Ricky Saints defeated Carmelo Hayes, thanks to a little help from an exposed turnbuckle, to become number one contender to Trick Williams’ United States Championship on the June 19 edition of “WWE SmackDown,” and the pair will go one-on-one at Night of Champions. Both may be heels with their borderline similar, flashy characters, but with Williams leaning more babyface with crowds, as well as being more over-the-top, their dynamic is going to be a really fun one, making this a match to see in Saudi Arabia.
The pair faced each other twice in “WWE NXT” — their second bout, a Last Man Standing match in November, earned just over four stars from Dave Meltzer, and the pair proved they can work well together on the developmental brand. Williams, especially, has only gotten better in the ring over the last seven months since that match, so the in-ring action is going to be good.
It doesn’t seem wildly likely that the title match will end in interference, at least, with the babyface Hayes probably not getting involved. The same probably can’t be said for rapper Lil Yachty if he’s ringside for Williams. However, Williams could very well use other nefarious means, like Saints exposing the turnbuckle in the contendership match, to score the win over “The Absolute,” who would then demand a rematch, despite what he did to Hayes. There are quite a few ways, even without the physical involvement of Hayes, that this could turn into a triple threat match for the upcoming big Saturday Night’s Main Event at Madison Square Garden, or even better, during one of the two nights of SummerSlam.
There are big draws and big duds on this Night of Champions card, and by the end of the match, there’s little doubt that Williams and Saints will have impressed the Riyadh crowd, as well as those watching from home, especially those who never got to see them work in “NXT.” It’s certainly not the last time fans will see them square off in the coming months, and the likely triple threat match pitting Hayes, Saints, and Williams against one another is bound to over-deliver, no matter where it happens. This Night of Champions match will help WWE get there, with Williams and Saints setting the stage, and neither bout will disappoint.
Written by Daisy Ruth
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