#76: John Cena vs. Dean Ambrose, WWE Raw (3/31/2015).
The John Cena US Open Challenge is one of my favorite time periods in WWE. For the majority of 2015, Monday Night Raw was must see television. You knew two things: John Cena was defending the US Championship, and you were going to see a banger. It helped to defeat the stigma that Cena couldn't wrestle, and it helped to introduce a wide variety of wrestlers to a major audience, mostly from NXT.
This is the inaugural match in the John Cena US Open Challenge.
Cena gives a rousing speech about how the fans deserve a championship match, and he issues the open challenge to anyone in the back.
Dean Ambrose is the man who answers the challenge, and we have ourselves a fight now!
The bell sounds, and we are off to the races. Cena with a side headlock takedown early. Ambrose is up, and he pushes Cena against the ropes. Cena gets another side headlock takedown off, this time with a little more stink on it. Shoulder tackle by Cena, and he gets the side headlock in again. The crowd alternates in chants of “Let’s Go Cena” “Cena sucks.” Ambrose with a hip toss and a nearfall, and Cena rolls to the outside for a breather.
After the commercial break, Cena has a chin lock on Ambrose. He slams Ambrose against the mat. Ambrose fires back with several punches, and a forearm in the corner. Bulldog by the Lunatic Fringe, and he goes to the top rope. He misses a dive, and Cena hits a side slam in response. Cena gears up for the Five Knuckle Shuffle, but Ambrose kicks him in the head. Ambrose with more punches against the ropes, and Cena hits a boot to the face. Cena counters Wacky Line, and hits the side slam again. Cena connects with the Five Knuckle Shuffle.
Cena goes for the AA, and Ambrose counters into a sunset flip pin for 2. Cena tries for the STF, and Ambrose connects with the Wacky Line. He gets a nearfall off of that. Ambrose goes for Dirty Deeds, and Cena escapes out of it. They exchange punches now. Ambrose goes to the middle rope and hits a DDT to Cena. He gets 2 off of that. Cena rolls to the outside, and Ambrose climbs to the top rope. He hits a diving elbow to a standing Cena.
Ambrose brings Cena back into the ring, and walks into an AA from Cena. Somehow, Ambrose kicks out. Cena places Ambrose on the top rope and tries for an Avalanche AA, but Ambrose fights him off. He tries for a Sunset Flip Powerbomb, and connects – and then Cena transitions quickly into the STF! Ambrose crawls and gets to the bottom rope to break it up. Cena goes for the AA again, but Ambrose escapes and puts the STF on Cena now!
Cena reaches for the ropes, and Ambrose grabs his fingers to prevent it! Cena escapes, but walks into Dirty Deeds! Ambrose makes the cover, and Cena kicks out at 2! Back to their feet, they exchange strikes. Cena tries the AA, and Ambrose tries Dirty Deeds. Ambrose goes for a crossbody, but Cena catches him and hits the AA again, and that’s enough for the 3. Post match, they shake hands. The commentary from Byron Saxton here was fucking terrible.
Great little TV match, and a good start to the Open Challenge era. Cena and Ambrose always had great chemistry, and it was on display here. You knew early on that Cena had his work cut out for him doing this Open Challenge, as Ambrose definitely made him earn that win. This was only the beginning of Cena's renaissance run in WWE, but when it comes to beginnings, you can't get better than this.