Wrestling veteran Vince Russo has accused Triple H of having self-serving motives behind Sami Zayn’s recent push, which culminated in Zayn capturing the United States Championship on SmackDown. According to Russo, Triple H’s public support is a deliberate strategy to make himself appear superior to the talent he promotes.
The controversy stems from events on the August 29 episode of SmackDown in Lyon, France, where Sami Zayn defeated Solo Sikoa in the main event to win the United States Championship for the first time in his career. The victory came after Zayn pinned Sikoa in a non-title match weeks prior, establishing himself as a credible challenger.
The championship bout saw Sikoa initially control the pace with his power advantage. However, the match was soon marked by outside interference when Sikoa’s MFTs allies, JC Mateo and Tonga Loa, attempted to get involved. The situation was neutralized when Jimmy Uso and a crowd-emerging Jacob Fatu appeared, brawling with the MFTs to the backstage area.
With the odds evened, Zayn capitalized on the opportunity. He countered Sikoa’s offense, hitting an exploder suplex followed by two consecutive Helluva Kicks to secure the pinfall victory and the title.
Speaking on the BroDown podcast, Russo specifically targeted the customary social media photo Triple H posted with the new champion. He argued the image is a subtle power play.
“You think Triple H is an idiot? When he is immediately, on social media, pointing at ‘Sami Dwarf,’ with a heart condition and 10 years retired, and Triple H still towers over him? What’s the message there? What’s the message? ‘This is the WWE United States Champion, look how much bigger than him I am.’ That’s part of the problem,” Russo stated.
While Zayn’s win was met with a massive ovation from the Lyon crowd, the booking decision has received mixed analysis. Some reports suggest this reign positions Zayn as a strong workhorse champion, while others have described the title change as a “confusing decision” that could potentially sidetrack his path toward the world title picture.