For 98 days, Carmelo Hayes held the WWE United States Championship. He defended it against guys like Ilja Dragunov, Leon Slater, and Shinsuke Nakamura. During that time, he had eight successful title retentions. But on March 27, 2026, in an episode of Friday Night SmackDown, he lost the title to Sami Zayn. The latter has had many problems with Trick Williams, dating back to last year.
Noting that, SmackDown GM Nick Aldis announced that Zayn would defend the US title against Williams at WrestleMania 42. However, the next week, he got confronted by Hayes, who wasn’t happy that his title was taken away from him.
After some intense arguing, Williams allowed Zayn to face Hayes for the title, in which Zayn won. However, given Hayes’ history with the title and Williams himself, should turning the match into a triple threat be a good idea?
A Triple Threat Match Extends Hayes and Williams’ History
Hayes definitely has a history with the US title, but his history with Williams goes back way longer than his time on the main roster. Williams first appeared by his side on the first episode of NXT 2.0 on September 14, 2021. Throughout the next few years, they competed side by side. But after Williams got championship opportunities, Hayes attacked him at Vengeance Day in 2024.
He won at both Stand & Deliver that year and in a steel cage rematch two weeks later, sending Hayes to the main roster. Even though they reunited at NXT Homecoming last September, betrayals of close friends are never forgotten in wrestling. They both want Zayn’s US title. Making it a triple threat match can allow either of them to win. If that does happen, a rematch between them at Backlash would make perfect sense.
They Both Want to Get the Title off of Zayn
The one thing that stood out from Friday’s promo is that Hayes isn’t mad at Williams. He’s mad at Zayn for stealing the championship that he thought was going to be his for a very long time. In fact, Williams approved of the sudden championship match, knowing that his Mania plans could change. Hayes ended up losing the match, but what he does now is unknown.
He could petition for a triple threat match, but he knows Zayn is the bigger problem. If he wants to take the title away from him definitively, he’ll have to help Williams in some way. They had a good reunion at NXT Homecoming, and even though he betrayed him first, he knows he wants the title just as much as he does. Getting the title off Zayn is his number one goal, and doing that should mean helping out Williams.
What Will Aldis Decide to Do Regarding the Match?
Things are still very much up in the air regarding the United States title. Zayn vs. Williams is the match right now, but Hayes must be mad for not regaining the title he thought was his. Williams approved of the impromptu match not only because Zayn could lose, but because Hayes could win. Even though they reunited, they went through a terrible breakup leading to Hayes’ debut on the main roster.
Aldis will probably be hearing from Hayes on Friday, and he knows the history between them. He could book a triple threat, continuing their never-ending story, but he’d have to consult with Zayn first. But he could confirm the match already planned, forcing Hayes to take matters into his own hands. Whatever he decides to do, it’s clear Zayn will have a battle ahead of him to retain the United States Championship.
