Ricky Saints failed to win the United States Championship at Night of Champions. Yet, he may have left Saudi Arabia with something better: a golden opportunity.
Facing champ Trick Williams, Saints took a page from Eddie Guerrero’s playbook and got Williams’ hype man, Lil Yachty, ejected from ringside. After Williams emerged victorious, Yachty got his revenge by hitting Saints with a People’s Elbow.
For the character, it was an embarrassing
post-match scene. But for the man, it may be the start of bigger things to come.
In May, Williams appeared on Stephanie McMahon’s podcast and mentioned that Yachty was training in hopes of having a match. Casting Saints as Yachty’s huckleberry would be a sign of WWE’s confidence in the former NXT Champion, which has led to bigger opportunities for other stars in a similar role.
At WrestleMania 38, Sami Zayn faced Jackass star Johnny Knoxville in a comedy match that had the potential to go off the rails. Instead, Zayn carried the then 51-year-old actor to a serviceable match and an entertaining affair.
Shortly after, Zayn moved into a storyline with the Bloodline. A year later, he was headlining Night One of WrestleMania 39. On Saturday, his journey reached its peak, winning the Undisputed WWE Championship.
In 2023, WWE rewarded Damian Priest after he led musician Bad Bunny to a Match of the Year-worthy performance at Backlash. Priest won Money in the Bank two months later, then went on to become the World Heavyweight Champion in 2024 at WrestleMania XL.
Since coming to SmackDown in May, Saints has had steady TV time, debuting against Cody Rhodes and working an extended feud with Carmelo Hayes. Against Williams, he earned a “Ricky Saints” chant from the fans inside Kingdom Arena.
Should WWE follow up on Saturday’s post-match angle, Night of Champions might be remembered less for Saints’ comeuppance and more for his come-up.
