Ricky Saints defeats Carmelo Hayes on SmackDown with dramatic finish

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It was lights out for Carmelo Hayes after the back of his head struck the exposed steel buckle. | (Photo: WWE) Ricky Saints beat Carmelo Hayes on Friday’s SmackDown following a fantastic finish that protected Melo’s character and sent Saints to a United States Championship match at Night of Champions. In the closing stretch, Saints pulled Melo out of the corner with such force that Hayes ripped the turnbuckle pad off. As Melo mounted a comeback, he got crotched on the exposed steel while attempting an aerial strike. HE IS ABSOLUTE 🌟 @starkmanjones is now the No. 1 Contender for the United States Title! pic.twitter.com/JMXqWaHlPG — WWE (@WWE) June 20, 2026 Despite the obvious pain he was in, he soldiered on. But when Saints kicked him off, the back of Melo’s head struck the steel, and then BOOM, down he went like his soul had left his body. “Jesus Christ,” I shouted. It looked that bad. Or should I say it looked that good? Saints then quickly moved in for the pin, but had trouble moving Melo’s dead weight. Eventually, Saints rolled him over and scored the pin. My favorite part of this whole exchange was how Melo finally came to just after the referee counted three. He never opened his eyes, even as he clutched his head — half agony, half disappointment — a convincing sell-job that gave me sympathy pains.