Sami Zayn is WWE Champion again. During the September 11, 2026 episode of WWE SmackDown, Zayn defeated CM Punk in a chaotic main event loaded with outside interference, revenge spots and one huge mistake that ultimately cost Punk the title.
Punk entered the match coming off a successful WWE Championship defense against Johnny Gargano last week, when Zayn got involved and tried to help Punk. This time around, Gargano and Candice LeRae returned the favor by getting involved on Zayn’s behalf.
Things broke down when Punk trapped Zayn in the Anaconda Vice and appeared to have the match won. Zayn tapped out, but LeRae distracted the referee long enough to prevent the submission from being seen.
Gargano then tried to take things even further by hitting Punk with the WWE Championship. Punk avoided the shot and managed to drop Gargano with a GTS, seemingly clearing the path for him to finally put Zayn away.
That’s when Kevin Owens entered the picture. Owens attempted to hit Zayn with the championship belt, but the plan completely backfired when he struck Punk instead. Zayn immediately took advantage of the chaos, hitting Owens with a low blow before turning his attention back to Punk.
Zayn then connected with the Helluva Kick and scored the pinfall to regain the WWE Championship. The victory makes Zayn a two-time WWE Champion and immediately creates another problem for him. Earlier in the show, Gargano confronted Zayn backstage and made it clear that if Zayn defeated Punk, he wanted the first shot at the championship.
Now Gargano may be expecting Zayn to make good on that conversation, while Punk has every reason to argue that he lost the championship because of interference he never asked for.
Zayn walked into SmackDown looking for another chance at the WWE Championship and walked out holding it again, but with Gargano, Punk and Owens all involved in how it happened, his second reign already has several people coming after him.
What did you think of Sami Zayn winning the WWE Championship back from CM Punk, and who should get the first shot at his title? Let us know in the comments.
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