Sami Zayn is heading into WrestleMania 42 as the new United States Champion, but the reaction from fans online suggests the moment has not landed as WWE may have expected.

On the March 27 episode of WWE SmackDown, Sami Zayn defeated Carmelo Hayes in a chaotic match to capture the United States Championship. The finish included outside involvement from Trick Williams, which played a key role in the outcome.

The win was presented as a major moment for Zayn, positioning him as a top champion just weeks before WrestleMania 42. However, the response online quickly told a different story.

WWE later uploaded the match finish to its official YouTube channel, where the fan reaction became more visible. The video has drawn approximately 7.8K likes compared to 12.2K dislikes. That means around 61 percent of viewers who interacted with the video chose the dislike option.

Those numbers stand out, especially this close to WrestleMania 42. Typically, WWE aims to build strong fan support for its champions during this period. In this case, the reaction suggests a notable portion of the audience is not fully behind Zayn winning the title under these circumstances.

One possible factor is the way the match ended. The interference involving Trick Williams may have influenced how fans viewed the result. Title changes that rely on outside involvement can sometimes lead to mixed reactions, even when the performer involved is popular.

Despite the online feedback, Zayn now moves forward as United States Champion heading into WWE’s biggest event of the year. The company will likely continue to build around him in the coming weeks, but the early response highlights a disconnect between the intended moment and audience reaction.

With WrestleMania 42 approaching, it remains to be seen whether fan sentiment will shift or if this reaction will carry into the event.

Sami Zayn United States Title Win Gets Mixed Fan Reaction

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ESPN is now attempting to formally enter a class-action lawsuit that was originally filed against WWE earlier this year.

The update was first reported by Brandon Thurston, who revealed that the sports network submitted a memorandum to the court on Friday. The filing requests permission for ESPN to intervene in the lawsuit, which was initially filed in January by two consumers.

The lawsuit centers on claims of deceptive marketing. According to the complaint, WWE allegedly promoted that ESPN subscribers would have access to premium live events without needing to pay extra. While WWE was named as a defendant when the case was filed, ESPN was not originally included.

Thurston explained the reasoning behind that decision, writing, “Plaintiffs did not name ESPN as a defendant, apparently to get around the arbitration clause in the subscriber agreement.”

With this new filing, ESPN is seeking to shift the case out of the court system and into arbitration. This request is based on the subscriber agreement tied to its parent company, The Walt Disney Company, which includes arbitration provisions for disputes.

The legal issue stems from the rollout of ESPN’s premium service tier. At the time the deal involving WWE content was announced, ESPN indicated that it planned to reach agreements with cable and streaming providers that would allow customers to access ESPN Unlimited without additional cost. However, that rollout has not been fully implemented.

As it stands, customers whose providers do not include the Unlimited tier must pay a monthly fee of $30 to access that content.

The plaintiffs in the case are seeking to represent a group of United States-based consumers. This group includes existing ESPN subscribers between August 6 and the WWE Wrestlepalooza premium live event on September 20, along with those who paid for the service during that time.

However, not all subscribers are included. Customers who used platforms such as Hulu + Live, Spectrum, Verizon FIOS, DIRECTV, and FuboTV are excluded, as those services reportedly provided access to the content at no additional charge during the timeframe in question.

The situation remains ongoing as the court decides whether to allow ESPN to intervene and whether the case will proceed in court or move to arbitration.

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There is encouraging news regarding Steve Maclin following the injury scare during the TNA Sacrifice main event on Friday night.

The match, which saw Maclin challenge Mike Santana, was stopped early after Maclin absorbed a superkick and appeared unable to continue. Medical personnel quickly entered the ring, and the bout was halted as concern grew over his condition. Initial reports later that night suggested the situation could be serious.

Bryan Alvarez previously noted that Maclin was at least able to walk backstage after the show, though there was concern he may have suffered a concussion.

A more positive update has now been confirmed. According to John Alba of The Takedown on SI.com, TNA President Carlos Silva provided an official update on Maclin’s condition. “TNA president Carlos Silva told The Takedown that Maclin was not ultimately diagnosed with a concussion, as he cleared all of his tests and was released to go back to his hotel for the night,” Alba reported.

Maclin was taken to a hospital following the event as a precaution. After undergoing medical evaluations, he passed all required tests and was not diagnosed with a concussion. He was then cleared to leave and return to his hotel later that night.

This update removes much of the immediate concern that followed the abrupt ending to the main event. The stoppage had raised alarms due to how quickly officials intervened and escorted Maclin from the ring.

Despite the positive news, there is still some uncertainty regarding his immediate in-ring future. Maclin is currently scheduled to compete in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, on Saturday night as part of the MLP Uprising pay-per-view event. However, it has not been confirmed whether he will still appear on the card following the incident.

Maclin’s status will likely be monitored closely in the coming days, but the fact that he avoided a concussion and passed all medical tests is a strong sign that the situation is not as serious as initially feared.

Steve Maclin Injury Update After TNA Sacrifice Scare

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While Adam Copeland and Christian Cage have firmly set their sites on FTR and the AEW World Tag Team Championships for AEW Dynasty, their interactions with the Young Bucks since returning at AEW Revolution have left many to conclude a match between them will happen as well. Some have even taken it one step further, however, suggesting that the Bucks, FTR, and Cope/Cage face off in a three-way TLC match, in an echo to Copeland and Christian’s classic TLC matches against the Hardys and Dudleys back in the early 2000s.

Appearing on “Close Up with Renee Paquette,” Copeland and Christian were asked about the possibility of them doing one last TLC match with the Bucks and FTR. And Copeland didn’t dismiss the possibility, even as he joked that it would be a bad idea for his health.

“Yeah, if you want me to retire the next day,” Copeland said. “It’s tough to look at the three teams and not draw some similarities to past rivalries, right? It’s kind of a no brainer to almost go there immediately. Man…I don’t know. I don’t know man. It be interesting.”

“We’d win for sure,” Christian said.

Unsurprisingly, part of Copeland’s hesitation to do another TLC match is his health and his age, both of which have made it harder for him to continue on at this level. Of course, those same problems don’t seem to apply to his tag partner.

“I’ll be honest, physically it gets more difficult,” Copeland said. “There’s no way around it.”

“I feel great,” Christian said.

“He feels great. That just means I work harder. So you know, I’m not going to lie and say that it isn’t a struggle sometimes. It absolutely is, I’m not going to lie. 52 years old, stuff gets harder. But you just got to work harder.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Close Up with Renee Paquette” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription