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00:00It grows and grows, but who is going to take up his challenge this week?
00:11Even Carmelo had that reaction.
00:17And his opponent from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, weighing in at 212 pounds, Sammy Z!
00:27So we've been monitoring the frustrations and the emotions of Sammy Zane,
00:33and we saw how he reacted earlier tonight when he found out that Trick Williams is going to have a
00:39chance at WrestleMania,
00:40and have a spot at WrestleMania.
00:42And now here is Sammy with an instant shot at a title.
00:48This is what you call a full circle moment.
00:51Go back to last, I don't know, September, October.
00:54United States Champion, Sammy Zane, who started this whole open challenge process
01:02that was then continued by Dragunov, who took the title from Zane,
01:06then continued by Melo, who took the title from Dragunov.
01:10And now Sammy Zane gets the opportunity to try and take it back once again.
01:16Wow, hold on.
01:17What's going on?
01:24Oh, it's too good.
01:26Oh, I'll tell you what, Joe.
01:48A cooler man on planet Earth there is not.
01:53Agreed.
01:54And a hotter thing in the world of professional wrestling, there is not.
02:00Even a hater like you has to admit that.
02:01There's just no hating when it comes to Trick Willie.
02:04Well, clearly, GM Nick Aldis is massively enamored with Trick Williams
02:09and the kind of reaction he brings,
02:12and that's why he's guaranteed a WrestleMania match.
02:15We're quite sure who that's going to be against yet.
02:18Although, Trick Willie is going to join us once again at ringside,
02:23it would seem, for a Sami Zayn match.
02:27Well, here we go, Joe.
02:28Hold on.
02:28Watch out.
02:29We got Lemon Pepper steppers all over the announce desk.
02:32Give them out a little space.
02:33Here we go, Trick Willie.
02:34That's my guy right there.
02:38You can see Sami Zayn looking over to the side,
02:41the guy who he put on his backside.
02:42Can we get a chair?
02:43Can we get a chair, please, for Mr. Trick Williams?
02:47All your side.
02:49Way with the fader.
02:51Not as good as you.
02:52You know we got a match in the ring right here, Bear.
02:54Oh, I'm enamored with Trick Williams.
02:56Yeah, beyond enamored.
02:57You need other adjectives.
02:58Ooh, Sami Zayn.
03:00What a golden opportunity for Zayn.
03:01Oh, shoulders are down.
03:04So, the emotional frustration he's been dealing with,
03:07his status, his career,
03:08and now a chance Wade to remedy so much.
03:11Well, we'll see about that.
03:12It's proven time and time again
03:13that anyone stepping to Carmelo Hayes
03:16has generally struggled to convert
03:18when they've taken these open challenges
03:21against the United States champion.
03:23Wow, what a close line there.
03:24Right into it again.
03:25Hooking the leg.
03:26I mean, can we talk about
03:28the latest instant classic
03:30against the Mad Dragon by Hayes?
03:33Let's talk about it.
03:34You know, Trick Williams isn't down.
03:35That's what we do.
03:36We talk about things,
03:37and it was an absolute classic.
03:38Perhaps the SmackDown match of the year
03:41so far last week,
03:42but ultimately victorious
03:43was the United States champ.
03:45But let's parallel that
03:47or contrast that
03:48with Sami Zayn's experience last week
03:51taking on Alistair Black.
03:53And one major distraction at ringside
03:55from Trick Williams
03:57caused Sami Zayn to eat a black mass
04:01and take a major L.
04:03Yep, and he's seated right back
04:04in that same position
04:05to watch Sami Zayn
04:07and Carmelo Hayes here
04:09for the U.S. Championship.
04:11And that might explain
04:12the cheap shot
04:13that Sami Zayn took
04:14at Trick Williams
04:15a little bit
04:15during that conversation
04:17with Nick Aldis
04:19as Carmelo Hayes
04:20looks to exacerbate
04:22the issues
04:23that Sami Zayn
04:24has been experiencing
04:25really ever since
04:26the Royal Rumble
04:27when he lost that title match
04:29against then-WWE champ
04:30Drew McIntyre.
