Drew McIntyre Breaks Sami Zayn's Saudi Arabia Victory Streak At WWE Royal Rumble 2026

Sami Zayn was backed by the vocal Saudi Arabia crowd as he marched to the ring for a date with Drew McIntyre for his Undisputed WWE Championship. Zayn's fairytale ending, however, was not to be, after McIntyre retained his gold after a gruesome event in Riyadh.

Despite a strong start, the campaign slipped out from underneath Zayn when a nasty landing on his coccyx sent the challenger into agonizing pain. The opportunistic McIntyre targeted Zayn's lower back as time went on, and the challenger's body ailed him as he failed to lift McIntyre up for the Blue Thunder Bomb. A high boot stopped McIntyre's subsequent Claymore attempt, but even with a successful Blue Thunder Bomb, McIntyre remained in the contest — much to the chagrin of Zayn and his deteriorating lower back.

Soon after, however, McIntyre got a taste of his own back pain, after Zayn rolled out of the way of a second Claymore to send the champion flying back-first into the unyielding canvas. With the odds nearly evened between both competitors, Saturday's match became a battle of will. Zayn managed to kick out of a pinfall combo after three Future Shock DDTs, but his body could not follow up with a Buckle Bomb to the champion. His Helluva kick missed the mark, but the veteran Zayn managed to escape a Claymore after resting his foot on the ropes.

The match spilled to the outside, where McIntyre laid Zayn out through the announce table. Referees and medical staff swarmed the downed Zayn, but McIntyre pushed through the bodies to push the challenger back into the ring. Zayn managed to land a Buckle Bomb, but two Claymores did the challenger in to give Zayn his first loss in Saudi Arabia.

With this victory, McIntyre is set to continue his Undisputed WWE Championship reign, which clocks in at 22 days and counting.