00:00We've started this show.
00:15They are not happy with Sami Zayn.
00:20The following contest, get going for one goal, is for the United States Championship.
00:30Introducing Chris from Montreal, Canada, weighing in for £212.
00:37He is the United States Champion, Sami Zayn.
00:47So let's cut to the chase, Wade.
00:48Carmelo Hayes, who defended the United States Championship for months,
00:52had become a fan favorite on Friday Night SmackDown.
00:54Sami Zayn won the championship, costing Carmelo a shot at WrestleMania.
00:59The fans were none too happy.
01:01Well, they were not too happy because pivotal in Sami Zayn,
01:04winning said championship from Carmelo Hayes,
01:06the workhorse has blown all our minds lately,
01:09was the fact that Twink Williams got involved in the match,
01:13inadvertently punched Carmelo Hayes,
01:15which led to an opening for Sami Zayn to grab gold.
01:18And with it, take what was thought to be mellow spot here at WrestleMania.
01:23But I'll tell you right now, Sami Zayn should not care about that.
01:26Your mission is simple.
01:28Get to Mania and win gold.
01:30Well, Sami's learning.
01:31Life doesn't reward good deeds, correct?
01:34Absolutely right.
01:35That's been the motto of my entire career.
01:38It rewards results, and Sami Zayn bought into that,
01:41and now he finds himself holding the United States Championship.
01:50Remember his moment back at WrestleMania 40,
01:52the night that he knocked off Gunter to win the Intercontinental title?
01:56Who did forget?
02:24Oh, you're gonna tell us this is your guy?
02:26I spent the day with him.
02:27He has no idea who you are.
02:30Stop that.
02:31Stop that.
02:34Ladies and gentlemen, it is no surprise why we gather here today on this Sunday to witness
02:43a live spectacle, a real-time blessing.
02:50Ladies and gentlemen, for the thousands in attendance in Las Vegas and the millions watching at home,
03:00I give to you the anointed one, Mr. Lemon Pepper Stepper, Trick Williams!
03:19What?
03:21What?
03:22What?
03:45And this United States championship match tonight
03:50is presented by Knox Hydration.
03:56The man who has taken WWE by Storm, whether you like his attitude or you don't.
04:02Ladies and gentlemen, you are looking at a masterpiece in human form.
04:08You are looking at a million dollars.
04:25What?
04:35Oh, my God, that's part of his jacket.
04:37Oh, that is a train, I believe you call it.
04:42All right, thanks.
04:44The Loretta.
04:45You'll see it.
04:46It ain't no pretending that this is real life.
04:53You were one of those at your wedding, didn't you?
04:57I think that was my wife right there.
04:59See, and this here...
05:00The one and only, in real time, Trick Willie.
05:08What do you call it, Trick Willie mania?
05:11Well, Trick Willie is floating in here, looking like a cloud,
05:15and he'll float out on cloud number nine if he wins the gold here, Cole.
05:20Well, you know, this is what bothers Sami Zayn.
05:22All of these theatrics, this fanfare, but to Sami's point,
05:26Trick hasn't done anything at this level yet.
05:29Fight!
05:32Nothing wrong with fanfare, nothing wrong with a little pizzazz.
05:36That is what has connected with this packed-out stadium
05:40in the WWE universe around the world.
05:55Las Vegas makes some noise!
06:13This is for the United States Championship.
06:16And you have to wonder what the first-ever United States Champion,
06:20the late great Harley Race, would think about someone like Trick Williams.
06:25My guy!
06:26Here he is, I told you, Wade.
06:28Little Yachty!
06:29I told you!
06:30Well, even I got a handshake from Lilianni, so I guess he's my guy, too.
06:33All right, Michael Cole, stop posting.
06:35He doesn't know you.
06:36Here we go, Sami Zayn, Trick Williams for the United States Championship.
06:39Oh, man, polar opposites.
06:41A vet versus a relative rookie, a salt-of-the-earth personality versus an egomaniac.
06:46And Sami now takes down Trick Williams.
06:49Who are you calling the egomaniac?
06:50Obviously, Trick Williams.
06:51He loves himself, and the world loves him, too.
06:53No problem with that, Ego.
06:54But Sami's got a bit of change in demeanor as of late as well.
06:58Yeah, so I want to talk about that, because Sami Zayn has had a disastrous 2026, up until a couple
07:03of weeks ago, where he won gold.
07:06To me, though, that is putting a band-aid over the cracks.
07:09And if Sami Zayn loses gold tonight, where the hell will he spiral to?