04:32After that hot start
04:34by Sami Zayn,
04:35all of a sudden
04:35Carmelo Hayes
04:36has found his rhythm.
04:38Springboard leg drop
04:40as Hayes
04:41regains momentum.
05:03Three weeks to go
05:05to WrestleMania.
05:07Zayn.
05:08Still trying to find
05:10a path there
05:10to WrestleMania.
05:12Meanwhile,
05:12the U.S. Champion
05:14Carmelo Hayes
05:15week after week.
05:16Well, I'll tell you right now.
05:17Taking out all challenges.
05:19I've watched a ton
05:20of Zayn's career
05:21from the Indies
05:22through NXT
05:23and of course Raw,
05:24SmackDown
05:24all the way to WrestleMania.
05:25I have never seen
05:27a Sami Zayn
05:28looking as desperate
05:30and at times lost
05:32as this version.
05:33You can understand why
05:35when you consider
05:36where he's been
05:37in his career,
05:37what he's accomplished
05:38and then the recent matches,
05:40the recent frustrations.
05:42We've been listening
05:42to those exchanges
05:43with Cody Rose
05:45backstage earlier tonight
05:46when he received the news
05:48from Nick Caldus
05:49about his circumstances
05:50surrounding WrestleMania.
06:01And this is what
06:02Sami Zayn does
06:03at his best.
06:04Trying to tap
06:05into the energy
06:06of this audience.
06:07They clearly love
06:09what Zayn can do.
06:10However,
06:11with that massively
06:12grown reputation,
06:14Carmelo Hayes
06:14proving week in,
06:16week out
06:16that he is going to be
06:17a tough test
06:18for anybody
06:19in the SmackDown
06:20locker room.
06:22Incredible how much
06:23he delivers
06:24each and every week
06:25as Sami able to kick out
06:26after the snap suplex.
06:30I mean,
06:31one of the greatest
06:31movers I think
06:32I've ever seen
06:33battle to battle
06:34is Carmelo Hayes,
06:35a man who is so creative,
06:37so inventive.
06:38Inventive really
06:39is that word you are.
06:40And that is where
06:42he is at his best.
06:43I'll tell you,
06:44nobody else on the roster
06:45could possibly
06:46pull that move off
06:47with accuracy.
06:50getting a shot
06:51from downtown
06:52in the process.
06:54He's a three-pointer,
06:56but unfortunately
06:57it did not
06:58follow up
06:59with a three-count
07:00for Carmelo Hayes.
07:01The match
07:02grinds off.
07:06very vocal crowd
07:07here in Pittsburgh.
07:0912,700 plus
07:11at the home
07:12of the NHL's
07:13Penguins.
07:13But what are they
07:14saying,
07:15J.K.S.?
07:18Well, you know
07:19who they're supporting.
07:20The presence
07:21of Trick Williams
07:22ringside
07:22gets a lot
07:23of attention.
07:24Big kick
07:25from Hayes.
07:28Lateral press.
07:30And now you sense
07:31a little frustration
07:32starting to build
07:33in Carmelo Hayes
07:34who has been
07:35in control
07:36for large portions
07:37of the match,
07:37but Sami Zayn
07:39doing what Sami Zayn
07:40always seems to do
07:41and refusing
07:42to die off
07:43in this one.
08:05The open challenge
08:06for the United States
08:07Championship
08:07was answered
08:08by Sami Zayn.
08:11The man who held
08:12that title.
08:13Sami earlier tonight
08:14is to see
08:14Trick Williams
08:15sitting ringside
08:17same as he was
08:18a week ago
08:18for a Sami Zayn match.
08:20Trick Williams
08:20found out he has
08:21a WrestleMania slot.
08:22Sami upset
08:23to hear that.
08:23He got the news
08:24there aren't
08:25current plans
08:25for him
08:26for WrestleMania.
08:28But perhaps
08:28a title could
08:29change that
08:30if he could
08:30pull this off
08:31against Carmelo Hayes.
