A United States Championship match between Jacob Fatu and former ally Solo Sikoa is now officially set for WWE Night of Champions. The title bout was confirmed during the June 20 broadcast of SmackDown, adding a highly personal contest to the event scheduled for Saturday, June 28, in Saudi Arabia.
The championship match is the culmination of months of escalating tension. The friction between the two originated from Sikoa consistently belittling Fatu following his US Title victory and bringing JC Mateo into their faction without Fatu’s agreement. In retaliation, Fatu cost Sikoa the chance to win the Money in the Bank contract earlier in the month.
Their feud reached its breaking point on Friday’s SmackDown. An attempt by Sikoa to reconcile was rebuffed by Fatu, sparking a brawl that saw Sikoa and Mateo attack the champion until Jimmy Uso intervened. This confrontation led directly to an in-ring challenge from Fatu. Later in the broadcast, a backstage promo by the champion confirmed the match was officially booked for the premium live event.
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The addition of the United States Championship defense helps solidify the card for Night of Champions, which is scheduled to air live at 1 p.m. Eastern time. The current lineup for the event features five contests.
In other championship action, John Cena will defend the Undisputed WWE Championship against CM Punk, and Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio is set to face AJ Styles. The event will also feature the finals of the King of the Ring tournament, with Randy Orton taking on the winner of Cody Rhodes versus Jey Uso. For the Queen of the Ring crown, Asuka will battle the winner of the match between Jade Cargill and Roxanne Perez.
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