07:14Yeah, Trick Williams, a hot start in his career as a two-time NXT champion.
07:18He was a one-time TNA World Champion, NXT North American Champion as well.
07:24As Sami sends him over the top rope to the floor.
07:27Think about this, Sami Zayn is pretty much the last 10 years of WWE, and what is anticipated to be
07:32the next 10 years of WWE is Trick Williams.
07:35And look at how quickly Trick Williams gets back into the ring with a wicked closeback.
07:39And now another one to Sami Zayn, and here comes Williams!
07:42Yeah, here's the brilliance of Trick Williams.
07:44His speed of learning this industry has been faster than pretty much anyone I have ever seen.
07:50And that's Trick Slap.
07:51Neckbreaker!
07:52Sami went for the blue thunderbomb, and Trick Williams countered first with a cyclone boot, and then with that neckbreaker.
08:00Yeah, the biggest stage of Trick's career, and he is not backing down.
08:04He didn't come here to belong, he came here to take over.
08:08And this man started in football, American football, Wade.
08:11He was a two-time letterman at the University of South Carolina.
08:14A work-on athlete, walked onto the team, cover off the bookend, and a kick out at two.
08:20Paying homage to the great Hall of Famer, Booker T, who's been very influential in the career of Trick Williams.
08:28We're talking about Zayn having a massive experience advantage both in years and under the Wrestlemania sparklight, and he's going
08:35to need all of that here.
08:37Blue thunderbomb!
08:38Cover to retain!
08:39And it looks like Williams was going for that Trick shot, jumping knee, and Sammy was able to defend.
08:46Well, they've pretty much all gone Trick's way, and this is where the questions start to come in for a
08:50younger competitor who is less experienced at this level.
08:53When things stop going your way, where's your resilience?
08:56Where's your mindset?
08:57How's your psyche going to handle this?
09:00The referee in this matchup, Jason Ayers, backing the champion Sammy Zayn off.
09:05Remember, Sammy Zayn has the advantage.
09:07Trick's got to pin or submit him here tonight, and Sammy Zayn now unloading on Williams.
09:11A bit uncharacteristic for Sammy.
09:13Well, certainly there are advantages to being the champ.
09:16There's also an advantage to having Lil Yachty on the outside as you're hype man.
09:20And as we've seen on SmackDown the past couple of weeks, doesn't mind getting physical at times, too.
09:26Zayn's got to be aware of that.
09:27Lil Yachty checking on his guy and Sammy Zayn now, outside the ring.
09:32Yachty better turn around.
09:33Sammy Zayn now!
09:36Well, Zayn has taken some shots from Yachty, as I just mentioned.
09:40And there is your payback.
09:43Zayn's talked a lot about ride or die.
09:46Those are the fans that have been with him in the beginning through Thick and Thing, and Thayn still stick
09:51with him.
09:51Oh, wow!
09:52Yachty has driven into the barricade.
09:54Well, if Thick Williams did have an advantage on the outside, that advantage has now gone away.
10:01And it truly is one-on-one.
10:03And Thick looks to be in major trouble now.
10:07And Sammy Zayn now.
10:09That killer instinct driving Thick into the post.
10:13This is what Sammy had to do.
10:15Take Thick and the crowd completely out of this.
10:17Oh!
10:18Thick Williams at this point looks lost.
10:22Oh!
10:23Well, I remember, Gordon Williams, being on the grand stage of WrestleMania, a new thing for him.
10:30Sammy Zayn has had some very successful WrestleManias over the years.
10:35You have so much adrenaline and excitement coming into your first WrestleManias.
10:39Has that?
10:39Oh, no!
10:40That job!
10:40Brain Buster!
10:41Right on the apron of Brain Buster to Williams.
10:48And that is absolutely devastating to Thick Williams' host.
10:51Landing high and tight right on the back of the neck, the back of the head.
10:56And I gotta say, Wade, you've been following the Sammy story for weeks now on SmackDown.
11:00This is a much different Sammy Zayn than I'm accustomed to.
11:04It had to be.
11:05Sammy Zayn was taking too many L's.
11:07Sammy Zayn was getting made a mockery of by people like Thick Williams' taunted him.
11:13Called him the gingerbread man.
11:15Told him he has no star appeal.
11:17Well, guess what?
11:18Sammy Zayn has a hell of a lot in the tank.
11:21He might not look like the prototypical star like a Thick Williams.
11:25But boy, oh boy, can he fight.
