Sami Zayn is getting another chance to win a WWE championship when he steps into the ring on Saturday against Cody Rhodes and Gunther at Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia.Rhodes booked the match between the two top wrestlers on "Friday Night SmackDown" after Zayn’s officiating as a special guest referee came under fire.He quick-counted for Rhodes after his fight with Gunther exploded in the ring.
After Rhodes demanded that SmackDown GM Nick Aldis restart the match with a new referee, Gunther attacked Zayn.Then, Zayn returned the favor.
The match was booked and Zayn has one of his biggest challenges yet.COMPLETE PRO WRESTLING COVERAGE ON FOX NEWS DIGITALSami Zayn enters the ring during a WWE live event at Palacio Vistalegre in Madrid, Spain, on June 4, 2026.(Andrew Timms/WWE)However, Zayn was in high spirits when he spoke to Fox News Digital before the event."Good," he said when asked how he was feeling.
"Look, anytime you are main-eventing a big PLE, the fact that Saudi Arabia is always a little special for me just being from this part of the world, obviously.And the fact that you’re main-eventing for a WWE championship."I don’t think there’s a better spot to be in, except being the champion, which is the goal here.
But besides from being the champion, it’s the best spot you can kind of ask for.I really can’t complain."Zayn was born in Canada after his parents came to the country from Syria.
If he wins the title, he would be the first WWE world champion of Syrian descent.He said winning the title in Riyadh would be a big moment for him."I think it’s kinda one of those things that would kinda be hard to process.I truly don’t know.
I don’t know how the fans would react," he said."I hope they would enjoy it but you never know because my character right now is a little polarizing – I truly don’t know.
But I don’t know.I think there’s a lot of like cultural and historical kind of significance that would kinda maybe hit me after the fact...