Add as a preferred source on Google Sami Zayn has been on a real emotional roller coaster these past few weeks — from his historic Undisputed WWE Championship win at Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia to a tough loss last night at Saturday Night’s Main Event that knocks him out of the title picture, at least for now.
The win in Riyadh was an emotional one, especially given the symbolism of Zayn “winning at home.” But the concerns about his future that came with it — the warnings that his reign would be short-lived and that he’d quickly slide back into limbo — turned into reality fast.
I’ll break this down in three parts: how Zayn went from top WWE champion to a near-certain no-show at SummerSlam. All of it in under a month.
Loses to CM Punk After Just Nine Days as Champion
In the week after winning the title in Saudi Arabia, Sami Zayn had one very specific ghost haunting his reign: CM Punk.
Punk, who had been out of action since losing to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 42, was already widely expected to arrive at SummerSlam as champion, setting up a return to his rivalry with Cody Rhodes — a feud sparked on the Monday after his loss at the year’s biggest show.
Many even wondered whether WWE would have the nerve to use Rhodes himself to end Zayn’s reign so those plans could go through. Instead, what happened was Punk returning in his hometown, which snuffed out any chance of a Zayn loss causing real backlash.
Zayn Disappears, Then Loses Again at Saturday Night’s Main Event
As soon as he lost on Monday Night RAW in Chicago, Zayn vanished from WWE programming for a few days, saying he needed time to process everything mentally.
In the meantime, Gunther ramped up his rivalry with Nick Aldis, who he’ll face at SummerSlam, all while still chasing another shot at the Undisputed WWE Championship. In the first week, with Zayn still out, the Ring General laid waste to the general manager. Then this past Friday, Zayn returned, and the match for Madison Square Garden was made official.
As predicted here at Wrestling Noticias, Aldis returned and cost both Gunther and Zayn their shot at SummerSlam, turning the title match into a Fatal 4-Way.
The problem with that, though, is that despite the setback, Gunther still has a clear direction thanks to that rivalry — same as Rhodes and Punk, who have theirs because of the win. Zayn, in this case, is the only one left without a clear path, with a pretty murky future ahead of him.
Another Beatdown at Gunther’s Hands Will Seal Zayn’s Absence From the Summer’s Biggest Show
Now for the speculative part of this piece — nothing has been officially confirmed by WWE — here’s the theory on what’s coming for Zayn on the next Friday Night SmackDown.
Zayn, probably even angrier than before, is sure to come after Gunther, who — despite being interfered with by Aldis — was the one “beaten” on Saturday. And that’s where the payoff comes in: Gunther, just as frustrated with the whole situation, is expected to take it out on Zayn, “injuring” him and wiping out any chance of the Canadian having a role at SummerSlam.
If that doesn’t happen, WWE’s only other option would be to put Zayn in as the Special Guest Referee for the first-ever match between Gunther and Aldis. That said, since Zayn already had that role recently — albeit in a match between Gunther and Cody Rhodes — I don’t think WWE will repeat that same formula.