Why Sami Zayn believes winning Undisputed WWE Championship at Night of Champions would be a 'cultural moment'

Sami Zayn is getting different chance to triumph a WWE title erstwhile he steps into nan ringing connected Saturday against Cody Rhodes and Gunther astatine Night of Champions successful Saudi Arabia.

Rhodes booked nan match betwixt nan 2 apical wrestlers connected "Friday Night SmackDown" aft Zayn’s officiating arsenic a typical impermanent referee came nether fire. He quick-counted for Rhodes aft his conflict pinch Gunther exploded successful nan ring. After Rhodes demanded that SmackDown GM Nick Aldis restart nan lucifer pinch a caller referee, Gunther attacked Zayn. Then, Zayn returned nan favor. The lucifer was booked and Zayn has 1 of his biggest challenges yet.

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Sami Zayn enters nan ringing during a WWE unrecorded arena astatine Palacio Vistalegre successful Madrid, Spain, connected June 4, 2026. (Andrew Timms/WWE)

However, Zayn was successful precocious spirits erstwhile he said to Fox News Digital earlier nan event.

"Good," he said erstwhile asked really he was feeling. "Look, anytime you are main-eventing a large PLE, nan truth that Saudi Arabia is ever a small typical for maine conscionable being from this portion of nan world, obviously. And nan truth that you’re main-eventing for a WWE championship.

"I don’t deliberation there’s a amended spot to beryllium in, isolated from being nan champion, which is nan extremity here. But too from being nan champion, it’s nan champion spot you tin benignant of inquire for. I really can’t complain."

Zayn was calved successful Canada aft his parents came to nan state from Syria. If he wins nan title, he would beryllium nan first WWE world champion of Syrian descent.

He said winning nan title successful Riyadh would beryllium a large infinitesimal for him.

"I deliberation it’s kinda 1 of those things that would kinda beryllium difficult to process. I genuinely don’t know. I don’t cognize really nan fans would react," he said. "I dream they would bask it but you ne'er cognize because my characteristic correct now is simply a small polarizing – I genuinely don’t know. But I don’t know. I deliberation there’s a batch of for illustration taste and humanities benignant of value that would kinda possibly deed maine aft nan fact.

Sami Zayn makes his entranceway during SmackDown astatine Rupp Arena successful Lexington, Kentucky, connected May 22, 2026. (Craig Melvin/WWE)

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"From a sentimental constituent of view, for sure, I deliberation it would beryllium benignant of awesome. I deliberation it would beryllium a large taste moment, actually. I don’t deliberation astir it. I benignant of disregard it a batch astatine this constituent because we travel to Saudi a lot. A batch has been made of nan truth that I’m Arab aliases I’m Muslim aliases whatever. But increasing up, that was not nan case. It was not for illustration this was a communal point aliases thing that you could ever moreover dream. I couldn’t person dreamt that this would happen. So, yeah, that would beryllium a beautiful large woody I think."

A imaginable Zayn triumph lines up perfectly pinch a Jey Uso King of nan Ring win. Uso would beryllium capable to take to return connected Zayn, hypothetically, aliases world heavyweight champion Roman Reigns.

When talking to Fox News Digital astir nan anticipation of him going up against Uso for nan title, Zayn looked intrigued fixed nan history he has pinch The Bloodline.

"I thought astir it a small spot but I really effort to attraction connected 1 point astatine a time. But I do deliberation because of nan truth that The Bloodline is reunited connected ‘Raw’ pinch a somewhat different skew now because Jacob adds a somewhat different magnitude but it begs nan benignant of question, nan elephant successful nan room, which is, ‘Where does Sami Uso dishonesty successful each that?’ Because we’re connected abstracted shows, I don’t cognize if and erstwhile that situation, that question, manifests itself connected our tv show," he said.

"I deliberation 1 measurement aliases different it’d beryllium absorbing and that would beryllium a really absorbing thing. I deliberation it would beryllium very, very absorbing actually. But we conscionable gotta spot wherever nan chips fall. But I do think, if a script for illustration that comes to be, I deliberation it would lead to immoderate absorbing week-to-week programming wherever you kinda gotta spot really this unfolds."

Sami Zayn and Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes speak during SmackDown astatine Unipol Arena successful Bologna, Italy, connected June 5, 2026. (Andrew Timms/WWE)

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Night of Champions will return spot Saturday astatine 1 p.m. ET. The arena tin beryllium seen connected ESPN.