WWE Night of Champions 2026 became one of the most important nights of Sami Zayn’s career. The Underdog from the Underground reached the top of the mountain by defeating Cody Rhodes and Gunther in a triple threat match and became the new Undisputed WWE Champion. In doing so, Zayn set a number of interesting records in his own right.
Second Muslim WWE Champion
Sami Zayn’s victory at Night of Champions made him the second-ever Muslim WWE Champion in the history, after the late Iron Sheik.
Grand Slam Within Reach
Furthermore, he also became the first Muslim-origin star to achieve WWE’s current Grand Slam, i.e., winning a World title, two secondary titles, and one tag team championship.
Dusty’s Kid
Sami Zayn’s Undisputed WWE Championship win at Night of Champions adds another name to one of wrestling’s most remarkable mentorship legacies. Zayn was one of “Dusty’s Kids,” the affectionate label for the NXT class shaped by Dusty Rhodes in his final years as a developmental coach, a group Cody Rhodes has named to include Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch, Bayley, and Kevin Owens.
There’s a pointed symmetry in how Zayn got there: he won the title by pinning Cody, Dusty’s actual son, who has spoken candidly about the jealousy he once felt watching his father’s students ascend while he struggled to find his own footing.
Zayn now joins those former classmates at the mountaintop, carrying forward the fingerprints the American Dream left across the modern roster.
The Bryan Danielson Connection
Another interesting fact related to Sami Zayn’s WWE title win was connected to former WWE star and current AEW commentator, Bryan Danielson. The YES! Man, who was always seen as the Underdog like Zayn, won the WWE Championship at the 2013 edition of Night of Champions. Fast forward thirteen years, and Zayn did the impossible himself. The last interesting fact is that he joins the likes of Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, and others from the NXT standouts of Dusty Rhodes’ class to win the WWE Championship.
Looking Ahead
While Sami Zayn has finally reached the pinnacle of Sports Entertainment at Night of Champions, he has become a target for everyone.
No matter if Zayn’s reign lasts one day or several months, nothing and nobody can ever take away his accomplishment. He did it — or should we say, we did it.