Backstage News On Why Sami Zayn Won The Undisputed WWE Championship On SmackDown

Sami Zayn became a two-time Undisputed WWE Champion after a shock victory over CM Punk, thanks to interference from Johnny Gargano, Candice LeRae, and Kevin Owens, on "WWE SmackDown" on Friday. The victory came as a surprise to fans, as title changes don't often happen on weekly television, though that appears to be changing in recent memory. According to a new report, an upcoming event is the reason why WWE decided to have the gold change hands last Friday.

PWInsider Elite reported that several within the company that they have spoken to believe that Crown Jewel 2026 will be headlined by Undisputed WWE Champion Zayn vs. World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns for the WWE Crown Jewel Championship. The event is set to take place from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the location of Zayn's first championship victory at Night of Champions back in June.

The outlet reported that the title change also helps WWE from running back Punk vs. Reigns, which headlined night two of WrestleMania 42 in April. Running Zayn vs. Reigns at Crown Jewel also means that "The Last Real Good Guy" will have a much longer run with the gold than his first reign, which lasted only nine days before Punk returned from a post-WrestleMania hiatus to beat him on an episode "WWE Raw."

Zayn has plenty of challengers on the blue brand. From Punk, to Owens, to GUNTHER, and Finn Balor, many have thrown their names in contention in recent weeks, and Zayn has cost many of them a shot at the title. On Friday's episode of "SmackDown," Zayn promised that if he won the gold, Gargano would be the first man to get a shot.