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SPOILER: First Opponent For New Undisputed WWE Champion Sami Zayn Revealed

By Gaurav Singh • Published Jun 30, 2026 05:50 EDT
Sami Zayn as WWE Champion
Sami Zayn as WWE Champion - Image via WWE.com

The new Undisputed WWE Champion, Sami Zayn has officially found his first challenger, according to a spoiler.

After years of waiting, Sami Zayn finally became the WWE Champion for the first time in his career. In the main event of the Night of Champions 2026 PLE, Cody Rhodes defended his Undisputed title against both Sami Zayn and Gunther in a triple-threat match. The amazing encounter ended with Sami surprisingly winning the title by pinning Cody.

Ever since his huge WWE title win in Saudi Arabia, fans have been wondering who Sami Zayn’s first challenger will be. Meanwhile, the first challenger for Zayn as Champion has been revealed according to a major spoiler.

The upcoming SmackDown episode for this Friday was taped after RAW this past Monday. As per the spoilers, the show opened with Sami Zayn appearing as the new WWE Champion. He was interrupted by Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso in the opening segment. The acting SmackDown GM, Adam Pearce announced a No. 1 contender’s main event match between Cody and Jey.

In the main event of the upcoming SmackDown episode, Cody Rhodes defeated Jey Uso to become the No.1 contender, and he will challenge Zayn for the WWE Championship next Monday on RAW in Chicago.

Sami Zayn’s reaction to winning the WWE Championship

After he captured the Undisputed WWE Championship in the Night of Champions 2026 main event, Sami Zayn had a lot to get off his chest. In a post-match interview with Byron Saxton, Sami called out the doubters after winning the big one, and also admitted that he deserves it while talking about his hard work:

A lot has been said about me. Some good and lately some bad. A lot of folks said I would never win the WWE Championship. I stand here tonight in front of my people, [In Arabic: here in Riyadh, in front of the Arab people, the muslim people, the world champion.] The WWE Champion. It’s hard to believe, oh my God!”

Byron, you know, I’m not usually at a loss of words but… [Reacts to ‘You deserve it chants] You know what? You’re damn right I deserve it. Twenty plus years in the game at the highest level, never got the recognition. Ten plus years chasing this championship, never got the recognition. I don’t care what happens to me tomorrow, next week, next month, next year. Forever, I will be Sami Zayn WWE Champion.

It remains to be seen how long Sami’s WWE Championship reign will last.

Also read: Sami Zayn Reveals His True Feelings After Winning The Undisputed WWE Title