notable victories over both Dragunov and Shinsuke Nakamura.
Following his recent pinfall win in a 10-Man Tag, Tama challenging Carmelo Hayes for the WWE United States Championship seems like a no-brainer that should happen sooner rather than later.
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6. Nathan Frazer
When Ilja Dragunov won the WWE United States Championship, he made it known that the US Open Challenge was open to any and all, including tag teams.
During Dragunov’s reign, The Mad Dragon defended against the likes of Axiom, Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa and Nathan Frazer.
Seeing how most of the tag team division has been more focused on singles competition as of late, Frazer could be next in line for a shot at Carmelo Hayes.
After coming up short in a highly competitive bout with Dragunov, Frazer should be more than willing to try his luck against Hayes for the US Title in the near future.
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5. Alex Shelley
Another member of the tag team division who could step up as a challenger for the United States Championship is Alex Shelley.
Despite The Motor City Machine Guns being mostly involved in tag team action since signing with WWE, both Shelley and Chris Sabin are no strangers to singles success.
Both members of the Guns are former TNA World and X-Division Champions, while traveling the world and winning singles gold in multiple promotions.
Shelley trying his trade against Carmelo Hayes could be a show-stealing bout that further increases the spotlight on the United States Championship moving forward.
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4. Royce Keys
At WWE Royal Rumble 2026, Royce Keys made his debut with the company as an entrant in the Men’s Royal Rumble Match.
This came after the former Powerhouse Hobbs departed All Elite Wrestling and signed with WWE just a few weeks earlier.
Despite his strong showing in the Rumble, the former AEW TNT Champion has not been seen on WWE TV since his initial debut.
Keys making a return to challenge Carmelo Hayes for the United States Championship might be the best way to capitalize on his momentum from that AEW run and help him capture the imagination of the WWE audience in a significant way.
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3. Montez Ford
Another tag team that has not been getting featured consistently in recent months has been Street Profits.
After losing the WWE Tag Team Championships in the summer of 2025, Street Profits have been absent from Friday Night SmackDown.
For years, fans have speculated for a split of Street Profits and what that might mean for both men’s careers.
Giving Montez Ford the opportunity to answer the United States Championship Open Challenge against Carmelo Hayes would immediately open some eyes to the talent he possesses and allow him to break free from the Street Profits once and for all.
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2. Ethan Page
On the February 24 episode of WWE NXT, Myles Borne defeated Ethan Page to win the NXT North American Championship.
This ended a historic 273-day reign as North American Champion for “All Ego,” which also saw him set the record for most title defenses in one run with 13.
After coming up short against Borne in a rematch on the March 3 NXT, it would make sense for Page to want to ply his trade on the WWE main roster.
Moving up to SmackDown, Page could be an ideal challenger for Carmelo Hayes’ United States Championship and put himself on the map with an impressive showing.
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1. Trick Williams
When fans were first introduced to Trick Williams, it was as the sidekick and friend of Carmelo Hayes on WWE NXT 2.0.
Over the years, Williams grew into an undeniable superstar and led to Hayes turning on his former friend.
The rivalry between Hayes and Williams led to Melo getting called up to the main roster, while Trick took over the brand they called home by becoming a two-time NXT Champion and a former TNA World Champion.
Now that they are both on Friday Night SmackDown, it feels like it is only a matter of time before Trick answers the open challenge and may be the man to dethrone Melo for the gold.
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