Sami Zayn is WWE Champion once again.

Zayn defeated CM Punk on the September 11 edition of WWE SmackDown to regain the WWE Undisputed Championship, bringing Punk’s 64-day title reign to an end. The victory marks Zayn’s second time holding WWE’s top championship, and the new champion made his feelings clear after the event with celebratory messages to his supporters.

“I AM THE WWE CHAMPION AGAIN!” Zayn wrote.

View the referenced post on Instagram

In a separate message, Zayn addressed the fans who have stood behind him throughout his journey, declaring, “RIDE OR DIES REJOICE, JUSTICE AT LAST! TWO TIME WWE CHAMPION!”

For more background on this topic, read Bayley Hails WWE South America Live Tour as ‘A Pro Wrestler’s Dream’.

The words reflect the emotion around a major title change, but the match itself was far from straightforward. Zayn’s win over Punk came after a wild sequence involving Johnny Gargano, Candice LeRae and Kevin Owens, with the WWE Championship belt becoming central to the decisive closing moments.

A Chaotic Finish Changes the WWE Title Picture

Punk appeared to be closing in on a successful defense when he had Zayn trapped in the Anaconda Vice. At that point, Gargano and LeRae created a distraction that shifted the match’s momentum. Gargano attempted to use the championship belt against Punk, only for Punk to stop him and deliver a Go 2 Sleep to Gargano.

With the match continuing amid the chaos, Zayn tried to strike Punk with the title belt. Before he could do so, Owens entered the ring and intervened. Owens stopped Zayn, then tried to use the belt on Punk himself. Instead, Owens accidentally hit Punk with the championship.

The accidental belt shot left Punk vulnerable. Zayn immediately took advantage of the situation, hitting Owens with a low blow before following up with a Helluva Kick to Punk. Zayn then covered Punk and earned the pinfall to reclaim the WWE Undisputed Championship.

The result gives Zayn a defining win over one of WWE’s most established main-event stars, while also ensuring that the circumstances surrounding the finish will remain a major part of the discussion. Punk was not defeated in a simple one-on-one closing stretch. Gargano and LeRae’s distraction, Owens’ intervention and the errant championship-belt strike all played roles before Zayn delivered the Helluva Kick that ended the bout.

Still, the record is clear: Zayn pinned Punk, and Sami Zayn is once again WWE Champion.

Zayn Ends Punk’s 64-Day Reign

Punk had held the WWE Undisputed Championship for 64 days before Zayn’s SmackDown victory. His reign began when he defeated Zayn for the championship on WWE Raw in Chicago in July.

That previous result gave Punk the title at Zayn’s expense. Now, only weeks later, Zayn has reversed the outcome and restored himself to the top of WWE. The title has changed hands between the two competitors in a short span, underlining how closely connected their championship stories have become.

For Zayn, the latest victory carries the added weight of being a return to a position he had recently lost. Regaining a championship is often different from winning it for the first time. The first victory establishes a champion; the second confirms that the reign was not an isolated moment. Zayn’s social-media celebration centered on exactly that distinction, emphasizing that he is now a two-time WWE Champion.

His messages also carried a sense of vindication. Zayn did not simply announce the title win. By referring to “justice,” he presented the result as a correction after Punk had taken the championship from him in Chicago.

“RIDE OR DIES REJOICE, JUSTICE AT LAST! TWO TIME WWE CHAMPION!”

That statement was directed toward the audience that has followed Zayn’s career and continued to support him through his championship ups and downs. After the SmackDown main event, those supporters have a new reign to celebrate.

Kevin Owens Remains at the Center of the Story

Owens’ involvement adds another important layer to Zayn’s championship victory. His decision to enter the match prevented Zayn from using the WWE Championship belt on Punk, but Owens then picked up the belt himself and attempted to strike Punk. The swing went wrong, and Punk was the one who absorbed the blow.

From there, Zayn struck Owens with a low blow and used the opening to put Punk away with the Helluva Kick. The sequence put Owens in the middle of the finish without making him the man who was pinned for the championship.

That distinction matters. Punk lost the title to Zayn, but Owens’ attempted interference directly contributed to the champion being left exposed. Meanwhile, Zayn’s low blow to Owens showed that he was willing to remove anyone standing between himself and the WWE Championship in that decisive moment.

The closing scene did not offer a clean resolution among the three men. Punk’s reign ended after an accidental shot from Owens. Owens was then taken out by Zayn before he could alter the result further. Zayn left with the title, but the match finish left clear tension in its wake.

Gargano and LeRae Help Turn the Match Upside Down

Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae also had a significant impact on the championship match. Their distraction came while Punk had the Anaconda Vice applied to Zayn, a point where Punk was in control and appeared capable of forcing a submission.

Gargano’s attempt to hit Punk with the title belt backfired when Punk delivered the Go 2 Sleep. However, the disruption had already turned the contest into a chaotic situation in which the belt, multiple outside participants and split-second decisions determined the outcome.

It was after Punk dealt with Gargano that Zayn tried to use the championship himself, setting off the final chain of events with Owens. In that sense, the interference did not produce a single direct path to the finish. Instead, it created the unstable environment that allowed one unexpected moment to lead immediately into another.

By the time Zayn landed the Helluva Kick, the match had moved well beyond the controlled one-on-one contest it had begun as. Punk, Gargano, LeRae and Owens had all become part of the conclusion, but Zayn was the competitor who capitalized at the exact right time.

A New Chapter Begins for Sami Zayn

Zayn’s second WWE Championship reign begins with an emphatic statement: he defeated the man who had beaten him for the title in July. There may be debate over the disorderly finish and the involvement of multiple people around ringside, but the outcome gives Zayn the championship and closes the book on Punk’s 64-day run.

The new champion’s celebration has been direct and unrestrained. Zayn is not downplaying the accomplishment or treating it as merely another title change. He is openly embracing the significance of becoming a two-time WWE Champion.

“I AM THE WWE CHAMPION AGAIN!”

That is the immediate reality following SmackDown. Punk’s reign is over, Zayn is back at the top of WWE, and the championship scene has been reshaped by one of the most chaotic finishes possible. With Owens, Gargano and LeRae all involved in the final moments, the consequences of Zayn’s victory may continue to unfold. For now, though, Zayn’s focus is on the achievement itself: he has reclaimed the WWE Undisputed Championship and restored his place as WWE’s champion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.