Sami Zayn Explains Why Second Undisputed WWE Championship Win Was No Fluke

Two Championship Reigns, Two Different Emotions

Zayn captured the Undisputed WWE Championship from CM Punk on SmackDown in Mexico City, just ten weeks after dropping the title to Punk during his first defense. Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Zayn reflected on how his two recent championship victories produced entirely contrasting psychological reactions despite happening close together. According to Zayn, his first victory left him in disbelief and questioning his own achievement. He stated that the first title win felt like a miracle or a fluke because it was so short-lived. That initial reign began at Night of Champions in Riyadh in June, where he defeated Cody Rhodes to complete WWE’s Triple Crown and Grand Slam. That run lasted only nine days before Punk returned on the July 6 episode of Raw in Chicago to defeat Zayn in his first title defense.

“So the first one and the second one, even though they were so close together, felt really different, ‘cause the first one’s like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe I did it. I just can’t believe it,’” Zayn said, via Busted Open Radio. “It only lasted a very short time. So I don’t know, it was just sort of like, it kind of felt like maybe it was a miracle, maybe it was a fluke, maybe it was this, but I got to say I did it. You know, and it’s really hard to get there. I mean, there’s probably less than 100 people in human history that have held that title. So now to be on that list, it was like, ‘Well, I did it. Wow.’”

Busted Open Radio

Cementing a Place at the Top

Winning the championship a second time changed that internal narrative. While maintaining an equal sense of pride, Zayn noted that securing the gold once more removed any lingering feeling that he just got lucky regarding his status among elite company.

“But now doing it the second time is like, ‘No. No, it’s no fluke.’ You know, like I feel like it cemented me in a way,” Zayn explained on Busted Open Radio. “Totally different feeling, equal amount of pride, but it kind of washes away that little part of like, ‘Well, I just got lucky,’ ‘cause maybe that is in the back of your head. But now the second time around, it’s like, hmm, you don’t get lucky twice.”

Busted Open Radio

Zayn’s second championship win came amid chaotic interference on SmackDown in Mexico City. Johnny Gargano had been promised a title shot for helping Zayn, but the match descended into heavy distraction when Candice LeRae interfered with referee Dan Engler. Following a sequence involving Kevin Owens accidentally striking Punk with the title belt, Zayn delivered a low blow to Owens and hit Punk with a Helluva Kick to end Punk’s 67-day reign.

Crowded Title Picture and Upcoming Defenses

The Undisputed WWE Championship has changed hands five times in 2026, across reigns held by Drew McIntyre, Cody Rhodes, Zayn, Punk, and Zayn again. Zayn’s current heel persona—stemming from a decision to cost Owens a match against Punk last month—has placed him at the center of a busy roster. According to PWInsider Elite reporting, several people within WWE expect Zayn facing World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns for the Crown Jewel Championship at Crown Jewel in Riyadh on November 7. Meanwhile, several contenders wait in line for opportunities, including Gargano, Randy Orton, Owens, Gunther, Finn Balor, and Punk.