08:33Carmelo Hayes
08:34has been looking
08:34pretty dominant
08:35in this one,
08:36but once again
08:37Sami Zayn
08:37fighting from
08:38underneath
08:39and managing
08:40when it looks
08:41like the chips
08:42are down
08:42to get himself
08:43back into the fight.
08:47Has anyone
08:48in history
08:48been able
08:49to do that
08:50as much
08:50as Sami Zayn
08:51seems to
08:52week in,
08:52week out?
08:53Oh!
08:54Incoming!
08:55Oh,
08:56and a heavy landing
08:57on the back
08:58of Sami Zayn,
08:59but that pales
08:59in comparison
09:00to the impact
09:02that US champ
09:03Carmelo Hayes
09:04just had to absorb.
09:07take another look
09:08at a flying
09:09Sami Zayn
09:10and a huge
09:10crash landing
09:11and staring
09:12daggers
09:13into Trick Willie
09:14at ringside.
09:15They've already
09:15had one confrontation
09:16in the hallways
09:18tonight.
09:19We're hoping
09:20there won't be
09:20a second one
09:21a la last week
09:23during the
09:23Sami Zayn
09:25Alistair Black match.
09:26Yeah,
09:26Sami put him
09:27on his backside
09:27earlier tonight.
09:35Oh!
09:36The timing
09:37of Hayes
09:38impeccable
09:39and Sami
09:40gets the left
09:41shoulder up.
09:42What a bullseye
09:43on a moving
09:45target like that.
09:46It's absolutely
09:47ridiculous
09:48that any human
09:49being
09:49can have the
09:51precision
09:51on a drop
09:53kick
09:53like we just
09:54saw from
09:55Carmelo Hayes.
09:56This guy
09:56is just
09:57made differently
09:58and that
09:59is just
10:00one example
10:00of why
10:01Carmelo Hayes
10:02is him.
10:03We've said it
10:03before.
10:04We said it
10:05last week.
10:06Melo makes
10:06moments
10:09as he slams
10:10it down
10:10with the
10:11tilt-a-whirl
10:12spinning
10:12face buster
10:13into the cover.
10:14You can go ahead
10:15and say
10:15Dirty Diana
10:16if you want.
10:16Oh,
10:17you just beat me
10:17to it.
10:18I was so excited,
10:19Joe.
10:19Dirty Diana
10:20connects
10:21and now
10:22we're going to
10:22close this one
10:23out in style
10:24as Carmelo Hayes.
10:26Sami,
10:27struggling to
10:28get to his
10:29feet.
10:30He has given
10:30so much
10:31but the
10:31wear and
10:32tear.
10:33Oh,
10:33he was
10:33looking for
10:34first 48
10:35but instead
10:36a magnificent
10:37counter by
10:38Zayn and
10:39Melo survived.
10:41So resourceful
10:42there with
10:42Sami Zayn.
10:43It looked like
10:44it was game
10:44over if that
10:45first 48
10:46connected but
10:47Zayn with a
10:48burst of
10:48power,
10:49little pop-up
10:50and a nice
10:50power bomb
10:51and Melo
10:52living dangerously
10:54with a very
10:54late kick-out
10:55and that's
10:56what it's all
10:56about.
10:57The Open
10:57Challenge is
10:58alive and
10:59well but
11:00perhaps now
11:01swinging in the
11:01favor of
11:02Zayn.
11:03Oh,
11:03he's looking
11:03for Halufa
11:04but instead
11:04Melo gets
11:05out of the
11:05way and
11:06delivers a
11:06kick of
11:07his own.
11:07Of course,
11:07the Open
11:08Challenge and
11:09the pride in
11:10defending this
11:11US Championship.
11:12Sami Zayn
11:13foundational to
11:15that.
11:15both men
11:16now starting
11:17to struggle
11:18getting deep
11:19into the
11:19match.
