Sami Zayn Kills The Gingerbread Man, Trick Williams Plans Funeral For Next Week
The Gingerbread Man is dead. Sami Zayn ripped the costume apart, low-blowed it, and tore an arm off on the May 1, 2026 episode of WWE SmackDown, after which medical staff rushed the ring, Trick Williams threw up the X sign, and the announcers later confirmed that Gingerbread Man had passed away. A funeral has been scheduled for next week’s SmackDown on May 8.
How We Got Here
The Gingerbread Man first appeared on SmackDown two weeks ago when Lil Yachty and new United States Champion Trick Williams brought a mystery costumed character to the ring during Williams’ title celebration. The Gingerbread Man attacked Williams from behind with a giant candy cane, then turned on Lil Yachty, before unmasking as Sami Zayn. Zayn lost the United States Championship to Williams at WrestleMania 42 Night 2 on April 19, 2026, and has been struggling with the boos he’s received since.
The previous week’s SmackDown saw Zayn dressed as the Gingerbread Man jump Williams during a celebration. This week he came out with the costume on a leash and decided to take his frustrations out on it.
The Promo And The Attack
Zayn cut a promo that was equal parts rambling and unhinged.
“I love coming to Tulsa. I’m a huge Bob Dylan fan. You know what happened when Bob Dylan turned to an electric guitar? Everyone booed him. I have no idea what I did to get the boos.”
Zayn compared himself to Dylan, said it didn’t bother him because his real fans were still there, and then snapped. He delivered a low blow to the Gingerbread Man, punched the costume repeatedly, and ripped one of its arms off before tearing the rest of it apart.
Trick Williams’ music hit and he ran to the ring, chasing Zayn off and sending him through the crowd. Williams then dropped to his knees over what was left of the Gingerbread Man and threw up the X sign — the universal wrestling gesture for a serious in-ring injury. WWE doctors flooded the ring to attend to the costume.
The Death Confirmation And Backlash Match
Backstage, Cathy Kelley caught up with Trick Williams in the trainer’s room. As Williams was checking on the Gingerbread Man, a physician came in and told him that the Gingerbread Man “did not survive.”
Williams immediately announced he was putting his United States Championship on the line against Sami Zayn at Backlash on May 9. SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis confirmed the match later in the show. The match is a rematch of WrestleMania 42 Night 2, where Williams won the title from Zayn.
WWE then aired an “In Memoriam” graphic for Gingerbread Man and announced Trick will host a funeral for him next week on SmackDown.
The Reaction
Reactions ranged from confused to actively hostile. Cageside Seats wrote: “What the hell is happening here, Cagesiders? Is this one of the most bizarre builds to a PLE match that you’ve ever seen in WWE?” The same outlet’s review described the segment as “the Gingerbread Man is dismembered and killed in one of WWE’s most bizarre angles ever.”
Bleacher Report wrote that “the stuff with Zayn, Williams and the gingerbread man has already overstayed its welcome, but if they focus more on the wrestling and less on silly costumes, they can get this feud back on track.”
A widely-shared fan recap put it differently: “What in the actual Vince McMahon fuck are we doing with this hot Gingerbread Man garbage? Trick has all the momentum and this is a great way to make him look like an idiot.”
The Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer noted on F4WOnline: “Trick Williams came to the ring for the ‘save’ but somehow determined the Gingerbread Man was ‘injured’ as if he were an actual physical being.”
The Williams Side Of It
For all the criticism of the angle, Trick Williams has been on a hot run since his title win. He defeated Zayn at WrestleMania 42 to capture the United States Championship and turned face during the Lil Yachty celebration two weeks ago. The “Lemon Pepper Steppers” running gag has become a signature, and Last Word On Pro Wrestling’s recap noted Williams “has been absolutely amazing since arriving on the main roster.”
The U.S. Title rematch at Backlash is the biggest singles match of Williams’ main roster run so far. Last Word On Pro Wrestling: “If the WrestleMania 42 match was anything to go by, we will have an absolute show, WWE Universe.”
Zayn’s Heel Run
Zayn’s heel turn — which fans largely seem to think is more of a “the audience turned on him” situation than an intentional WWE call — has been escalating since WrestleMania 42. The Gingerbread Man killing is the most violent expression of it yet, but it’s part of a larger pattern of Zayn lashing out at perceived disrespect. His earlier-in-the-night confrontation with Cody Rhodes about being called the “golden boy” suggests Zayn is being positioned to keep finding people to feud with.
Context
Sami Zayn’s real name is Rami Sebei. Trick Williams’ real name is Trickale Tarry. Williams is a former three-time NXT Champion and TNA World Champion who debuted on the WWE main roster in early 2026. He defeated Zayn at WrestleMania 42 on April 19, 2026 in Las Vegas to win the United States Championship — Zayn’s first reign with that belt. Backlash 2026 takes place Saturday, May 9, 2026 at the Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida. The full Backlash card after May 1 includes Roman Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu (World Heavyweight Championship), Trick Williams vs. Sami Zayn (United States Championship), and Danhausen and a partner of his choosing vs. The Miz and Kit Wilson.
