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However, this could turn into a nightmare for Sami and his fans. The latest edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown began with a bang as newly crowned Undisputed Champion Zayn came out to have a heartfelt conversation with fans, expressing that he had proved doubters wrong by wrapping the gold around his waist.
Cody Rhodes came out, interrupting Sami’s promo in between, congratulated him for his title win, shook his hand, and was about to leave, allowing Zayn to celebrate his win.
But Sami stopped him, asked him to drop the act and be Cody, and told him that he knows he has something that he once had. It is something that the American Nightmare wants, and the newly crowned champion went on to ask the Prodigal Son’s real motive for coming out.
Before the former champion could have said anything, Jey Uso’s music echoed through the arena. The Yeet Man entered the ring, congratulated his Honorary Uce, and jumped straight to the point: he needed to bring the gold back to Bloodline, and to do that, he would need to fight him. Zayn expressed that the gold is already in the family, reminding the Uso that he was also part of the OG Bloodline.
Seeing the chaos unfold, General Manager Adam Pearce, who was in charge in Nick Aldis’s absence, appeared and officially announced that Jey and Cody would have a singles match in the main event to earn the #1 contender’s spot, and the winner would face Zayn for the Undisputed title on the upcoming RAW.
Pearce’s announcement left everyone shocked as to why he pushed the match early on RAW rather than for SummerSlam 2026.
In this listicle, we take a look at three potential reasons why WWE rebooked Sami Zayn vs. Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship match on RAW next week:
#3. WWE has a massive supermatch planned
The Stamford-based promotion is now building for SummerSlam 2026. An annual PLE that is considered the biggest WWE Premium Live Event, just behind WrestleMania.
According to a report by Wrestling Observer Radio, WWE had plans to book a dream match between CM Punk and Cody Rhodes for the title at SummerSlam 2026 a long time ago, and it was already teased on RAW after WrestleMania.
Hence, there is a major chance that WWE may be going with their OG plan. As a result, Rhodes vs. Zayn is booked for next week’s RAW, so the American Nightmare could regain the title and build his rivalry with Punk.
Adding more fuel to the rumor, another report by WrestleVotes on Fightful suggests that CM Punk might appear on the upcoming episode of RAW, the same episode where Rhodes and Zayn are set to have their title match.
The American Nightmare could secure the title by beating Sami Zayn clean on the red brand, and The Best in the World can return to challenge the Prodigal Son for a match at SummerSlam in front of his hometown crowd, creating massive buzz and adding yet another money grabber to SummerSlam’s card.
#2. No major plans for Sami Zayn
The Honorary Uce winning the Undisputed Championship and finishing his story was one of the moments fans had long wished for. The reality is, WWE did not have any believable plans for him as a titleholder, at least compared to Rhodes.
The American Nightmare still has two or three big bouts up his sleeves as the Undisputed WWE Champion. One is his rumored match against CM Punk, which would be a major box-office hit if booked, given that both stars are mainstream megastars.
Another feud that keeps fans invested in Cody’s reign is his unfinished saga with his mentor, Randy Orton, who hasn’t returned since losing to him at WrestleMania 42.
That said, to create a wholesome and unpredictable moment, WWE once put the strap on Sami Zayn. With their rematch on RAW, the company could once again crown the American Nightmare as the Undisputed Champion.
#1. Zayn’s heel turn
Before crowning him champion, WWE constantly teased Sami’s heel turn, as he was snapping backstage amid arguments with his friend Cody Rhodes.
Even on SmackDown, he lost control backstage after Adam Pearce booked his rematch with Cody Rhodes on RAW instead of SummerSlam. Win or lose, the Honorary Uce could turn heel on the red brand next week.
In a winning scenario, he pulls off a heel antic towards the end of their match, retaining his title.
If Zayn is losing, he could turn on Rhodes by snapping at him in the coming weeks, kicking off his bad guy journey.
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