After 13 long years in WWE, Sami Zayn has finally captured the WWE Championship.
After years of being one of the most reliable workers in the industry, Sami Zayn can finally call himself a World Champion. The victory came in shocking fashion during WWE Night of Champions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as Cody Rhodes seemingly looked set to retain the title after hitting back-to-back Cross Rhodes on both Zayn and Gunther. But Zayn reversed Rhodes into a flash pinfall to secure the win.
It was one of the most shocking title changes in recent memory, as the momentum heading into WWE’s second-biggest show of the year, SummerSlam, suddenly changed with this result. It seemed more likely that either Rhodes or Gunther would walk into the event as WWE’s top champion.
Over the years, Zayn has worked tirelessly to become one of the most beloved stars on the roster. Even when fans turned against him, he continued to prove himself time and time again. Let’s take a look at the journey of how “The Last Real Good Guy” finally captured the elusive world title.
Underdog From The Underground
Zayn began his WWE career more than a decade ago in its developmental brand, NXT. From there, he rose to become one of its greatest performers and earned the nickname “The Underdog From The Underground” because of his sheer will and resilience. Despite not looking like the typical professional wrestler, Zayn stood out because of his charisma and in-ring ability.
He delivered classic matches and helped put the brand on the map. He became the heart and soul of NXT and developed memorable rivalries with Adrian Neville and Kevin Owens. After finally winning the NXT Championship, his best friend Owens betrayed him moments after his victory, creating one of the brand’s defining storylines.
At that point, Zayn had little left to accomplish in NXT. His farewell match against Shinsuke Nakamura at NXT TakeOver: Dallas became one of the greatest matches in NXT history and served as the perfect send-off for one of the brand’s most important stars.
Sami Zayn on the Main Roster: Debut, Various Feuds, The Bloodline, WrestleMania 39
His main roster call-up was filled with both highs and lows. During his first appearance, he suffered a shoulder injury that would sideline him for months. However, he still managed to put on a classic match against John Cena for the United States Championship in front of his fellow Canadians before taking time away to recover.
After returning, Zayn found himself involved in various programs, though few elevated him to the top of the card. He captured multiple Intercontinental Championships and remained one of WWE’s most dependable performers.
Fast forward to 2022, when he became part of WWE’s biggest storyline as a member of The Bloodline. Playing the role of a cowardly heel desperate for acceptance, Zayn joined the dominant family faction and became one of the company’s most entertaining acts.
Eventually, Zayn realized the manipulation taking place within The Bloodline, leading to his emotional face turn. It received one of the biggest pops in recent times as one of the most beloved babyfaces is finally out of the dark side. The turn will lead into challenging Roman Reigns for the Undisputed Title in his hometown of Montreal, but he left empty-handed.
However, the story was far from over. As Zayn became even more popular with fans, he reunited with his longtime friend and rival Kevin Owens. Together, they dethroned The Usos in the main event of WrestleMania 39, ending one of the greatest tag team title reigns in WWE history.
The ‘Sami Hogan’ Agenda
As Zayn’s partnership with Owens came to an end, he carried that momentum into singles competition and quickly became one of the hottest stars on the roster. From there, he entered multiple feuds and continued putting on memorable matches.
His singles run was highlighted by ending Gunther’s historic 600-plus-day reign as Intercontinental Champion. He continued building an impressive resume with victories over several notable stars. However, fans online soon started the “Sami Hogan” propaganda, joking that Sami never gets pinned.
To be fair, Zayn did begin winning more consistently. However, before that, he had spent years reestablishing himself as a legitimate threat. He may no longer have been an underdog, but that was because WWE had successfully built him into a competitor capable of overcoming any challenge.
And contrary to popular belief, he still lost. Zayn suffered defeats against established main event stars such as Drew McIntyre, Owens, Seth Rollins, Randy Orton, Bron Breakker, CM Punk, and even the internet’s favorite, Karrion Kross. In short, he was simply beating the stars he should beat and losing to those he should lose to.
Despite all the criticism, Zayn continued to be one of WWE’s most consistent performers, producing great matches and compelling stories. He proved that once again during his 2026 run, despite it being another roller coaster.
He challenged for multiple world championships but came up short each time. Eventually, he returned to the midcard title scene, where his victory over Carmelo Hayes was met with criticism from fans. He would later lose the championship to Trick Williams.
Despite the criticism from fans and the online wrestling community, Zayn remained one of the standout performers on SmackDown. He reinvented himself again, this time as “The Last Real Good Guy,” embracing a more self-aware character while acknowledging the die-hard supporters – his Ride or Die fans – who had stood by him through every stage of his career.
Miracle in Riyadh
Fast forward to Night of Champions 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In front of his people, Sami Zayn defeated Cody Rhodes and Gunther to become the Undisputed WWE Champion.
The victory represented the culmination of all the years Zayn had worked tirelessly throughout his WWE career. One of the greatest performers of his generation had finally reached the mountaintop.
Immediately after the title win, questions arose about whether he would simply be a transitional champion. But regardless of what happens next, the history books will forever recognize Sami Zayn as a WWE Champion and a Grand Slam Champion.
After all the character reinventions and classic matches, nobody deserves this moment more than Sami Zayn.
Images courtesy of WWE.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sami Zayn is a Canadian WWE Superstar who began his career in NXT before becoming a main roster mainstay. He won the WWE Championship at Night of Champions 2026 in Riyadh, reversing a pinfall attempt from Cody Rhodes after Rhodes had also hit Gunther with Cross Rhodes.
In a triple-threat match for the WWE Championship, Cody Rhodes hit back-to-back Cross Rhodes on both opponents and appeared set to retain. Sami Zayn instead reversed Rhodes into a flash pinfall, securing an upset win and becoming WWE Champion in front of a Saudi Arabian crowd.
Zayn signed with WWE’s NXT brand more than 13 years before winning the WWE Championship. In that span, he won the NXT Championship, multiple Intercontinental Championships, and tag team gold, but had not previously held a world title on the main roster.
A WWE Grand Slam Champion has won a world title along with the promotion’s other recognized championships across its history. With the WWE Championship win, Zayn’s résumé — including NXT, Intercontinental, and tag team titles — completed the criteria, making him a Grand Slam Champion.
Zayn joined The Bloodline in 2022, playing a cowardly heel seeking acceptance from Roman Reigns’ faction. His eventual realization of the group’s manipulation led to an emotional face turn, repositioning him as one of WWE’s most popular stars heading into his singles championship pursuits.
RELATED STORIES
