Fantasy Booking Sami Zayn's WWE Undisputed Championship Run

Sami Zayn shocked the wrestling world by defeating Cody Rhodes and Gunther on Saturday to become the new undisputed WWE champion.

Now that The Last Real Good Guy holds the top prize in the industry, what should his reign look like from a booking perspective?

Let's take a look.

Stay True to the Character

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The reason Zayn was in a position to be included in a WWE title match in the first place was because of his character change and the success of his Last Real Good Guy persona.

There is no reason to change it.

There will be considerable fan sentiment when Zayn takes to the squared circle for SmackDown, but the creative team cannot allow the positive reaction to affect the new champion's creative direction.

It was the fickle fans who necessitated the heel turn in the first place, something Zayn should mention before denouncing their support. Stay the course with that character, let him rub his victory in the faces of those fans who stopped cheering for him in favor of Trick Williams.

Stay the course and reap the rewards. If the fans continue to cheer him, so be it. He can chalk it up to being what he says he is: a good guy.

Wins

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Zayn is fresh off beating Rhodes clean in the center of the ring, outwrestling The American Nightmare en route to a roll-up win.

Wins are momentum-builders. Not only that, but they also build credibility. The last thing WWE needs after a start to the year that included lame-duck title reigns is another one. Let Zayn run with the gold, accumulate some quality wins and build legitimacy at the top of the card.

Sentiment surrounding Zayn has not been this high since he challenged Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Elimination Chamber in 2023. Why ruin it by shortchanging his title reign or never booking him to defend?

SmackDown desperately needs genuine main event talent. Building Zayn into one will not do any harm.

Rekindling the Trick Williams Feud

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Zayn's year started with the absurdity of the Gingerbread Man leading into WrestleMania and Backlash, where he lost consecutive matches and the United States Championship to Trick Williams.

What better way to exorcise that particular demon than by having Zayn run it back against the charismatic babyface, with a chance to get his win back while simultaneously giving Williams some main event rub?

It freshens up the main event scene in that the title picture moves away from Rhodes and Gunther, and it creates an opportunity for Zayn to get at least one win back.

It does not have to be a long program, but considering Williams' success against Zayn, it would make sense that he would want to step up and challenge for the top prize on the blue brand.

The Cody Rhodes Match

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Rhodes was instrumental in Zayn's turn to the dark side and his assumption of the Last Real Hero persona.

Zayn's win over The American Nightmare at Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia at the weekend was huge and proved he was on QB1's level and, more importantly, that he can beat him.

Why wouldn't WWE book that one-on-one match and give fans the most logical follow-up possible?

We saw the look of disgust on Rhodes' face in the closing moments of Saturday's show. On a grand scale, WWE could even utilize a rematch as a chance to turn the former champion.

We have seen some heel tendencies out of The American Nightmare this year, so what better way to go all-in than by having him brutalize Zayn in what ultimately becomes a double-turn?

Zayn becomes the clear good guy, Rhodes the heel, and SmackDown instantly gets a much-needed shot of adrenaline at the top of the card.

The Kevin Owens Return

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Kevin Owens will be back in WWE eventually and there is no better way to reintroduce him to the fans than by having him show up to celebrate a big Zayn victory.

The Prizefighter could feign pride over his friend's title success, only to slam him to the arena floor and kick off the latest chapter of their rivalry.

It plays on their long history together since NXT and puts Zayn in a sympathetic role. It also gives fans a well-documented rivalry at the top of the card.