Sami Zayn pins Cody Rhodes to capture Undisputed WWE Championship

RIYADH: Sami Zayn fulfilled his lifelong dream by pinning Cody Rhodes to become the new Undisputed WWE Champion in the main event of WWE Night of Champions 2026 at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The high-stakes Triple Threat Match also featured Gunther, with all three superstars battling for WWE's most prestigious prize.

The match reached another level of intensity when Rhodes drove Zayn through the announce table. 

Unaware that Gunther was standing behind him, Rhodes was then lifted and slammed through the second announce table with a thunderous body slam by the Austrian powerhouse.

Later in the contest, Zayn connected with a devastating Helluva Kick on Gunther and looked set to claim victory. 

However, Rhodes pulled the referee out of the ring before the three-count could be completed, preventing Zayn from capturing the championship. The closing moments proved dramatic as Rhodes delivered a double Cross Rhodes to both Zayn and Gunther.

With Gunther rolling out of the ring, Rhodes attempted to hit a second Cross Rhodes on Zayn. However, the challenger slipped out of the move and caught the champion with a quick roll-up. 

The referee counted to three as Zayn stunned Rhodes to win the Undisputed WWE Championship for the first time in his career.

Rhodes entered the premium live event as champion but was unable to overcome the combined challenge posed by Zayn and Gunther in the unpredictable Triple Threat environment, where the champion did not need to be directly involved in the decision to lose the title.

The result capped off an intense rivalry that had escalated over recent weeks following disagreements between Rhodes and Zayn, as well as Gunther's relentless pursuit of the championship.

With Zayn now standing atop SmackDown as the new Undisputed WWE Champion, attention will quickly turn to the road to SummerSlam, where the newly crowned champion is expected to make his first major title defence.