Sami Zayn’s Undisputed WWE Championship win at Night of Champions has become one of the biggest talking points in the business. Now, a new report has revealed the backstage reaction after Zayn defeated Cody Rhodes and Gunther in the Triple Threat main event in Riyadh.
Zayn went into Night of Champions as the underdog. After so many failed title attempts over the years, very few expected him to walk out as the new Undisputed WWE Champion. While the crowd celebrated the emotional victory, many WWE stars and even wrestlers outside the company were reportedly just as happy to see Zayn finally reach the top.
WWE talent reportedly celebrated Sami Zayn’s championship moment
According to Fightful Select, many people across the wrestling world were genuinely excited for Zayn, with several WWE talents celebrating his long-awaited world title win behind the scenes.
Fightful Select reported that “there were a lot of talent happy about Sami Zayn winning the WWE Championship, both inside WWE and outside WWE.”
Several wrestlers congratulated him, including his longtime friend Kevin Owens and the GOAT John Cena as well.
The report also said there were early concerns that Zayn’s title reign might not last very long. At one point, WWE reportedly considered having Brock Lesnar beat him before SummerSlam. This would have paved the way for a title match with Oba Femi.
Those plans now appear to have changed. After Femi decided to use his King of the Ring title opportunity on a Hell in a Cell match with Lesnar instead, the rumored championship storyline did not come to pass.
There were several reasons why Sami Zayn’s championship win caught everyone off guard. For years, he had been presented as WWE’s ultimate underdog. He always fell short at the final hurdle in world title matches. Night of Champions emerged as his tenth chance to win a world championship on WWE’s main roster after losing his previous nine opportunities.
Moreover, even during the match, Rhodes looked ready to retain after hitting two Cross Rhodes, but Zayn suddenly rolled him up for the three-count. The surprise finish led Michael Cole to call it a “miracle” in Riyadh.
Read More: Sami Zayn’s WWE Title Win Was ‘Need to Know’ Basis, Raising Backstage Concern — Report
