Sami Zayn is once again the Undisputed WWE Champion.
Zayn defeated CM Punk to regain the championship in the main event of the September 11 episode of WWE SmackDown from Mexico City, Mexico.
The title match came after weeks of Zayn demanding another opportunity at Punk and repeatedly inserting himself into the championship picture. Punk finally agreed to give Zayn the match after successfully defending the title against Johnny Gargano on last week’s SmackDown.
Both men dealt with injuries during Friday night’s main event, with Punk favoring his left knee and Zayn having issues with his left wrist. Zayn targeted Punk’s knee and applied the Figure Four Leg Lock, while Punk later connected with the GTS but was slow to make the cover because of the damage to his knee.
The closing stretch featured plenty of outside involvement.
Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae came to ringside, with LeRae eventually distracting the referee while Punk had Zayn trapped in the Anaconda Vice. Zayn tapped out, but the referee did not see the submission.
Gargano then entered the ring with the Undisputed WWE Championship, but Punk caught him with the GTS before he could use it.
Kevin Owens appeared moments later and grabbed the championship. Owens attempted to hit Zayn with the title, but Zayn moved out of the way and Owens accidentally struck Punk instead.
Zayn responded by delivering a low blow to Owens and throwing the championship out of the ring. He then connected with the Helluva Kick on Punk and scored the three-count to regain the title.
Zayn celebrated with the Undisputed WWE Championship as SmackDown went off the air.
The victory begins Zayn’s second reign with the championship. His previous run ended when Punk defeated him for the title, leading to Zayn’s repeated claims that he had been denied a fair opportunity to regain the gold.
For those interested, you can check out our complete WWE SmackDown Results 9/11/26 here at WrestlingHeadlines.com.
SAMI ZAYN IS THE NEW UNDISPUTED WWE CHAMPION!!!! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/ZpwW38kmpW
— WWE (@WWE) September 12, 2026
"The Last Real Good Guy" is once again WWE Champion!! 🤯@SamiZayn pic.twitter.com/hwWillaBI9
— WWE (@WWE) September 12, 2026
#ANDNEW 🏆@SamiZayn is now a 2x Undisputed WWE Champion!!! pic.twitter.com/MfaxwVrIAt
— WWE (@WWE) September 12, 2026
