The Underdog Champion in a Giant's Shadow

Pull up a barstool, grab a cold pint of cheap domestic light beer, and let's talk about the absolute whiplash of yesterday's Smackdown. We are less than a week removed from Sami Zayn shocking the world at Night of Champions on June 27, 2026. He pinned Cody Rhodes, took the WWE Championship, and left the internet wrestling community in a state of collective meltdown. But if last night's episode on July 3, 2026 proved anything, it is that WWE is already getting cold feet about their new champ.

Sami Zayn walked out last night with that big gold belt, looking like a man who just survived a plane crash and won the lottery on the same day. The crowd in the arena went absolutely bananas for him. They chanted his name, sang his theme song, and threw their hands in the air. It was a beautiful moment for a guy who has spent his entire career being told he does not fit the mold of a corporate champion.

Then the reality check hit. Sami started talking about how he is going to be a fighting champion, a man of the people. But before he could even finish his thought, the corporate machinery started grinding. The commentary team was already talking about Cody Rhodes and his rematch clause. They were planting the seeds for Sami's demise before the new plate on the belt was even dry.

It is the classic WWE trap. They give us the feel-good moment to keep us happy, then immediately start planning the pivot back to the status quo. Cody is the golden boy, the guy who finished his story and wants to start another one. Sami is just the transition guy, the placeholder to keep the seat warm. It is frustrating to watch because Sami has earned this spot ten times over.

This has the exact same energy as 2011 when Christian finally won the World Heavyweight Championship after a decade of grinding, only for WWE to strip it from him and hand it to Randy Orton forty-eight hours later on Smackdown. It feels like they are running the same playbook here, treating Sami like a fluke rather than a legit headliner.

He is the best emotional storyteller in the business. He makes you care about every hope, every struggle, and every near-fall. But instead of letting him run with the ball, they are already putting him on the defensive. They are treating his championship run like an anomaly rather than a new era. That is a massive mistake that ruins the magic of the title win.

High-Flying Anarchy: Fenix vs. Vikingo

If you wanted to forget about the booking drama for a minute, you just had to watch the absolute circus that was Rey Fenix versus Vikingo. These two went out there and decided that gravity was merely a suggestion. They put on an 18-minute masterclass in high-flying insanity that left my jaw on the floor. I am talking about moves that do not even make sense in a video game, let alone in a real wrestling ring.

At one point, Vikingo did a springboard corkscrew plancha to the outside that looked like a human helicopter crash. Fenix responded with a reverse hurricanrana on the apron that looked like it compacted Vikingo's spine by three inches. The crowd was losing their minds, and honestly, so was I. This was not a wrestling match; it was a physical stunt show of the highest order.

It is like watching the modern reincarnation of those legendary Rey Mysterio Jr. and Psychosis matches from ECW back in 1995, but dialed up to eleven. You get the same adrenaline rush, but you also get the same feeling that you are watching two guys actively trying to end their own careers.

The finish was pure adrenaline. Vikingo went for his signature imploding 630 senton, but Fenix got his knees up at the last second. Fenix then hit a rolling elbow into a Code Red for a near-fall that had the referee's hand stopping millimeters from the mat. Finally, Fenix hit a muscle buster to secure the win. It was a breathless, exhausting spectacle that showed exactly what these two are capable of when they are cut loose.

But we have to talk about the negatives. As spectacular as it was, it was also incredibly dangerous and lacked real ring psychology. There were moments where they were clearly just waiting for each other to get into position for the next spot. It felt more like a gymnastic routine than a fight. If every match looked like this, these guys would be retired by thirty.

Still, you cannot deny the crowd's reaction. They were chanting "this is awesome" before the match even hit the ten-minute mark. It was the perfect contrast to the heavy, promo-driven segments that dominated the rest of the show. It was a reminder of why we fell in love with wrestling in the first place. Sometimes you just want to see two guys do flips and pretend they cannot die.

The Six-Woman Tag: Pure Chaos and Questionable Partners

Then we got the six-woman tag match, which was a wild mix of styles and star power. On one side, we had Charlotte Flair, Tiffany Stratton, and Chelsea Green. On the other side, we had Jade Cargill, B-Fab, and Michin. This match was a rollercoaster of great character work and clunky in-ring execution. It was a perfect representation of the current state of the women's division.

Chelsea Green continues to be the funniest person on television, spending half the match trying to avoid Jade Cargill like the plague. When she finally got tagged in, she took a pump kick that nearly sent her hair extensions into the third row. Her physical comedy is unmatched.

Tiffany Stratton also showed why she is the future of this division with an athletic presence that makes everything look effortless. Her chemistry with Charlotte Flair is fascinating. They are like two alpha predators trying to share a single hunting ground, and that tension adds a great layer to the match.

Jade Cargill is still an absolute star with a physical presence that cannot be taught. But she is also visibly raw in some of her sequences. A few exchanges with Charlotte looked clunky, proving she still needs polish.

B-Fab and Michin did their parts, but they felt like afterthoughts in this star-studded lineup. Michin took the brunt of the offense before Tiffany hit the Prettiest Moonsault Ever on her for the win. It was the right call to keep momentum on Tiffany's side while protecting the bigger stars.

However, the match suffered from having too many moving parts. With six women in the ring, nobody really had time to establish a flow. It felt like a collection of individual spots rather than a cohesive story, meaning it won't be remembered past next week.

Where Do We Go From Here?

The takeaway from last night is that WWE has the ingredients for a golden age if they just stop overthinking. They have the workrate guys like Fenix and Vikingo who can tear the house down. They have the larger-than-life characters like Jade Cargill and Chelsea Green, and the emotional heart in Sami Zayn.

But the booking team is obsessed with the next big thing. They need to let Sami Zayn breathe as champion instead of rushing to get the belt back on Cody Rhodes. Let him defend the title against a variety of opponents and prove he is a top-tier champion.

If they pivot back to Cody immediately, they risk alienating the fans. The crowd wants to go on a journey with Sami and see if the underdog can actually hold the mountain. Rushing that story back to Cody is a massive waste of potential.

WWE needs to trust that we can handle a champion who does not look like a bodybuilder. Sami Zayn is the champ we need right now. Let us enjoy the ride before the corporate machine takes over.