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Tag: Sami Zayn

  • Cody Rhodes Calls Sami Zayn ‘Petty’, Challenges Italian Fans to Break Sound Records

    Cody Rhodes Calls Sami Zayn ‘Petty’, Challenges Italian Fans to Break Sound Records

    Cody Rhodes isn’t letting Sami Zayn off the hook for his recent lack of action on SmackDown, but the Undisputed WWE Champion is refusing to let the drama derail his focus. During an appearance on ESPN’s SportsCenter, Rhodes addressed the tense closing moments of SmackDown where Zayn stood by and watched Gunther attack Rhodes from behind with a sleeper hold.

    “Well, I think everyone knows the expression that in the wrestling business, everybody wants you to have success. Everybody wants you to be on top, but they don’t want you to have too much success,” Rhodes explained. “I would classify Sami Zayn with one word, and that would be petty. And that’s just a good old petty moment.”

    Looking Ahead to the European Tour

    Rather than escalating the conflict, Rhodes took some accountability for the strained relationship. “Listen, he didn’t have to save me. He didn’t have to. So I’m not going to give it so much drama behind it,” Rhodes noted. “And again, I didn’t help him when he knocked Gunther off the apron. So perhaps he felt justified.”

    With the Zayn drama in the rearview mirror, Rhodes shifted his attention to the WWE European Summer Tour and the upcoming Clash in Italy event. The champion spoke passionately about the evolving global fan culture, specifically referencing the recent event in Lyon, France, which prompted WWE executives Triple H and Nick Khan to add an on-screen sound meter to the broadcast.

    “They’re singing songs. They’re putting your name in places you wouldn’t think your name would go into,” Rhodes said of the European audiences. “I expect that sound meter to pop back up, and I’m hopeful that they rival the greatest wrestling crowd of all time, which is France. And I think Italy can do it. This is the opportunity to really put their flag in the sand. Looking forward to see how loud they get.”

  • Sami Zayn Admits He Is Closer to End of His Career Than Beginning

    Sami Zayn Admits He Is Closer to End of His Career Than Beginning

    Sami Zayn is in the 25th year of his professional wrestling career and is thinking about what that means with clarity and gratitude.

    Speaking with Witty Whittier, Zayn reflected on the scope of a career that has taken him through ROH, PWG, Dragon Gate, and ultimately to the top of WWE, and acknowledged what the passage of time means for what comes next.

    “I’ve been lucky that WWE and my time in this business has been more than a blip, but I realize that this time will probably be coming to an end within the next — I don’t want to put a number of years on it, but definitely closer to the end than the beginning. So, I’m just very very grateful to be a part of it still.”

    The admission carries weight given the current stage of Zayn’s career. He is in a compelling character transition on SmackDown, shifting into a more prominent role alongside his ongoing program with Trick Williams, and is scheduled to challenge Williams for the United States Championship at Backlash on Saturday, May 9, in Tampa, Florida. 

  • Sami Zayn Says the Vibe Around WrestleMania 42 Was Strange

    Sami Zayn Says the Vibe Around WrestleMania 42 Was Strange

    Sami Zayn has reflected on WrestleMania 42 with a candor that goes beyond the usual promotional talking points, describing an event that felt different in ways.

    Speaking with Witty Whittier, Zayn addressed both the broader atmosphere surrounding the event and his personal standing as a character heading into it.

    “The vibe was just different this year for so many different reasons. Sometimes it comes down to just the hotel you stay in or the match you have — everything shifts your mood slightly. This year, my character at the time of WrestleMania is a bit more undefined than it’s been in many many years. Usually, I walk into Mania and I know exactly where I’m at and what I’m doing. This year, this character shift and this sea change has been going on at the same time with Trick rising and me getting these — I would say polarizing reactions but it’s kind of started to swing all the way in the other direction now to where I’m unliked and I’m kind of, as a character, saying like, ‘What did I even do here?’ It’s still in this week-to-week thing, audience to audience is all different so it felt a little less like surefooted, you know what I mean?”

    He also pointed to the last-minute addition of Pat McAfee as one of several elements that contributed to the unsettled energy of the weekend.

    “The vibe around WrestleMania was a little strange this year with the Pat McAfee thing being added at the last minute. I don’t know, there was just so many things that felt a little strange about this year’s WrestleMania.”

    Despite the unusual atmosphere, Zayn was careful to frame the experience in context, noting that missing WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas last year made the opportunity to return feel meaningful regardless of the surrounding circumstances.

