On the August 29 edition of Friday Night SmackDown, Sami Zayn defeated Solo Sikoa to retain the WWE United States Championship.
Getting the blessing of John Cena, Zayn reintroduced the US Title Open Challenge and has been wrestling in very competitive matches against several stars on the roster.
After wins over Rey Fenix, Carmelo Hayes and Je’Von Evans, it should be very intriguing to watch who will step up to answer Zayn’s open challenge on SmackDown in the weeks to come.
Here are seven potential WWE SmackDown Sami Zayn open challenge opponents.
7. Jacob Fatu
On the September 26 episode of WWE SmackDown, Jacob Fatu made his return to the company for the first time since August.
Stepping up to confront Drew McIntyre, ‘The Samoan Werewolf’ has clearly shown he will not back down from anyone.
Despite his issues with McIntyre and past rivalry with Solo Sikoa, Fatu might want to get his hands back on the first singles title he won in WWE.
After helping the champion win against Sikoa, Fatu could be the one to dethrone Sami Zayn for the United States Championship to kickstart his second reign.
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6. Ilja Dragunov
In September 2024, Ilja Dragunov suffered a torn ACL injury that has kept him sidelined for over a year now.
Forced to be on the shelf for such a long time, Dragunov has been motivated to recover and make his way back into the fold for the company.
‘The Mad Dragon’ felt like he was on the cusp of being a champion on the WWE main roster prior to being sidelined.
Dragunov making his comeback to answer Sami Zayn’s United States Championship Open Challenge would deliver an exciting reveal that the champion might not be able to recover from himself.
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5. Oba Femi
At WWE NXT No Mercy 2025, Ricky Saints defeated Oba Femi to win the NXT Championship.
Following this loss, Femi’s reign of dominance on NXT has finally shown its cracks and might be officially over.
‘The Ruler’ has shown every skill available that should make him a ready made main roster star.
Answering Sami Zayn’s United States Championship Open Challenge would immediately thrust Oba Femi right into the spotlight where his habit of holding gold could continue on WWE SmackDown.
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4. Aleister Black
Back in April, Aleister Black made his return to WWE after a four year absence from the company.
Following his stint in All Elite Wrestling, Black has been trying to reestablish himself back on the WWE roster.
The former AEW World Trios Champion recently turned heel and has been feuding with Damian Priest, looking to gain some momentum as a singles star back in the promotion.
Black answering Sami Zayn’s United States Championship Open Challenge would give him his first chance at holding a singles title back in WWE for the first time in his career.
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3. Damian Priest
After achieving his goal of reaching the mountaintop as World Heavyweight Champion in 2024, this year has seen Damian Priest trying to recement himself in the main event scene.
Priest has been embroiled in a rivalry with Black that should see the winner of their blowoff match get a title opportunity following this feud.
After attempting to win the WWE United States Championship earlier this year, Priest could get back in the title mix now that Sami Zayn holds the gold.
Answering the open challenge, Priest could give Zayn his toughest test as champion and potentially hold this title one more time over on Friday Night SmackDown.
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2. Montez Ford
Over the past month, the Street Profits have been showing signs of frustration after coming up short for the WWE Tag Team Championship against the Wyatt Sicks at WWE Clash In Paris 2025.
Following this loss, Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins have attempted to get back in the title picture through key victories.
Long being pegged as the breakout member of the team, Ford has been seen as a potential singles star on the WWE main roster.
Ford answering the United States Championship Open Challenge would be a huge opportunity for the former tag team specialist to rise up the ladder on his own.
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1. Drew McIntyre
At WWE Wrestlepalooza 2025, Cody Rhodes defeated Drew McIntyre to retain the Undisputed WWE Championship.
During the course of the bout, the referee got in McIntyre’s way and could be seen as the reason why he suffered a loss.
Now that McIntyre has found himself on the outside looking in on the main event title picture, he could get his hands on championship gold again with this open challenge.
McIntyre could become United States Champion for the first time in his career by continuing his dominance over Sami Zayn in this open challenge.
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