Summary

Carmelo Hayes is set to defend the WWE United States Championship in another open challenge on the March 6 edition of WWE SmackDown.

Hayes retained in an open challenge against Matt Cardona on February 27 and now has six successful open-challenge title defenses.

The March 6 SmackDown lineup also includes Drew McIntyre defending the Undisputed WWE Championship against Cody Rhodes, a segment to determine WWE Tag Team Championship number one contenders, and a face-to-face between Rhea Ripley and Jade Cargill.

Carmelo Hayes open-challenge run adds another title variable to SmackDown

Carmelo Hayes bringing an open challenge back to this card adds an unpredictable title element to a show that already has major WrestleMania-season stakes, because his opponent is still listed as TBA.

With six successful defenses already, another win would further establish Hayes as a consistently active champion while keeping the U.S. title tied to weekly match urgency.

For broader card context, see the latest March 6 SmackDown lineup report.