Sami Zayn lost his United States Championship on Friday in an open challenge that featured the surprise return of Ilya Dragunov. The loss came as a shock to many fans, as his weekly matches featuring a surprise opponent were the highlight of many recent episodes of SmackDown. They also offered a fresh direction for the Honorary Uce who has spent the past several years either embroiled in Bloodline drama or delivering promo after promo about wanting to be World Champion (only to come up short each time).
When he first won The United States Championship, it seemed to be an admission that his dreams of being World Champion would be put on hold for awhile so he could, as per usual, improve the midcard. His reign, however, didn’t even last fifty days. So, fans are understandably wondering what’s next for Zayn, and many are speculating it could mean he’s winning The Royal Rumble.
I think there’s some good evidence for him potentially winning but also some good evidence against him potentially winning. So, let’s talk out a case for why he might win The Royal Rumble and a case for why he might not win The Royal Rumble.
Why Sami Zayn Might Win The 2026 Royal Rumble
Well, let’s start with the location. Sami Zayn is from Canada, but his family traces its roots back to Syria. He’s always been extremely open about his fondness for The Middle East, and not surprisingly, the crowd absolutely loves him in Saudi Arabia. He’s routinely cheered at the same levels or even more so than the biggest stars on the roster, and sometimes he’s even given the chance to address the crowd in Arabic, which, of course, always goes over extremely well.
Even outside of the location, however, Zayn has felt like a character on the precipice of breaking out for a long time. He was one of the most integral parts of the OG Bloodline story and was a big reason why it went from being a really good storyline to one of the best we’ve gotten in decades. He was so over at one point that fans legitimately thought he might beat Roman Reigns when they faced off for the WWE Championship.
He’s talked very openly and repeatedly about wanting to be a World Champion in WWE, and the fact that he’s never gotten there is a bit of a tarnish on his Hall of Fame career. Winning The Royal Rumble (and the title at WrestleMania) would really solidify him as one of the greatest performers of his generation, and it would also be a bit of a thank you from WWE, who have used his connection with the crowd to inject life into stale programs for years.
It’s clear Triple H and company think the world of him, which is why he was the one who beat Gunther at WrestleMania and why he’s booked in a prominent spot almost every single week. It’s reasonable to think this may be the time they finally want to strap the rocket on him.
Why Sami Zayn Might Not Win The 2026 Royal Rumble
Because I’ll believe it when I see it. Like LA Knight, another character extremely over with the crowd who has been desperate to win a World Championship for years, Zayn is booked to lose every time he’s put in the ring with the biggest stars in the company. Sure, he beat The Usos alongside Kevin Owens in the Main Event of WrestleMania 39, but that was for the tag team titles. Sure, he beat Gunther at WrestleMania 40 and ended his historic Intercontinental Championship streak, but that was for The IC Title. Every time he gets a shot at one of the big belts, he loses, and at this point, there’s no reason to think WWE seems him as a big enough star to win one of their two biggest prizes.
I get that he’s booked every single week, but there’s a big difference between being an integral part of the show and being on the poster and being leaned on to move tickets. Hardcore wrestling fans love Sami Zayn, but is he the type of guy that makes casuals buy a ticket because they need to see him? He’s not Roman Reigns or even Cody Rhodes. Sure, WWE let Jey Uso win The Royal Rumble last year, but that was only after historic merchandise sales and YEET videos going viral all over social media.
And speaking of Jey Uso, watching him win The Royal Rumble last year might be a cautionary tale within WWE. A lot of fans were stoked with his surprise win, but a lot of other fans were not happy campers. They didn’t buy him as a main eventer, and his singles work was viewed very harshly in the lead-up to WrestleMania. He won the belt because it would have basically destroyed his entire push if he lost, but WWE had Gunther win it back on an episode of Raw less than two months after Uso won. Would they take that risk again?
To Sum Up
I think Sami Zayn is going to be World Champion one day. He’s been one of the best and most consistent performers on WWE’s roster for a decade, and I’d love to see him get a run with a big belt at some point. I think he’s earned it, and I think it would be a really meaningful moment that fans would love to see.
I’m not so sure it means he’s going to win the Rumble though. Yes, he would get a thunderous reception if he won in Saudi Arabia, but WWE took a big risk in having Jey Uso win this year, which only netted mixed results. Having Zayn win would represent another gamble, and I’m not entirely sure WWE sees him as a guy that can sell WrestleMania tickets.
Right now, I’d put Zayn’s odds of winning the Rumble at like 1 out of 4. That means he’s very much in play, but I’m skeptical he’s the odds on favorite, given WWE has plenty of other options like Roman Reigns, Gunther, Drew McIntyre, Randy Orton and Bron Breakker who they seem to view more as main event guys.