The June 19, 2026, edition of WWE SmackDown saw “Absolute” Ricky Saints and the “Chosen One” Carmelo Hayes lock up to determine who will challenge Trick Williams at Night of Champions next week for the United States Championship. The feud between Hayes and the newcomer to SmackDown Saints has been reaching its boiling point over the last few months, and this Friday night, it all came to a head with an opportunity at the U.S. Title on the line.
Trick Williams Gets More than He Bargained for at Night of Champions
Trick Williams has been nothing but absolutely stellar since becoming part of the SmackDown roster, winning his first title at the “Grandest Stage of them All,” mere months after his debut. So much so that Trick has everyone invested and believing that he is indeed the future of not only the Blue brand but the WWE in general, even during the midst of losing his first round King of the Ring matchup. Of course, with success comes challengers, and that’s exactly what Ricky Saints and Carmelo Hayes are.
Melo and Saints have been going back and forth, trading wins and losses in a bid to become the right challenger for the United States Title. Saints feels like he’s accomplished a lot in NXT, and now, he’s onto the biggest stage, ready for a prime opportunity to make an impact and win WWE Gold. As for Melo, he feels like he’s owed this after Trick Williams and Sami Zayn swooped and dashed his dreams of defending the title at WrestleMania 42.
Fortunately for both men, SmackDown in Kansas, live from the T-Mobile Center, provided the ultimate stage to determine who will advance at Night of Champions.
It was a sprint for these two men, leaving no room to breathe whatsoever. It all came to a head when, late in the match, Hayes would hit Dirty Diana, followed by Suplex Lift Cutter. Melo wanted to go for the kill, with Nothing But Net, only for Saints to duck out of the way and put him in an O’Connor Roll.
Melo would not go away easily. These two would go to battle for a bit longer, with Saints going for a Revolution DDT, only for Melo to get out of it. Carmelo would hit First 48 and go for the pin attempt, but Saints would kick him off into the turnbuckle, which was exposed, leading to Melo hitting the back of his head on the steel.
Saints would pick up the pieces and pin him to become the number one contender at Night of Champions.
It’s official, ladies and gentlemen, it’s going to be Trick Williams and Ricky Saints for the United States Championship, with Carmelo Hayes narrowly missing out on taking his old Trick Melo Gang partner once again.
