The Riyadh Heist and the Backstage Blackout
Pull up a barstool, grab a cold pint of cheap domestic light beer, and let's talk about the absolute state of the WWE main event scene. The man who looks like he runs a Montreal vegan co-op went to Riyadh on June 27 and pinned Cody Rhodes clean by reversing a second Cross Rhodes into a roll-up. It was a chaotic moment that had the locker room rejoicing.
But while the boys in the back were celebrating, the suits in the corporate office were throwing chairs. As Ringside News reported, the decision to put the belt on Sami was kept on a strict need-to-know basis. It was so top-secret that the marketing department was left completely in the dark until the referee's hand hit the mat for the three-count.
As of July 1, the creative team had not even bothered to update the SummerSlam promotional material with Sami's face on it. Imagine running a multi-billion-dollar entertainment company and failing to tell your marketing director who your top champion is because you're terrified of Reddit spoilers.
One employee reportedly called the situation worrisome, and they are completely right. You cannot build a coherent build to your second-biggest show of the year when your graphic designers are scrambling to photoshop a new champion onto billboards at the last second. It is bush-league management wrapped in a premium corporate bow.
They wanted the shock value, but they paid for it by making their own staff look like they do not know what day of the week it is. Keeping your marketing department in the dark is an absolute booking mistake that makes the office look completely disorganized.
The Mailman Debate and Cena's Verdict
Naturally, the internet did what the internet does best and immediately labeled Sami a transitional champion. The collective wisdom of Twitter decided Sami is just keeping the seat warm until Cody Rhodes or GUNTHER takes it back. But WWE Hall of Famer JBL isn't buying that garbage.
Hosting Something to Wrestle, JBL went off on the transitional label, invoking the old-school wrestling term "mailman" to describe Stan Stasiak carrying the title between top babyfaces. JBL declared that Sami is not a mailman, but a real champion who is going to get a genuine shot to run with the ball.
And if you do not want to take JBL's word for it, how about the greatest of all time? Sami revealed that John Cena sent him a text message right after the win. Cena congratulated him, saying he really did it his own way.
He also reminded Sami of the sheer mathematical absurdity of his achievement, noting that less than 1% of the people who enter the business ever reach the mountaintop. When the guy who spent a decade carrying the company on his back tells you that you earned it your way, you are not a transitional champion.
Speaking with ESPN New York, Sami was open about how surreal the moment felt, describing it as something beyond even his wildest childhood dreams. He made it clear that this victory was something he never thought possible.
I would have called it a fantasy if you asked me when I was 13 or 14 years old, a fantasy. Not even something you could actually dream of in a meaningful way whereby you're setting attainable goals for yourself because it's something you can visualize it. It was so unfathomable that it was more fantastical and more of a fantasy than anything and I've done it.
Sami is leaning into this underdog energy, too. He told ESPN New York that being an underdog means fans expect him to lose the belt every single time he defends it. That is a massive psychological advantage.
Cody Rhodes' latest championship reign ended at just over 110 days, but none of those runs had the raw, desperate emotion that Sami brings to the ring every single week. Every match has high stakes because the audience is convinced the fairy tale is about to end.
The Chicago Landmine and the CM Punk Factor
But the real test is coming up fast on the July 6, 2026 episode of Raw. Cody Rhodes did not waste any time crying about his loss. He marched onto SmackDown, demanded his rematch, and beat Jey Uso in a number one contender's match to secure it.
Sami is set to defend the WWE Championship on Monday's Raw in Chicago, as Wrestling Inc. confirmed. So now, just three days after losing his crown, Cody is getting a shot to win it right back in Chicago. This is where WWE's creative team deserves a massive red card for lazy, paint-by-numbers booking.
Sami Zayn's historic victory is immediately cheapened because he has to defend it against the former champion in the very next town. The booking team has turned a massive storyline shift into a rushed television transition. It feels like they are already panicked about his championship reign.
And let's not forget the loudest resident of the Windy City. CM Punk is expected to make his return on this exact Raw in front of his home crowd. Punk has been off television since April, nursing his wounds and dodging rumors of backstage heat.
The Allstate Arena is going to be deafening, but the creative plans for him are already looking like a headache. If the rumors are true and Punk is set to immediately jump to SmackDown after this appearance, it makes the entire draft look like a complete waste of time. Why have brand splits if your biggest stars can just walk onto the other show whenever they feel like it?
If Cody wins the title back on Raw, it sets up Cody vs. Randy Orton for SummerSlam in Minneapolis. But if Sami retains, where does that leave him? If they feed him to Cody in Chicago just to get the belt back on their golden boy, it will be one of the most frustrating booking decisions in recent memory.
Outcasts, Luchadores, and the Underdog's Shadow
While Sami tries to navigate the main event chaos, the rest of the roster is clawing at the walls. Chad Gable is out here bleeding for his craft, quite literally. Gable lost a bloody, brutal mask vs. mask match against El Grande Americano at AAA Noche de los Grandes, but he is refusing to let that setback define him.
Speaking on The Hot Tag with Brady Jones, Gable pointed to his tag team championships at every level and insisted that the bloody unmasking proved he belongs in the singles world title picture. He is also trying to make amends with Otis, showing a level of character depth that most of the main roster completely lacks.
He is making it clear that his singles work is backed up by his performances in the ring. Gable wants the company to know that he is ready for the WWE Championship picture.
I've made it very clear in the past that I'm capable of more than that and I think what the mask vs. mask match did was show the world those weren't just words.
Gable is doing the best work of his career, but you have to wonder if creative will actually reward him. Too often, WWE builds up midcarders only to pull the plug right before they reach the main event. It is on the booking team to carry this momentum forward.
Then you look at the women's division, which has its own set of problems. Sol Ruca is currently holding down the fort as the Women's Intercontinental Champion, having turned back Lyra Valkyria on June 8. Lyra responded to that loss by turning heel and laying out Bayley, which was a great twist.
But the division feels like it is waiting for something bigger. Blake Monroe just made her SmackDown debut by jumping Giulia and calling out Tiffany Stratton. There is plenty of talent, but the booking is so frantic that nothing has time to breathe.
That is the main problem with WWE in 2026. The action in the ring is spectacular, but the execution behind the curtain is a mess of secrecy and panic. Sami Zayn is a phenomenal champion because he represents everything we love about professional wrestling: the grind, the passion, and the triumph of the guy who was never supposed to make it.
But if the office keeps keeping their own departments in the dark and rushing rematches just to hit corporate benchmarks, they are going to suffocate their own success. Let Sami run. Let the story breathe.
And for the love of the game, tell your marketing department who is winning the match before the pay-per-view starts. The fans deserve better than paint-by-numbers booking. Let's see if Monday's Raw actually delivers.
