Sami Zayn is approaching a milestone in his second run as Undisputed WWE Champion. On Monday, September 21, his current reign will officially surpass the length of his first.
Zayn won the title for the second time on the September 11 edition of Friday Night SmackDown in Mexico City, defeating CM Punk in the main event. The victory came just over two months after Punk had ended his first championship reign.
Zayn’s first reign began on June 27 at Night of Champions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He defeated Cody Rhodes and Gunther in a Triple Threat Match to capture his first world title in WWE.
Just nine days later, on the July 6 episode of Monday Night RAW, CM Punk — replacing Rhodes, who had been attacked by Gunther — defeated Zayn to win the Undisputed WWE Championship.
This time, Zayn has already accomplished something he never managed in his first reign. On last night’s SmackDown, September 18, he made his first successful title defense, defeating Kevin Owens after interference from CM Punk.
In a recent interview with Busted Open Radio, Zayn said the two title wins “felt really different.” His first reign, he said, left him feeling like it might have been “a miracle” or “a fluke.” Winning the championship a second time helped put those doubts to rest.