    “Ultimately, I didn’t get to do Mania last year in Vegas. I missed out on it so I kind of felt like, ‘Oh, alright, here we go.’ When you’re actually in the ring and you’re actually in the city doing meet and greets and stuff like that, I really like it. It can be a tad overwhelming sometimes but again, what a privilege to have. If I go to WrestleMania 15 to 20 years from now and I’m not at the center of it, then you’re not overwhelmed by it. So, it’s actually kind of a gift in the midst of that madness.”

    Zayn faced Trick Williams on Night Two of WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. He now prepares to challenge Williams for the United States Championship at Backlash on Saturday, in Tampa, Florida.

  • New Title Match Confirmed For WWE Backlash

    New Title Match Confirmed For WWE Backlash

    Trick Williams will defend the United States Championship against Sami Zayn at WWE Backlash 2026. The match was announced following a chaotic segment on the May 1 episode of SmackDown.

    During the broadcast, Zayn attacked The Gingerbread Man with a low blow before punching him repeatedly and ripping off one of his arms. Williams rushed to the scene and attacked Zayn, who escaped the ring before further confrontation.

    Williams checked on The Gingerbread Man and threw up the X sign, signaling a serious injury to the character.

    WWE Backlash Updated Match Card

    In a backstage interview with Cathy Kelley, Williams was informed by a physician that The Gingerbread Man did not survive Zayn’s attack. Following the news, Williams announced he would defend his United States Championship against Zayn at Backlash 2026. Below is the updated card for the show:

    • Singles Match: Seth Rollins vs. Bron Breakker (with Paul Heyman)
    • Singles Match: Iyo Sky vs. Asuka
    • WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match: Roman Reigns (c) vs. Jacob Fatu
    • WWE US Championship Match: Trick Williams (c) vs. Sami Zayn

    Backlash this year will be taking place from the Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida on May 9.

  • Sami Zayn Lashes Out at WWE Fans Ahead of WrestleMania

    Sami Zayn Lashes Out at WWE Fans Ahead of WrestleMania

    Sami Zayn has seemingly responded to fan criticism of his WWE United States Championship reign ahead of his title defense against Trick Williams at WrestleMania 42 this weekend.

    WWE fans have grown tired of Zayn being pushed as a prominent character, and have been voicing their displeasure at shows and online. Despite his multiple championship wins and prominent positioning, the champ isn’t pleased at the reception to his push.

    Zayn captured the U.S. Title from Carmelo Hayes just weeks ago. He was quickly booked for a championship match at WrestleMania in Las Vegas.

    The decision has drawn criticism from fans who believe Hayes should be defending the title at the premium live event instead.

    The champion has received mixed reactions at recent events, including a “Sami Hogan” chant during a recent episode of SmackDown. On Twitter, Zayn posted an image suggesting he hasn’t done anything wrong, though he didn’t explicitly address the criticism.

    WrestleMania History

    WrestleMania 42 will mark Zayn’s eighth appearance at the event, while it will be Williams’ first time competing on the showcase of the immortals. Hayes has yet to compete at a WrestleMania.

    With such strong resistance to Zayn being portrayed heroically, there’s speculation that the company could attempt a “double turn” at WrestleMania: establishing Zayn as a villain while capitalizing on Williams’ popularity and putting him in the role people can get behind.

  • WWE Could Pull Off Wild Double Turn at WrestleMania 42

    WWE Could Pull Off Wild Double Turn at WrestleMania 42

    WWE has discussed the possibility of a double turn between Sami Zayn and Trick Williams during their United States Championship match at WrestleMania 42. The idea comes after weeks of changing crowd reactions, with Zayn receiving boos while Williams has gained stronger fan support.

    As per Bodyslam.net, WWE has discussed internally about turning both wrestlers during the match. Zayn will turn into a heel while pushing Williams into a babyface.

    The report states that the company is considering the move due to Zayn getting negative heat and Williams receiving louder crowd reactions as the weeks progress.

    “WWE has discussed the idea of doing double turn with Zayn and Williams at WrestleMania due to Zayn having go home heat and Williams getting louder crowd reactions as the weeks go by.”

    Sami Zayn Negative Crowd Reaction on SmackDown

    Zayn cut a promo on last night’s SmackDown and questioned why he was being booed. He also told fans that he didn’t care about their reaction, which added fuel to speculation that his character direction could be changing.

    Williams has continued to get cheers from the crowd in recent weeks. The timing could be right for WWE to potentially pull off a double turn during their championship match.

    If this double turn happens, it could become one of the biggest moments of the match and shift both characters moving forward after WrestleMania. WWE has made similar changes before when fan reactions started moving in unexpected directions.

  • Big Unsanctioned Match And More Added To WrestleMania 42

    Big Unsanctioned Match And More Added To WrestleMania 42

    New matches have been added to WrestleMania.

