Braun Strowman sabotaged shockingly; match ends suddenly

On WWE SmackDown, Carmelo Hayes and Braun Strowman reignited their 2024 rivalry to earn a shot at the United States Championship. Jacob Fatu and LA Knight already won their qualifiers earlier in the night, with Fatu beating Andrade and Knight taking out Santos Escobar.

In the opening moments of the qualifier, Braun overpowered the former NXT Champion and aimed to hit the Strowman Express early. However, Tama Tonga rushed the ring to distract the referee, allowing Solo Sikoa to emerge and hit Strowman with a steel chair. The Monster of All Monsters barely reacted to it, turning to the former Tribal Chief and chasing him over the barricade.

After sending Tama over the announcer's desk, Strowman set his sights back on the task at hand. The referee kept his eyes on Solo and Tama too long, though.

As Braun Strowman re-entered the ring, Carmelo Hayes grabbed a steel chair and cracked the mat. A confused Strowman caught the chair as Hayes fell, leading to the ref awarding Hayes a win by DQ. Viva La Raza!

This places Melo in a match against Fatu and Knight later tonight to determine US Champion Shinsuke Nakamura's #1 contender. Unlike Fatu and Knight, Melo will enter that bout completely fresh. There's a good chance he could do the unthinkable tonight and earn a shot at the United States Championship.

As far as Braun Strowman goes, the former Universal Champion will seek revenge on Solo and the rest of The Bloodline. He has lost a few opportunities due to their constant interferences. It won't be long before he goes looking for blood.

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