00:00Well, even I got a handshake from Lillianni, so I guess he's my guy, too.
00:03All right, Michael Cole, stop posting.
00:05He doesn't know you.
00:06Here we go, Sami Zayn, Trick Williams for the United States Championship.
00:09Oh, man, polar opposites.
00:11A vet versus a relative rookie, a salt-of-the-earth personality versus an egomaniac.
00:16And Sami now takes down Trick Williams.
00:19Who do you call an egomaniac?
00:20Obviously, Trick Williams.
00:21He loves himself, and the world loves him, too.
00:23No problem with that, ego.
00:25But Sami's got a bit of change in demeanor as of late as well.
00:28So I want to talk about that, because Sami Zayn has had a disastrous 2026 up until a couple of
00:33weeks ago where he won gold.
00:35To me, though, that is putting a Band-Aid over the cracks.
00:39And if Sami Zayn loses gold tonight, where the hell will he spiral to?
00:44Yeah, Trick Williams, a hot start in his career as a two-time NXT champion.
00:48He was a one-time TNA World Champion, NXT North America champion as well.
00:54As Sami sends him over the top rope to the floor.
00:56Think about this, Sami Zayn is pretty much the last 10 years of WWE, and what is anticipated to be
01:02the next 10 years of WWE is Trick Williams.
01:06And look at how quickly Trick Williams gets back into the ring with a wicked close-back.
01:09And now another one to Sami Zayn, and here comes Williams!
01:12Yeah, here's the brilliance of Trick Williams.
01:14His speed of learning this industry has been faster than pretty much anyone I have ever seen.
01:20And a nice Trick slap!
01:21Neck breaker!
01:22Sami went for the blue thunder bomb, and Trick Williams countered first with a cyclone boot, and then with that
01:29neck breaker.
01:30Yeah, the biggest stage of Trick's career, and he is not backing down.
01:34He didn't come here to belong, he came here to take over.
01:37And this man started in football, American football, Wade.
01:41He was a two-time letterman at the University of South Carolina.
01:44A walk-on athlete, walked onto the team, cover off the bookend, and a kick out at two.
01:50Paying homage to the great Hall of Famer, Booker T, who's been very influential in the career of Trick Williams.
01:58We're talking about Zayn having a massive experience, advantage, both in years and under the Wrestlemania.
02:04Oh, it's Sami Glide, and he's going to need all of that here.
02:07Blue thunder bomb, cover to retain!
02:09And it looks like Williams was going for that trick shot, jumping knee, and Sami was able to defend.
02:16Well, they've pretty much all gone Trick's way, and this is where the questions start to come in for a
02:20younger competitor who is less experienced at this level.
02:23When things stop going your way, where's your resilience? Where's your mindset? How's your psyche going to handle this?
02:30The referee in this matchup, Jason Ayers, backing the champion Sami Zayn off.
02:35Remember, Sami Zayn has the advantage. Trick's got a pin or submit him here tonight.
02:39And Sami Zayn now unloading on Williams, a bit uncharacteristic for Sami.
02:43Well, certainly there are advantages to being the champ.
02:46There's also an advantage to having a little Yachty on the outside as you're hype man.
02:50And, as we've seen on SmackDown the past couple of weeks, doesn't mind getting physical at times, too.
02:56Zayn's got to be aware of that.
02:57Little Yachty checking on his guy and Sami Zayn now, outside the ring.
03:02Yachty better turn around.
03:03Sami Zayn now!
03:06Well, Zayn has taken some shots from Yachty, as I just mentioned.
03:10And there is your payback.
03:13Zayn's talked a lot about ride or die.
03:15Those are the fans that have been with him in the beginning through Thicke and Thang.
03:19And Thamming still stick with him!
03:21Oh, wow!
03:22Yachty has driven into the barricade.
03:24Well, if Trick Williams did have an advantage on the outside,
03:28that advantage has now gone away.
03:31And it truly is one-on-one.
03:33And Trick looks to be in major trouble now.
03:37And Sami Zayn now, that killer instinct, driving Trick into the post.
03:43This is what Sami had to do.
03:45Take Trick and the crowd completely out of this.
03:47Oh!
03:48Trick Williams at this point looks lost.
03:52Oh!
03:53Well, I remember, Jordan Williams being on the grand stage of Wrestlemania,
03:59a new thing for him.
04:00Sami Zayn has had some very successful WrestleManias over the years.
04:05You have so much adrenaline and excitement coming into your first Wrestlemania.
04:09Has that?
