How did Sami Zayn win the WWE Undisputed Championship?

Sami Zayn won the WWE Undisputed Championship by pinning Cody Rhodes in a Triple Threat match that also featured GUNTHER at Night of Champions. This victory ended Cody's title reign of 113 days, putting the championship on Zayn who is now nine days into his reign.

Why is Adam Pearce running SmackDown instead of Nick Aldis?

Adam Pearce is currently running SmackDown as the acting General Manager because Nick Aldis has been suspended. Aldis was suspended from his duties after screaming at GUNTHER during the Night of Champions pay-per-view, leaving Pearce to make the show's booking decisions.

How long was Cody Rhodes' WWE Undisputed Championship reign?

Cody Rhodes held the WWE Undisputed Championship for exactly 113 days before dropping the title. His championship reign was ended at Night of Champions when Sami Zayn pinned him in a Triple Threat match that also included GUNTHER.

When is Sami Zayn scheduled to defend his championship next?

Sami Zayn is scheduled to make his next Undisputed Championship defense on the upcoming episode of Monday Night Raw. Acting General Manager Adam Pearce announced the match just nine days into Zayn's title reign, forcing the SmackDown champion to defend his gold on the red brand.

Who competed to become the number one contender for Sami Zayn's title?

Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso competed in a number one contender's match during the main event of SmackDown to determine Sami Zayn's next challenger. This match was set up by acting General Manager Adam Pearce after both superstars confronted the newly crowned champion in the ring.

WWE is already making a mess of Sami Zayn's title run

Pull Up a Barstool and Let's Talk SmackDown Chaos

Yo, bartender, slide another domestic draft down this way and keep the garlic fries coming, because we need to talk about the absolute circus that WWE just rolled into Atlantic City. If you had told me last month that the guy getting booed out of every arena would be standing in the middle of the ring as our Undisputed Champion, I would have ordered you a one-way ticket to rehab. Yet here we are, staring at Sami Zayn holding the richest prize in the business after pinning Cody Rhodes in a Triple Threat match that also involved GUNTHER at Night of Champions.

Sami put an end to Cody's reign of 113 days, which is a massive stat in its own right. But the fallout from this win on Friday night's SmackDown has left the entire blue brand in complete booking disarray. According to the SmackDown results on Wrestling Inc, we are only nine days into his reign, and the writers are already panic-booking like they have a plane to catch.

The Great Monday Night Raw Robbery

Sami strutted down the ramp in Atlantic City looking like a man who finally cashed a check the fans spent weeks trying to bounce. He started talking about how he is 'The Last Real Good Guy' and how the fans only turned on him because he refused to become a backstabbing heel. He claimed that no amount of booing or hate could take away the fact that he won the title his way.

Then Cody Rhodes walked out, and the vibe immediately shifted from a victory party to an awkward custody battle. Cody did his usual polite-politician routine, shaking Sami's hand and congratulating him. But Sami wasn't buying the act, demanding Cody admit why he was really in the ring.

Before Cody could answer, Jey Uso's music hit, and things went from tense to downright ridiculous. Jey declared he was there on Bloodline business to bring the gold back to the family, prompting Cody to ask when Jey went back to running errands for Roman Reigns. Sami shut them both down, telling them the title is staying with his family and warning them to stay away.

That is when acting General Manager Adam Pearce walked out with a booking decision that makes absolutely zero sense. Since Nick Aldis got suspended for screaming at GUNTHER at Night of Champions, Pearce is running the show. His first move was announcing that Sami must defend his championship on Monday Night Raw.

The challenger would be determined in a number one contender's match between Cody and Jey later that night. Why are we putting a SmackDown world title match on Monday Night Raw with only three days of build? It makes the draft look like a complete joke and robs the blue brand of its biggest draw.

Main Event Magic and Backstage Meltdowns

This is a classic case of WWE hot-shotting a major matchup because they are terrified of low television ratings. The main event between Cody and Jey was a total sprint, but it felt like a waste of a pay-per-view quality matchup. Jey hit a tope suicida early on, but Cody answered by throwing him over the announce desk and hitting a splash off the timekeeper's barrier.