11:20Bodies
11:20are hurting,
11:21lungs are
11:22on fire and
11:23this is where
11:24instincts need
11:25to kick in
11:26the instincts
11:27of a champion
11:28and Sami Zayn
11:29has previously
11:30held this
11:30title.
11:31Melo is on
11:32a generational
11:33run with
11:34it but can
11:35Zayn put
11:36this one to
11:36bed here?
11:40Sami with
11:41Melo in
11:42position.
11:43and the
11:44superplex
11:45and now
11:46Sami as
11:48both men
11:48are down.
11:50What a
11:50battle here
11:51in Pittsburgh.
12:10This is what
12:11we've come to
12:12expect with
12:13the United
12:13States
12:13Championship
12:14with the
12:15Open
12:15Challenge
12:16with
12:16competitors
12:17getting
12:17everything
12:18asked of
12:18them.
12:19It's turned
12:20into the
12:21Workhorse
12:21Championship
12:22and there's
12:23a guy
12:23looking on
12:24who's
12:24looking to
12:25grab gold
12:26here on
12:26SmackDown
12:27sooner or
12:28later.
12:28A very
12:29close eye
12:30on recent
12:31nemesis
12:31Sami Zayn.
12:33Of course
12:34Trick and
12:35Carmelo Hayes
12:36have some
12:36major history.
12:37Fans of
12:37NXT will
12:38remind you of
12:38the Trick
12:39and Melo
12:40gang who
12:40simply ran
12:41things there
12:42in black
12:42and gold
12:43a couple
12:44of years
12:44ago
12:44both
12:45former
12:46NXT
12:46champions
12:47but right
12:48now it's all
12:49about
12:49Sami Zayn
12:50and Carmelo Hayes.
12:54could you hear
12:55that echo
12:55throughout this
12:57arena?
12:58Sami Zayn
13:00felt all
13:00of that
13:01and crumbled
13:02in a heap
13:02but again
13:04fighting back
13:05from the
13:06death.
13:06Wow!
13:07Seemingly
13:07always finding
13:08a way
13:09and Melo
13:10able to get
13:11up at two
13:12and change.
13:12And that was
13:13just a textbook
13:14pin from
13:15Sami Zayn
13:16stacked high
13:17hooking the
13:17legs.
13:18almost no
13:19way to
13:19kick out
13:20unless you
13:20have that
13:21heart and
13:22drive of
13:22a champion
13:23like Carmelo
13:24Hayes.
13:28And Hayes
13:29is hurting
13:29here.
13:30Momentum
13:30just shifted
13:31back in
13:33favor of
13:34Sami Zayn.
13:36Keeps looking
13:37over at
13:38Trick
13:38Willie.
13:38Trick
13:39Williams.
13:39You've got to
13:40keep an eye
13:41on Trick
13:41Williams at
13:42all times
13:42in part
13:43because he
13:43may attack
13:44you but
13:44in part
13:45because he
13:46looks so
13:46damn
13:47cool.
13:49Pretty sure
13:49that's not
13:50the reason
13:50Sami's
13:51looking over
13:51but maybe
13:52it is for
13:52you.
13:52Trick
13:53Willie
13:53like that
13:54one.
13:59Sami
14:00trying to
14:00gather
14:01his last
14:02bits of
14:02energy
14:03trying to
14:04bring this
14:04thing
14:05down the
14:06stretch
14:07but instead
14:07Carmelo
14:08looking to
14:08counter
14:09back and
14:09forth
14:09they go
14:10center
14:10of the
14:11ring
14:11fighting
14:12for
14:13position.
14:15And it
14:16is Carmelo
14:16who gets
14:17the best
14:17of it
14:17but still
14:18he's given
14:19a lot.
14:19Nice
14:20twisting
14:20cutter
14:21there
14:21but it's
14:21a slow
14:24pin.
14:25really just
14:25draped
14:26over
14:26Zayn.
14:27What a
14:27match.
14:28Back to
14:29back weeks
14:30we've said
14:30that about
14:30Carmelo
14:31Hayes.
