Image Credit: WWE
For the first time ever, Sami Zayn can call himself the WWE United States Champion.
Zayn captured the singles title on this week’s episode of Friday Night Smackdown, dethroning Solo Sikoa in a 12-minute main event matchup in front of a crowd at the LDLC Arena in Lyon, France.
After escaping a Samoan Spike, Zayn was able to deliver back-to-back Helluva Kicks to Sikoa, earning him a successful pinfall victory. While usually Sikoa’s MFT helpers would be at ringside to prevent a clean finish of this nature, a run-in earlier in the match by Jimmy Uso and Jacob Fatu was able to prevent this from happening.
Zayn earned a title shot against Sikoa by beating him clean a few weeks back when Smackdown was in Montreal.
The recent win marks the start of Zayn’s first title reign since August 2024, when his fourth-ever run with the Intercontinental title wrapped up.
Sikoa had held the U.S. title since June, when he overcame Jacob Fatu at Night of Champions. He defended the title twice in the weeks that followed, beating Fatu in a steel cage rematch and overcoming Jimmy Uso. Now, with the help of those two, his reign has come to an end.