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

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

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

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

However, Zayn was successful precocious spirits erstwhile helium spoke to Fox News Digital earlier the event.

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

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

Zayn was calved successful Canada aft his parents came to the state from Syria. If helium wins the title, helium would beryllium the archetypal WWE satellite champion of Syrian descent.

He said winning the rubric successful Riyadh would beryllium a large infinitesimal for him.

"I deliberation it’s kinda 1 of those things that would kinda beryllium hard to process. I genuinely don’t know. I don’t cognize however the fans would react," helium said. "I anticipation they would bask it but you ne'er cognize due to the fact that my quality close present is simply a small polarizing – I genuinely don’t know. But I don’t know. I deliberation there’s a batch of similar taste and humanities benignant of value that would kinda possibly deed maine aft the 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 due to the fact that we travel to Saudi a lot. A batch has been made of the information that I’m Arab oregon I’m Muslim oregon whatever. But increasing up, that was not the case. It was not similar this was a communal happening oregon thing that you could ever adjacent dream. I couldn’t person dreamt that this would happen. So, yeah, that would beryllium a beauteous large woody I think."

A imaginable Zayn triumph lines up perfectly with a Jey Uso King of the Ring win. Uso would beryllium capable to take to instrumentality connected Zayn, hypothetically, oregon satellite heavyweight champion Roman Reigns.

When talking to Fox News Digital astir the anticipation of him going up against Uso for the title, Zayn looked intrigued fixed the past helium has with The Bloodline.

"I thought astir it a small spot but I truly effort to absorption connected 1 happening astatine a time. But I bash deliberation due to the fact that of the information that The Bloodline is reunited connected ‘Raw’ with a somewhat antithetic skew present due to the fact that Jacob adds a somewhat antithetic magnitude but it begs the benignant of question, the elephant successful the room, which is, ‘Where does Sami Uso prevarication 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," helium said.

"I deliberation 1 mode oregon different it’d beryllium absorbing and that would beryllium a truly absorbing thing. I deliberation it would beryllium very, precise absorbing actually. But we conscionable gotta spot wherever the chips fall. But I bash think, if a script similar that comes to be, I deliberation it would pb to immoderate absorbing week-to-week programming wherever you kinda gotta spot however this unfolds."

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

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Night of Champions volition instrumentality spot Saturday astatine 1 p.m. ET. The lawsuit tin beryllium seen connected ESPN.