    Tonight’s episode of SmackDown saw Sami Zayn answering the US title open challenge after being told that there was no place for him on the PPV card. The Ultimate Underdog ended up defeating Carmelo Hayes for the belt with some unexpected help from Trick Williams. Nick Aldis informed Zayn afterwards that he will now be defending the title against Hollywood Trick at the Show of Shows.

    The show also featured a confrontation between Drew McIntyre and Jacob Fatu, after the two brawled through the arena on last week’s episode of the Blue Brand. The SmackDown GM intervened before the two meaty men could get physical again. Aldis informed them that they will get the chance to beat each other up to their satisfaction in an Unsanctioned match at WrestleMania 42.

    WWE WrestleMania 42 Updated Match Card

    The Show of Shows will be returning to Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada, this year on April 18–19, 2026. Below is the updated match card for the show:

    • Women’s World Championship Match: Stephanie Vaquer (c) vs. Liv Morgan
    • WWE Women’s Championship Match: Jade Cargill (c) vs. Rhea Ripley
    • Singles Match: Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar
    • Women’s Intercontinental Championship Match: AJ Lee (c) vs. Becky Lynch
    • United States Championship Match: Sami Zayn (c) vs. Trick Williams
    • Unsanctioned Match: Drew McIntyre vs. Jacob Fatu
    • World Heavyweight Championship Match: CM Punk (c) vs. Roman Reigns
    • Undisputed WWE Championship Match: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Randy Orton

  • Watch: Sami Zayn Goes Off On \’Golden Boy\’ Cody Rhodes

    Sami Zayn is not holding back anymore.

    This week\’s episode of SmackDown featured a heated backstage confrontation between the Ultimate Underdog and Cody Rhodes after the chaotic ending to their main event match last week. Zayn, who lost the opportunity to go to Elimination Chamber, told the American Nightmare that he had betrayed him. Cody responded by saying not being able to take advantage of opportunities like that was the reason Sami has never been world champion:

    \”Sami, that\’s your perspective what happened. That was chaos. The match wasn\’t over. The bell hadn\’t rung. The whistle hadn\’t blown. Yeah, you fell back into a Cross Rhodes. It\’s an opportunity I took advantage of. And those opportunities, they don\’t just plop in your lap, Sami. Those are the opportunities that when they\’ve come to you, you haven\’t taken advantage of them. And that\’s why you haven\’t become WWE Champion.\”

    You Were Chosen: Sami Zayn

    The former NXT Champion did not hold back in his response to Cody either, and Sami Zayn told the former AEW star that he was the golden boy who was handed everything he had achieved:

    \”There it is. That\’s real easy for you to say when you\’re the Golden Boy. Right, QB1? Everything always comes up aces for Cody Rhodes. You got to finish your story, Cody. You were chosen. Nobody chose me. I\’ve been trying to finish my story for 10 damn years. You understand? No you don\’t. Of course you don\’t understand \’cause you don\’t know what it\’s like to constantly go out there and try to do the right thing every single time and have it blown onto your face.\”

    Cody Rhodes then argued that he lost the WWE title to Drew McIntyre trying to do the right thing before walking away, leaving a distraught Sami Zayn to contemplate his future. Sami later chased him down to apologise to the former WWE champion, though the fans were not happy with the later segment:

  • Sami Zayn Responds To Ricochet Dragging Him Into Rant About WWE

    Sami Zayn has seemingly responded to Ricochet.

    The WWE star is generally known to use his social media only for promoting WWE storylines or to raise awareness for charitable causes.

    He broke this rule recently when he posted a video of boxing legend Mike Tyson being interviewed by a young fan. The WWE Hall of Famer was asked a question about legacy, and he explained why the word is meaningless to him:

    “I don’t believe in the word legacy. I think it’s just another word for ego…I’m just passing through, I’m gonna die, and then it’s gonna be over. Who cares about legacy after that?”

    This post comes after the former WWE star Ricochet name-dropped Zayn in his social media rant about how his WWE main roster run \’tarnished\’ his legacy as a performer.

    The reigning AEW National Champion had claimed that he was not the only victim of this situation, name-dropping people such as Finn Balor, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Apollo Crews. In one such tweet, Ricochet had wrote that \’El Generico has a better legacy than Sami Zayn.\’

    The former WWE star has since also confirmed that he only signed one main roster contract upon his 2019 Raw debut and left the promotion when the deal expired in 2024, after the officials denied his request for an early release.

    What is your take on claims of Ricochet about his main roster experience? Let us know in the comments below.

  • Drew McIntyre Retains WWE Title Over Sami Zayn at Royal Rumble

    Drew McIntyre retained the Undisputed WWE Championship against Sami Zayn at WWE Royal Rumble on January 31, 2026 in Saudi Arabia.

