Returning Superstar Accepts Sami Zayn’s Open Challenge On WWE SmackDown

Sami Zayn was the second person to enter the arena on WWE SmackDown after Cody Rhodes and placed an open challenge.

He placed an open challenge for the WWE United States Championship. This is the first time the championship has been defended in Australia.

Out of everyone who could accept the challenge came returning superstar, Shinsuke Nakamura!

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Sami Zayn was called off due to interference

The music was his older babyface theme tune, and the darker persona seems to have been traded for the King of Strong Style persona.

In fact, the announcers revealed that sometimes open challenges can backfire when unexpected superstars accept them.

Nakamura and Sami Zayn presented quite the match, with Nakamura taking control of the match towards the beginning.

Towards the end of the match, Zayn had taken over control from the King of Strong Style. The match was called off when a masked man assaulted the returning superstar.

Turns out, it was the MFTs who executed the unexpected assault.

Before this, Nakamura’s last match was on June 13th, 2025, at the King of the Ring tournament. Previously, he was seen during a backstage segment between Sami Zayn and Carmelo Hayes.