11:28Sammy Zayn measuring Williams now.
11:30Driving Williams to the barricade with a boot.
11:33You think Sammy not having an opportunity?
11:36Well, he's had the opportunities, but he hasn't been able to cash in on a world championship.
11:41Finally sent him over the edge.
11:42Well, that's where it all went wrong at Royal Rumble earlier this year against the then-champ Drew McIntyre.
11:47Lost the opportunity for gold.
11:49Sank and sank and suddenly has turned things around in a big way.
11:53I just want to point out that Sammy was pointing to his knee pads.
11:56That's where the ride or die is painted on them.
12:00Well, he's made it clear.
12:01People in the-
12:01Oh, the camera's getting high here.
12:03Wait a second.
12:03Oh, Thick Williams falling down now.
12:05And the official-
12:06Close to a count out here at eight.
12:09A count of nine.
12:09Thick Williams barely beats the count into the ring.
12:12Barely.
12:13He might be right for the pickings now.
12:15And Sammy Zayn knows that.
12:16But talking about the ride or dies.
12:18And referee-
12:19Hey, we saw this a couple of weeks ago with Carmelo Hayes.
12:22A little distraction there from the referee who's trying to check on Thick Williams.
12:25And no hesitation to pounce there from Sammy Zayn.
12:29Let's say what it is.
12:29It's a cheap shot.
12:31It's a smart shot in my book.
12:33And plenty of people have done this too.
12:35And this is how he beat Carmelo Hayes.
12:37Sammy Zayn with Williams coming up in the corner.
12:40Zayn looking for an Aluba kick to put Thick Williams away.
12:44And now Lil Yachty from behind.
12:46Hanging Zayn up top rope.
12:48Bang.
12:49Cover.
12:51One, two, three.
12:52Almost had him.
12:54Oh, with the referee's back turned.
12:57Lil Yachty back from the dead.
12:59Almost winning it for Thick Williams.
13:01One shot didn't do it.
13:03The second might no call.
13:06Sammy trying to drag himself to his feet.
13:09Went for the trick shot.
13:10Sammy Zayn from behind.
13:11Flows up Williams.
13:12Shoulders down.
13:13Kick out at two by Thick.
13:14Such incredible speed of thought from Sammy Zayn.
13:17An explorer into the corner.
13:19And now Sammy's got Williams exactly where he wants him.
13:23Well, hype is temporary, but class is permanent.
13:26And Sammy Zayn is classed through and through from bell to bell.
13:31Zayn measuring his man across the ring.
13:35Trick shot.
13:36Trick shot.
13:37From out of nowhere.
13:39Jack Williams wins the United States title.
13:42Here is your winner, the new United States champion, Trick Williams.
13:54The emotion exploded within Trick Williams.
13:59Trick Willie mania reigns supreme.
14:03The new United States champion.
14:06Trick Williams is officially anointed with the gold.
14:11And this is where Sammy Zayn was going in for the kill.
14:15And Lil' Giotto had been dropped earlier.
14:17Behind the referee's back.
14:19Open it up for this big old boot to the face.
14:22Just a millisecond away from victory.
14:26But Sammy Zayn, we know how deep he can dig.
14:28One explode at suplex later, and it was Sammy's for the taking.
14:34Lining up for that haluba kick that has done so much damage, but simply beating him to the punch with
14:40that trick shot.
14:42Knee pad down, and we got a new champ.
14:46As we have seen tonight at Wrestlemania Sunday, how bright is the future for WWE?
14:55Over 30, the folks in the ladder match, and the new United States champion.
15:17And there is Trick Williams' mom and dad, front row, watching her son, with an historic Wrestlemania tonight.
15:27And Spare had gone for Sammy Zayn, whose world has just imploded.
15:31But tonight, it is all about Trick Williams and his lemon pepper steppers that are going to be stepping out
15:38of Las Vegas, carrying 10 pounds extra.
15:42Namely, the United States Championship.
15:47Little assist from Lil' Yachty there, your guy.
15:50And just the despair in the face of Sammy Zayn.
15:54There was a temporary reprieve for a couple of weeks, and Sammy won the United States title.
15:59But Sammy Zayn's got to figure out what's going on in his life, and fast.
16:03Well, talk about that, papering over the cracks for Sammy Zayn, when those cracks are exposed once again.
16:09But Trick Williams doesn't care, he's the champ.
16:12We're back, we're back, we're back, we're back, we're back.
16:17We're back, we're back, we're back.
16:17We're back.
16:17We're back.
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