04:09Oh, no!
04:10Oh, my God!
04:10Brain buster!
04:11Right on the apron, a brain buster to Williams.
04:17And that is absolutely devastating to Trick Williams' host,
04:21landing high and tight right on the back of the neck,
04:24the back of the head.
04:26And I've got to say, Wade,
04:27you've been following the Sami story for weeks now on SmackDown.
04:30This is a much different Sami Zayn than I'm accustomed to.
04:34It had to be.
04:35Sami Zayn was taking too many L.
04:37Sami Zayn was getting made a mockery of
04:40by people like Trick Williams' taunted him,
04:43calling him the gingerbread man,
04:45told him he has no star appeal.
04:47Well, guess what?
04:48Sami Zayn has a hell of a lot in the tank.
04:51He might not look like the prototypical star like a Trick Williams,
04:55but boy, oh boy, can he fight.
04:58Sami Zayn measuring Williams now,
05:00driving Williams to the barricade with a boot.
05:03You think Sami not having an opportunity,
05:06well, he's had the opportunities,
05:07but he hasn't been able to cash in on a world championship,
05:10finally sent him over the edge.
05:12Well, that's where it all went wrong at Royal Rumble earlier this year
05:15against the then-champ Drew McIntyre.
05:17Lost the opportunity, but gold sank and sank,
05:20and suddenly has turned things around in a big way.
05:22I just want to point out that Sami was pointing to his knee pads.
05:26That's where the ride or die is painted on them.
05:30Well, he's made it clear.
05:31People in the-oh, the camera's getting high here.
05:33Wait a second.
05:33Oh, Trick Williams falling down now.
05:35And the official-
05:36Four of eight.
05:36Close to a count out here at eight.
05:38A count of nine.
05:39Trick Williams barely beats the count into the ring.
05:42Barely.
05:43He might be right for the pickings now,
05:45and Sami Zayn knows that,
05:46but talking about the ride or dies,
05:48and referee-
05:49We saw this a couple of weeks ago with Carmelo Hayes.
05:51A little distraction there from the referee
05:53who's trying to check on Trick Williams,
05:55and no hesitation to pounce there from Sami Zayn.
05:59Let's say what it is.
05:59It's a cheap shot.
06:01It's a smart shot in my book,
06:03and plenty of people have done this too,
06:05and this is how he beat Carmelo Hayes.
06:07Sami Zayn with Williams coming up in the corner.
06:10Zayn looking for an aluba kick
06:11to put Trick Williams away,
06:13and a little Yachty from behind.
06:16Hang it, Zayn up top rope.
06:18Bang!
06:19Cover!
06:22Almost had him!
06:24Oh, with the referee's back turned,
06:27Lil Yachty back from the dead,
06:29almost winning it for Trick Williams.
06:31One shot didn't do it.
06:33The second might no call.
06:36Sami trying to drag himself to his feet,
06:38went for the Trick shot.
06:40Sami Zayn from behind.
06:41He blows up Williams.
06:42Shoulders down.
06:43Kick out at two by Trick.
06:44Such incredible speed of thought from Sami Zayn.
06:47An explorer into the corner.
06:49And now Sami's got Williams exactly where he wants him.
06:53Well, hype is temporary,
06:54but class is permanent,
06:56and Sami Zayn is classed through and through
06:59from bell to bell.
07:01Zayn measuring his man across the ring.
07:05Trick shot!
07:06Trick shot!
07:07From out of nowhere,
07:09Trick Williams wins the United States title.
07:12Here is your winner,
07:15the new United States champion,
07:21Trick Williams!
07:24The emotion exploded within Trick Williams.
07:29Trick Willie mania reigns supreme.
07:33The new United States champion.
07:36Trick Williams is officially anointed with the gold.
07:41Well, this is where Sami Zayn was going in for the kill,
07:45and Lil' Giotto had been dropped earlier,
07:47behind the referee's back,
07:49open it up for this big old boot to the face.
07:52Just a millisecond away from victory,
07:56but Sami Zayn,
07:57we know how deep he can dig.
07:58One exploder,
07:59suplex later,
08:00and it was Sami's for the taking.
08:04Lining up for that haluba kick
08:05that has done so much damage
08:07but simply beating him to the punch
08:09with that trick shot.
08:12Knee pad down,
08:13and we got a new jump.
08:16As we have seen tonight
08:18at Wrestlemania Sunday,
08:21how bright is the future
08:23for WWE?
08:24over 30
08:26for folks in the ladder match
08:28and a new United States champion.
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