A legacy of World Championship Wrestling (WCW), which continued the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) United States Heavyweight Championship implemented in 1975, the title was deactivated when it was unified with the WWF Intercontinental Championship at Survivor Series 2001, but in July 2003 was reactivated as the WWE US Championship and was then owned by SmackDown!. To determine the first holder of the belt, an eight-man tournament was held, with the final scheduled for Vengeance 2003.
With Eddie Guerrero as the first champion (in the WWE version), the title was held for 351 days by Dean Ambrose (between May 19, 2013 and May 5, 2014), the man who held it uninterruptedly the longest. John Cena, with five conquests, is the record holder for the number of reigns.
It is therefore worth remembering the eleven best matches ever for the WWE United States Championship, in chronological order.
Vengeance 2003
WWE United States Championship Finals:
Eddie Guerrero vs. Chris Benoit
In July 2003, the year after the first brand extension, WWE decided to introduce the WWE US Championship, a sort of reactivation WCW United States Championship, through the General Manager of SmackDown! , Stephanie McMahon, who presented the new belt design.
To determine the new champion, an eight-man tournament was held, with the final scheduled for Vengeance. Two former members of The Radicalz stable, Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit, were finalists. Guerrero eliminated Último Dragón and Billy Gunn, while Benoit defeated Rhyno and Matt Hardy on the way to the decisive match.
Armageddon 2005
Match 4 of WWE United States Championship ‘Best of Seven’
Chris Benoit vs. Booker T
Booker T, Orlando Jordan and Christian complained during the September 30 episode of SmackDown! an opportunity for Chris Benoit’s WWE United States Championship. And the champion, with permission of General Manager Theodore Long, chose to face the three of them in a fatal 4-way match at the No Mercy pay-per-view after witnessing Jordan win a triple threat match that also involved Booker T and Christian.
In the PPV, Benoit got the better of him by forcing Christian to fold via a Sharpshooter .
However, Booker T remained in pursuit of the title, having won it on the October 21 edition of SmackDown! due to the help of the Sharmell woman.
Meanwhile, Theodore Long showed a video of Sharmell interfering in her husband’s fights. Booker T apologized to Benoit and granted him a rematch, but then attacked the Canadian, causing him to bleed by hitting him with the belt.
On the November 25 episode of SmackDown! , Booker T defended the US Championship against Chris Benoit. After a Superplex from Benoit on the champion, two referees counted the two fighters’ settlements on each other at the same time, once they both had their shoulder blades on the mat.
Due to this confusion, Theodore Long stripped Booker T of the title, leaving it vacant, and decided to put Benoit and Booker T in a best-of-seven series to determine the new champion. Booker T won the first three matches, one on Survivor Series and the next two on episodes of SmackDown! , and entered Armageddon with the possibility of securing the title right away.
WWE Main Event (May 1, 2013)
WWE United States Championship:
Kofi Kingston (c) vs. Cesaro
A champion for 239 days, Cesaro surprisingly lost the United States Championship to Kofi Kingston on the April 15 episode of Raw , after the Ghanaian defeated the Swiss in a non-title match three days earlier on SmackDown!. Cesaro was given the opportunity to get even about two weeks later on the May 1 episode of the Main Event .
Night of Champions 2014
WWE United States Championship:
Sheamus (c) vs. Cesaro
On the May 5, 2014 episode of Raw , Sheamus won a 20-man battle royal to win the WWE US Championship by last eliminating former champion Dean Ambrose.
However, Cesaro and Sheamus faced off on the May 13 episode of Main Event , but the match ended in a double countout . Six days later, on Raw , the Swiss beat the Irishman in a non-title match after a distraction caused by Paul Heyman, then Cesaro ‘s manager , and secured a title shot for Payback .
At the pay-per-view, Sheamus prevailed, settling Cesaro via a Small Package .
However, they both participated in an eight-man ladder match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Money in the Bank, but it was John Cena who took the crown . Sometime later, on the August 25 edition of Raw, Cesaro beat Rob Van Dam in a SummerSlam rematch to become Sheamus’s leading United States Championship contender.
Monday Night Raw (June 29, 2015)
WWE United States Championship:
John Cena (c) vs. Cesaro
A United States Champion since WrestleMania 3 1 on March 29, 2015, John Cena had a habit of issuing an open challenge to anyone who wanted to fight for the title on every episode of Monday Night Raw . On the June 29 episode, Kevin Owens responded to the challenge, but later said he would wait until Battleground , then went to the commentators’ table to watch the match. That said, Cesaro ended up answering the Open Challenge .
Monday Night Raw (July 6, 2015)
WWE United States Championship:
John Cena (c) vs. Cesaro
After Cena and Cesaro had a memorable fight the week before, the Swiss returned to answer to the champion’s Open Challenge .
Battleground 2015
WWE United States Championship:
John Cena (c) vs. Kevin Owens
On the May 18, 2015 episode of Raw , NXT Champion Kevin Owens responded to United States Champion John Cena ‘s weekly United States Championship Open Challenge . However, instead of facing Cena , Owens attacked him and said that they would both fight under the conditions he defined. Later that night, Owens announced that the match between the two would take place at Elimination Chamber , with no titles at stake.
At the pay-per-view , Kevin Owens surprised everyone and everything, getting the better of John Cena after executing a second Pop-up Powerbomb . Meanwhile, a rematch was scheduled for Money in the Bank, with Cena emerging victorious this time .
Still, Owens challenged Cena to a match for the WWE United States Championship at Battleground during the June 15 episode of Raw . Halfway through, at The Beast in the East event, Owens lost the NXT Championship to Finn Bálor .
Monday Night Raw (July 27, 2015)
WWE United States Championship:
John Cena (c) vs. Seth Rollins
On the July 20 episode of Raw , United States Champion John Cena challenged WWE World Champion Seth Rollins to a company main title match. However, Rollins refused.
A week later, Cena challenged Rollins again, but The Authority forced him to defend the WWE United States Championship against Rollins .
SummerSlam 2015
WWE World Heavyweight Championship and WWE United States Championship:
Seth Rollins (c) vs. John Cena (c)
On the July 27 episode of Raw , Cena defended the United States Championship against Rollins , managing to retain the belt despite breaking his nose during the match.
Given this scenario, Rollins challenged Cena to a match at SummerSlam in which the winner would take both titles, which was promptly accepted.
Night of Champions 2015
WWE United States Championship:
Seth Rollins (c) vs. John Cena
At SummerSlam, Seth Rollins beat John Cena to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and win the US Championship . On the August 24 episode of Raw , The Authority presented Rollins with a statue. The following week, Cena triggered his rematch clause to face Rollins for the United States title at Night of Champions .