Big Title Change Takes Place at 12/26 WWE SmackDown Tapings – A major championship change took place during the December 26 episode of WWE SmackDown, taped at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Spoiler warning for those who want to avoid next week’s results.
Carmelo Hayes answered Ilja Dragunov’s United States Championship Open Challenge during the taping — and walked out with the gold. Hayes defeated Dragunov to capture the United States Title for the first time in his WWE career.
According to a correspondent in attendance, the match was extremely fun live, and the crowd was fully behind Hayes from start to finish. After the match, Dragunov embraced Hayes and personally fastened the championship around his waist, giving the moment an emotional, respectful finish.
Hayes’ victory marks the culmination of a months‑long groundswell of fan support. Since arriving on SmackDown, the former NXT Champion has undergone a full babyface turn, fueled by a wave of social media backing from the WWE Universe. Tonight, that momentum finally paid off with championship gold.
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