US title open challenge added to WWE SmackDown
The United States Championship will be on the line on SmackDown’s Elimination Chamber go-home show.
WWE has announced that Carmelo Hayes will be issuing an open challenge for his title on SmackDown tonight. It’s the first defense for Hayes since he defeated Rey Fenix back on January 30. During his reign, Hayes has faced Johnny Gargano, Shinsuke Nakamura, Leon Slater, Ilja Dragunov, and Fenix in title matches.
Match of the night Melo OTW! https://t.co/AwYTPmucFs
— Carmelo Hayes (@Carmelo_WWE) February 27, 2026
Hayes has continued the U.S. title open challenge series after Sami Zayn and Dragunov made it staples of their reigns. Having the chance to wrestle on TV nearly every week has been “crucial” for Hayes, but he would like to start incorporating more storylines into his reign instead of just one-off matches.
Louisville, Kentucky is hosting SmackDown tonight on the eve of Elimination Chamber. The show is back on USA Network after having aired on Syfy two straight weeks due to the Winter Olympics.
Here is everything that’s been announced:
WWE SmackDown (Friday, February 27) —
- Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, Je’Von Evans, Trick Williams, LA Knight, and Jey Uso appear ahead of Elimination Chamber
- WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Rhea Ripley & IYO SKY defend against Lash Legend & Nia Jax
- Oba Femi vs. The Miz
- Jordynne Grace vs. Candice LeRae
- Uncle Howdy vs. Solo Sikoa
- Carmelo Hayes United States Championship open challenge
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.