    McIntyre improved to 12-0 against Zayn in singles competition, securing the victory with two devastating Claymore Kicks. This marked McIntyre\’s first successful title defense since winning the championship on January 9.

    https://x.com/wwe/status/2017715138338435073?s=46

    Zayn earned the title opportunity by winning a four-way match against Randy Orton, Trick Williams, and Damian Priest at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event. The challenger entered the event undefeated in Saudi Arabia, but McIntyre shattered that streak.

    https://x.com/wwe/status/2017709588846456849?s=46

    McIntyre\’s Dominant Championship Reign Continues

    The Scottish Warrior has now defended the gold against one of WWE\’s most resilient competitors. Tribal Wrestling confirmed the result on X, posting \”DREW MCINTYRE RETAINS THE UNDISPUTED WWE CHAMPIONSHIP AGAINST SAMI Zayn.\”

    McIntyre\’s undefeated record against Zayn dates back years, showcasing his consistent dominance in their one-on-one encounters. Fans watched the match live from Saudi Arabia as part of the Royal Rumble premium live event.

    https://media.sescoops.com/uploads/2026/01/\"And

    WWE

    With the title secure, McIntyre sets his sights on future challengers. Zayn\’s loss ends his perfect Saudi Arabia run, but his path to contention remains strong after the Main Event victory.

  • Drew McIntyre\’s Final Warning to Sami Zayn Before Royal Rumble

    Drew McIntyre dropped a chilling video promo on Twitter ahead of WWE Royal Rumble 2026, delivering a cold message to challenger Sami Zayn and referencing Cody Rhodes.

    The Undisputed WWE Champion faces Zayn for the title later today in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. McIntyre mocked Zayn\’s underdog narrative while boasting an undefeated 11-0 record against him.

    McIntyre posted on X:

    \”So tonight, Sami, it\’s a lesson. So listen to everybody, including your son. No matter how hard you work or how much you believe, for some people this is as good as it gets. So enjoy the moment. Take it all in. Because this is the last chance you\’re ever gonna get a shot at my title.\”

    The Scottish Warrior also took a shot at Rhodes, echoing the champion\’s recent comments about not being a role model.

    McIntyre has dominated Zayn in past encounters, holding a perfect 11-0 record. Fans in Riyadh will see if Zayn can finally overcome the odds and dethrone the powerhouse champion at Royal Rumble.

    Stay tuned to SEScoops for live Royal Rumble coverage and results from Riyadh.

  • Watch: What Happened With Sami Zayn After SNME Went Off Air

    Sami Zayn is ready for the world title.

    The Ultimate Underdog picked up a huge victory at tonight\’s Saturday Night\’s Main Event from his hometown of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

    The former NXT Champion went up against Randy Orton, Trick Williams, and Damian Priest in a hard-fought match, and finally pinned Priest with a Helluva Kick to secure himself a title match.

    The WWE Champion Drew McIntyre tried to spoil Zayn\’s victory with a sneak attack, but Sami managed to fend him off. The show went off air with The Scottish Psychopath retreating to the stage as his challenger celebrated in the ring.

    Sami Zayn Speaks

    Sami Zayn stuck around after the broadcast ended to speak with the crowd about his victory. He started his promo with some words in French before turning to English.

    Upon a \’You Deserve It\’ chant, Sami told the crowd that it was them who deserved it for supporting him. He then discussed how momentum is very important in winning big matches and told Montreal that he wouldn\’t have won the bout tonight without their support.

    The 41-year-old will get his title shot against Drew McIntyre next Saturday, January 31 at the Royal Rumble PPV from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. You can check out a list of confirmed entrants for both Rumble matches here.

  • Sami Zayn vs. Drew McIntyre Set For Royal Rumble 2026

    Sami Zayn has done it.

    Tonight\’s Saturday Night\’s Main Event from Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada, saw a big fatal four-way between Zayn, Randy Orton, Damian Priest, and Trick Williams for a shot at the WWE Championship.

    Williams was the one with the least experience in the ring, but he made up for it with his IQ and he came close to winning the bout on multiple occasions.

    In the end, however, it was Zayn who picked up the victory. He delivered a Helluva Kick to Priest right after the latter took out Trick. Sami then secured the victory as Orton failed to get in the ring in time to break the pin.

    The Ultimate Underdog will not have to wait long to get his title shot as the match with Drew McIntyre is set to take place next Saturday, January 31, at the Royal Rumble PPV.

    The crowd in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, would certainly be in the corner of Sami Zayn for this match, and the big question is if the Canadian star will finally be able to end the long pursuit of his first world title at the PLE.