14:36Now
14:36barking
14:37advice out
14:38from ringside
14:39is Trick
14:39Williams
14:40who of
14:40course
14:40last week
14:41offered to
14:41teach
14:42Sami
14:42Zayn
14:43how to
14:44be a
14:44biggest
14:45star
14:45and that
14:45offer
14:46was thrown
14:46back in
14:47the face
14:47of Trick
14:48Williams
14:49well I'll
14:49tell you
14:50this I
14:50don't care
14:50how
14:50experienced
14:51Trick
14:52Williams
14:53may be
14:53versus
14:54Sami
14:54Zayn
14:55nobody
14:55plays
14:56the
14:56star
14:56better
14:57than
14:57Trick
14:58Willie
14:58Shap
15:12Carmelo
15:12Hayes
15:13has
15:13climbed
15:14up top
15:14here
15:15in
15:15Pittsburgh
15:15look at
15:16this
15:16scene
15:16massive
15:17crowd
15:17the
15:18United
15:18States
15:18Championship
15:19open
15:19challenge
15:20met
15:20by
15:21Sami
15:21Zayn
15:21who
15:21earlier
15:22tonight
15:22found out
15:23there aren't
15:23current plans for him to be at wrestlemania he's trying to change that right now because the united
15:31states championship around his waist would be a big difference well sammy zane has been going
15:39through personal and career hell for all of 2026 thus far as he catches a glimpse of the wrestlemania
15:48sign catches a glimpse of trick will he catches a glimpse of the united states championship and i'll
15:54tell you right now nothing will reset the compass like getting a big win tonight and capturing gold
16:02for sammy zane now you mentioned trick williams sitting ringside here cools could be with those
16:06lemon pepper steppers up on the announce desk taking this in he has been a thorn the side of
16:10sammy zane causing a lot of emotional reactions and now mellow looking to gather himself and regain
16:16momentum here sammy exploder and could that turn things around instantly well zane has
16:27carmelo hayes right where he wants him this could be huge he's got him lined up oh first 48
16:38sammy kicks out oh my god memo can't believe it well that should have been over against the normal
16:46competitor it is over here's the big hitter first 48 we know what's next right one two three case closed
16:53but the case just got busted wide open by sammy zane the heart and drive of zane reigning supreme in
17:03this
17:03one perhaps all the emotion all the frustration all the reaction we've seen backstage and bubbling over
17:10is being funneled with grit from sammy zane when his first 48 doesn't do it mellow has a couple of
17:17other
17:17tricks in his tank but cut off at the pass by sammy zane who sensed the danger but now a
17:23second bite of the
17:24cherry for the united states champ oh is looking for nothing but net but instead blue thunder could it be
17:36every week with carnavo hayes up out of his seat on that one it's like the entire audience everybody
17:43jumping up and down so much energy buzzing here what is he grabbing the u.s championship hold on what
17:50is
17:50he doing taking a little walk here i mean i would say it's a distraction for the competitors but both
17:57men are laid out in the ring unsurprisingly under how much they burnt off since the opening battle
18:05he's got mellow's title in hand and he puts it right in the center of the ring in front of
18:10sammy
18:18now he's up on the apron
18:21oh a big right hand ends up hitting mellow well zane dunked it it was eight to the jaw of
18:28sammy
18:28saying but you know what the gift horse in the mouth no way gold is on the line
18:33sammy in position to take advantage of it hallouba lands oh could this be
18:40one two three here is your winner and new united states champion sammy zayn
18:56the title he helped recently define the title he had to have down this home stretch to wrestlemania
19:06sammy zayn has it well major unintentional assist from trick williams there who tried his best to punch i
19:18think sammy zayn in the face one duck later it caught carmelo hayes and now carmelo hayes must have a
19:26major gripe with trick williams sammy zayn who's been on a major l after l streak of late
19:33he didn't need to be asked twice nails the hallouba kick drops carmelo hayes and picks up gold three
19:42weeks before wrestlemania in las vegas
19:49from anger and frustration earlier tonight to all smiles in the united states championship now
19:57knights
19:58us
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