Cody then hit a double jump Cody Cutter for a near-fall that had the crowd on their feet. Jey responded with a brutal Uso Splash off the top rope and a spear that almost secured the three count. Cody managed to kick out, hit a spear of his own, and finished Jey with a second Cross-Rhodes for the win.

It was an athletic contest, but giving this away on free television with zero build feels incredibly cheap. Meanwhile, the backstage area was filled with bizarre segments, starting with R-Truth and Nathan Frazer having a hot dog eating contest. The War Raiders interrupted them, leading Truth to declare that both tag titles would be defended in another eating contest.

Then we had the Bloodline drama where Royce Keys confronted Jacob Fatu and Jimmy Uso. Keys claimed that his loyalty to Fatu over the last 14 years made them real family. Jimmy Uso intervened, shutting Keys down and telling him he was no longer family.

This was a tense segment, but it was immediately overshadowed by the absolute comedy show happening in Danhausen's laboratory. Matt Cardona found Danhausen conducting experiments on Kit Wilson and The Miz. Danhausen revealed he will face JD McDonagh at Saturday Night's Main Event on July 18.

Giulia, Cruisers, and AAA Chaos

The experiment went completely awry as Wilson and Miz began convulsing, causing Danhausen to make a quick escape. The women's division also had its share of chaos, starting with a massive six-woman tag match. Jade Cargill teamed with Michin and B-Fab to face Women's United States Champion Tiffany Stratton, Chelsea Green, and Charlotte Flair.

Tensions were high after Green spent weeks trying to befriend Stratton, while Cargill had failed to win the US title at Night of Champions. The match was a chaotic mess of chops, top-rope splashes, and ringside brawling. Flair hit a cannonball off the apron to level Michin, but Cargill ran Flair over with a clothesline on the floor.

B-Fab distracted Green on the apron, allowing Cargill to hit Jaded for the victory. Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviewed Giulia about Blake Monroe attacking her last Friday after her win over Kiana James. Giulia declared she would fight Monroe anywhere, but James interrupted to mock her.

Monroe then attacked Giulia from behind, sending her into a roadcase. In a bizarre twist, Monroe then turned on James, throwing her face first into another roadcase. We also got a stellar AAA World Cruiserweight Championship match between Rey Fenix and El Hijo del Vikingo.

Vikingo made his SmackDown debut and looked incredible, hitting an Arabian Press to the outside and a reverse hurricanrana. Fenix eventually retained the title after hitting a brutal Mexican Muscle Buster. This was easily the best match on the show, but it was buried in the middle of a card that felt bloated and disorganized.

Meanwhile, In the Land of Hollywood and Indies

While the active roster is booking matches on the fly, TKO board member The Rock is busy promoting his massive Disney projects. He is currently in Brazil promoting the live-action remake of Moana, which PWInsider confirmed is hitting theaters next week on July 10, 2026. The Rock even announced that a third animated film is already being written by Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller.

Here is what The Rock had to say about the franchise's future in Brazil:

Yes, we have talked about 'Moana 3,' yes, but first, live-action 'Moana,' we'll let that come out first.

Must be nice to talk about animated movies in Brazil while your actual company's championship scene is in absolute shambles. Let's head over to MLW, where the tag team division is facing a massive crisis that could force them to vacate their titles. As F4WOnline reported, Donovan Dijak has to find a new partner after Bishop Dyer walked out on the promotion.

The company also crowned an inaugural Southern Crown Champion in a Bunkhouse Stampede match on the fourth of July. Next week's MLW card is already looking loaded, and we have the full lineup:

Shotzi Blackheart defending her MLW Women's Championship against Kira
Mads Krule Krugger and The Good Brothers facing CONTRA Unit in a six-man tag match
LaBron Kozone making his second appearance against Okumura
Titán squaring off against Magnus in a cruiserweight showcase
The Skyscrapers scheduled to make an appearance

This is a solid lineup for MLW, but they need to fix their tag team division before the titles lose all value. Forcing Dijak to find a random partner on short notice is a lazy way to handle a championship crisis. Let's hope WWE avoids the same lazy booking when Sami defends his title on Monday.