We’ve all seen it by now. It has become such a staple of modern wrestling, promising shock match-ups, surprising returns, dynamic debuts or even upset title changes. Perhaps it’s a plucky underdog seeking a challenge, a fighting champion testing their mettle against the best, or a cocky veteran begging for a brawl.
The open challenge has featured prominently across multiple promotions in recent years, most notably through WWE’s United States Championship and its weekly open defences. There is no doubt this narrative device has delivered thrilling and distinctive contests.
Look no further than the hulking clash between Brock Lesnar and Oba Femi set for WrestleMania 42. Although their highly anticipated showdown has been building for weeks, the device that brought them together was Femi answering an open challenge. But what are the origins of this wrestling staple? When has it produced brilliant pay-offs, and when has it fallen flat?
Big John Studd’s Body Slam Challenge (1983–1985)
One of the earliest and most well-known examples of the trope dates back to 1983, when WWF’s big-boned baddie Big John Studd was throwing his weight around, quite literally. He offered a cash prize of $10,000 to $15,000 to anyone bold enough to body slam him. This built his monster heel persona, as plucky babyfaces tried and failed to budge Studd.
That was until André the Giant answered the call. Studd weaseled his way out of that encounter, setting the stage for a showdown at the first WrestleMania. The stakes were raised: André would claim the prize if he won, but a loss meant retirement. Despite his physical decline, an ailing André slammed Studd, delivering a feel-good, iconic moment on wrestling’s grandest and newest stage.
Yokozuna’s Body Slam Challenge (1993):
Studd’s body slam antics proved so effective that the company revisited the concept, this time with the mammoth WWF Champion Yokozuna as the immovable heel. Rather than stretching over weeks, this challenge was a special televised event aboard the USS Intrepid on Independence Day. Challenger after challenger failed until Lex Luger arrived by helicopter, the embodiment of American heroism.
The rest as they say, is history: Luger’s slam was heard around the world, launching the Lex Express and catapulting him into a world title feud. The less said about the aftermath the better, but Luger lifting and slamming the hefty foreign heel was undeniably a star-making moment.
Kurt Angle’s Open Challenges (2002–2005):
Kurt Angle always straddled the fine line between legitimacy and entertainment better than almost anyone before or since. Bolstered by his real-life Olympic credentials, Angle was the sort of heel fans found hard to hate. In the early 2000s, following the influx of talent after WCW and ECW’s demise, Angle issued an open challenge to anyone he had never faced. Enter the fresh-faced OVW alumnus John Cena, you may have heard of him.
Cena’s shout of “Ruthless Aggression” transcended a mere moment and became the mantra for a generation. It’s hard to imagine where wrestling would be today had Kurt Angle not issued that challenge in June 2002.
Not all of Angle’s open challenges worked in his favour. During the 2004 Tough Enough competition, he issued a challenge to the contestants in a shoot-style contest designed to showcase his amateur prowess. Daniel Puder did not get the memo, applying a kimura lock and coming dangerously close to breaking the Olympic gold medallist’s arm before a hurried pin brought the bout to an end. It became a controversial moment that has lived on in wrestling lore, even if Puder’s career did not last.
Seeking redemption, perhaps, Angle launched his Olympic Gold Medal Open Challenge between 2004 and 2005, daring local wrestlers to last three minutes against him in the ring, their prize his 1996 medal. Many fell short but made the most of their spotlight minutes, including a young Roderick Strong. The segment reached its climax when the unlikely Eugene outlasted Angle. Eugene, presented as Eric Bischoff’s “special” nephew, eventually lost to Angle at SummerSlam 2005, allowing Kurt to reclaim his gold. Though the angle limped on for a few more months, its lustre had faded.
Chris Masters’ Master Lock Challenge (2005–2007):
In the mid-2000s, a wave of newcomers tried to make names for themselves, and few did so more memorably than “The Masterpiece” Chris Masters. He had two main selling points: his physique, which Vince McMahon notoriously admired, and the Master Lock Challenge, a weekly Raw segment where opponents attempted to break free of his signature half-nelson lock for cash.
Masters held firm for nearly a year against established talent such as Big Show and Shawn Michaels, until up-and-coming babyface Bobby Lashley finally broke it to a great reaction. While Masters never reached the predicted heights, his take on the open challenge created memorable moments and even influenced Lashley’s later Hurt Lock submission finisher.
John Cena’s US Title Open Challenge (2015):
Few wrestlers are as synonymous with the United States Championship and the open challenge concept as John Cena. After defeating Rusev for his United States Championship at WrestleMania 31, fans feared the return of “Super Cena”, the unstoppable hero mowing down all comers. Instead, Cena delivered balanced, high-intensity matches that elevated younger talent and reshaped fan perception of him.
Beginning on the 4 May episode of Raw with a debuting Sami Zayn, Cena wrestled career-defining bouts against Dean Ambrose, Cesaro and Kevin Owens. Though his opponents fell short, the contests carried real emotion and catharsis, as the rising stars tested themselves against the franchise face. Cena eventually lost the title to a returning Alberto Del Rio, ending the run, but the series proved he still had brilliance left in him and that the open challenge format could thrive anew.
Open “Freakin’” Challenges (2022–2023):
In a respectful nod to his old rival, Seth Rollins revived the open challenge format while defending the United States Championship in 2022 and the Intercontinental title in 2023. Though not every defence was a classic, these challenges were important. They reinforced Rollins’ reputation as WWE’s workhorse, a title few could dispute. At a time when Roman Reigns had unified and effectively vanished with the top championships, mid-card titles were given new prominence. Through Rollins’ open challenges, WWE kept fan interest alive and avoided creative stagnation when its biggest draw was absent.
Sami Zayn’s Reign (2025):
Fittingly, Sami Zayn, the first man to answer Cena’s open challenge a decade earlier became champion and spiritual successor to that legacy. His own open challenges revived the United States title scene, creating competitive, must-see matches and restoring unpredictability to weekly television.
Zayn reignited fan enthusiasm with fresh opponents like Solo Sikoa, Carmelo Hayes, and eventual successor Ilja Dragunov. Though the tide may be turning on Zayn after his recent title recapture, one can hope that whoever holds the gold after the dust has settled on WrestleMania 42 will carry forward his and John Cena’s proud tradition of compelling, career‑defining open‑challenge matchups.
When It Works Best:
Modern babyface champions often issue open invitations to the locker room, but history shows this trope shines brightest when the roles are reversed. Great storytelling and breathtaking bouts emerge from open challenges, yet the babyface’s pursuit almost always outshines the capture.
Giving up-and-coming babyfaces something to strive for, whether lifting the impossible or outlasting an Olympian, creates lasting moments, however brief. Heel champions, traditionally evasive or selective, become far more compelling when they turn confident and cocky, manipulating the rules of their own challenges. This builds heat, stakes, and crowd desire.
Wrestling, in its purest form, is storytelling. The open challenge is one such simple device, capable of crafting magical moments. Returning to that elemental formula, heroic underdogs pursuing glory through open invitations, could breathe new life into this time-tested trope and captivate fans old and new.
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