Sami Zayn is a two-time undisputed WWE champion. Zayn’s two-month conquest to regain the title from CM Punk, the man who ended his first reign after nine days, has come to an end. On SmackDown, Zayn upset Punk in Mexico City.
It took Zayn more than a decade in WWE to capture a world title. Thanks to Punk, his first title reign barely lasted a week. His compulsive revenge campaign has ended successfully, but at what cost? Zayn is champion again, but he has everyone gunning for him: friends, foes and living legends.
SmackDown was a gold rush, with nearly every match featuring a title defense. Interim WWE women’s champion Chelsea Green, AAA cruiserweight champion Rey Fenix and AAA world tag team champions The War Raiders were all in action.
CBS Sports was with you all night with recaps and highlights of all the action from Arena CDMX in Mexico City.
Sami Zayn steals the undisputed WWE title from Punk
Last week, Johnny Gargano snapped out of a six-month-long catatonic state after being offered an undisputed WWE title shot. He nearly upset Punk with help from Sami Zayn and Candice LeRae. Zayn offered to help Gargano in exchange for a title shot should Gargano have won. Gargano extended the same offer to Zayn this week. Zayn welcomed the offer, but brushed off Gargano’s request for a title shot. Gargano stood his ground, demanding the title shot, to which Zayn reluctantly agreed.
Undisputed WWE Championship — Sami Zayn def. CM Punk (c) via pinfall after hitting a Helluva Kick in a match full of interference. The bulk of the action between Punk and Zayn was well executed. They each focused on injuring an opponent’s limb: Punk’s knee and Zayn’s wrist. The match turned into complete chaos once Gargano and LeRae entered the fray. The married couple repeatedly distracted the referee so that Zayn could bend the rules. The plan almost backfired after Kevin Owens arrived, snatching the title from Zayn before he could blast Punk with it. Unfortunately, Owens inadvertently struck Punk with the title before receiving a groin strike from his ex-best friend. With Owens neutralized and Punk dazed, Zayn capitalized on the opening to win the title.
A strong match between two top performers. The only major gripe is how long the referee was distracted. It looked comical watching him do everything but officiate the mat for several minutes. A referee bump would’ve been more effective. But the match was good, the outcome was surprising and WWE can spin the narrative off in multiple directions. There is a trilogy to explore, Gargano is owed a title shot and Owens’ issues with Punk will only get worse. There’s also a slew of contenders — Randy Orton, Finn Balor, and Gunther — waiting in the wings. Grade: B+
What else happened on WWE SmackDown?Orton warned Punk and Zayn that he was coming after Friday’s winner. Orton, days after beating Cody Rhodes at Sunday Night’s Main Event, is set for a big-ticket match with Punk. This is a solid feud that WWE hasn’t visited in more than a decade. It has a new flavor with both men being grizzled, cerebral veterans. Expect a lot of psychological warfare from this feud.AAA Cruiserweight Championship — Rey Fenix (c) def. Ricky Saints via pinfall after hitting the Mexican Muscle Buster. A very good match, elevated by a Mexican crowd firmly behind the defending champion. A special acknowledgment to Saints, who hit a suicide dive tornado DDT midway through the match.Nikki Bella def. Paige via pinfall after a rope-assisted jackknife pin. The messy finishing sequence involved Bella pulling the referee between her and Paige before driving Paige’s head into the turnbuckle. It was a clunky conclusion to a forgettable match.Baron Corbin laid out Trick Williams and Lil Yachty with a kendo stick. It’s exhausting to think WWE will continue the Corbin-Williams program. It ran its course. It appears the feud will lead to a trilogy match, but it could’ve easily wrapped up after Williams regained the U.S. title at Sunday Night’s Main Event.Interim WWE Women’s Championship — Chelsea Green (c) def. Nia Jax via pinfall after connecting with Unpretty-Her. Every element of the match amplified Green as the plucky underdog. She wore the colors of the Mexican flag, a nod to her time in AAA, against Nia Jax, draped in American-themed garb. The colossal Jax tore Green’s protective face mask off and controlled large portions of the match. Towards the end, Tiffany Stratton absorbed a blow from Lash Legend to protect Green, giving the champion an opening to put away Jax. The finish was clunky, but it didn’t dissuade a Mexican crowd firmly behind Green.AAA Tag Team Championship — The War Raiders (Erik and Ivar) def. R-Truth and Damian Priest via pinfall after hitting R-Truth with Ragnarok, their double powerbomb finisher. Post-match, Priest turned on R-Truth, planting his tag team partner with a South of Heaven chokeslam onto Truth’s sombero. A good tag team match with solid superstar development. Priest looked particularly good during and after the match. Priest’s betrayal effectively removes him from the tag team division and returns his much-needed edge.