4 WWE Stars Who Could Dethrone Sami Zayn On The Final SmackDown Before Crown Jewel

Sami Zayn will be carrying the United States Title into the go-home SmackDown for Crown Jewel in Australia. Heâ€s reintroduced the open-challenge format and has defended the belt several times in recent weeks. With Crown Jewel just a day away, several outside threats could show up on SmackDown and try to steal the title before the big night. Below are four names who, based on their recent activity on the roster, make sense as surprise challengers or spoilers on the go-home show.

4. Jacob Fatu Comes Back for His Title

Jacob Fatu has made several high-profile appearances recently and was involved on SmackDown in late September, including an angle where he targeted Drew McIntyre. The Scottish Warrior hit him with a Glasgow Kiss headbutt, and Fatu attacked him with his own boot and landed a superkick.

Fatu won the US title back at WrestleMania 41, defeating the Megastar LA Knight on Night 1. Fatu’s title reign lasted 69 days before losing to his family member and MFT leader Solo Sikoa. Now that the title has changed hands, he might try his luck and challenge Zayn for the title. Fatu’s ‘All gas, no brakes’ mentality makes him a credible threat to Zayn in a one-off, chaotic SmackDown surprise. If he shows up, he can use a single hard strike or interference to turn a short match into an upset.

3. Shinsuke Nakamura Finally Makes a Mark

Shinsuke Nakamura brings both experience and credentials, and has won the United States Championship three times as of early 2025. His most recent U.S. Title win came at Survivor Series: WarGames 2024, where he defeated Megastar LA Knight. He is an experienced veteran, known for his time in the Japanese pro wrestling scene, where he proved himself by becoming a world champion multiple times.

Lately, he has been seen lurking around backstage on SmackDown segments, suggesting he is eyeing the champion and waiting for his moment. With his proven track record and calm but dangerous in-ring style, Nakamura could plausibly step up on the final SmackDown, surprise Zayn, perhaps win the open challenge, or ambush him and reclaim another title run this year.

2. Sami Zayn Takes Joe Hendry’s Name

Joe Hendry is a proven singles star with a real-life reputation for crowd work and charisma. In 2025, he has been active across promotions, and reports indicate WWE’s interest in expanding his role or bringing him more fully into WWE programming. He entered the 2025 Royal Rumble, and answered Randy Orton’s open challenge call at WrestleMania 41. Hendryâ€s in-ring style mixes strong strikes, loud crowd interaction, and a knack for making underdog stories feel urgent.

On the go-home SmackDown, he could answer an open challenge as an unexpected challenger who wins over the crowd and then outwits Zayn. From a storytelling view, Hendry winning would give SmackDown a feel-good, crowd-driven twist going into Crown Jewel and offer a fresh matchup for Zayn on the big show. He already had the TNA world title for more than 125 days, proving he can handle the pressure of being a top champion while entertaining the audience.

1. The Ruler Oba Femi Comes to Rule SmackDown

Oba Femi is an NXT superstar who has moved quickly through the brandâ€s title scene and remains a hot young talent. He recently lost the NXT Championship to Ricky Saints, and there has been speculation that his title loss may have been timed to clear him for a main roster move.

Femiâ€s power-based offense, athleticism, and fresh-faced intensity make him a believable new threat to Zaynâ€s more technical, cerebral style. On the final SmackDown, Femi could be presented as the big, hungry newcomer who seizes the moment. Using him to take the U.S. Title would be a classic move to elevate a rising star ahead of Crown Jewel, and several outlets note WWE has considered moving him to the main roster soon. That backstage momentum plus his in-ring resume in NXT make Oba Femi a realistic candidate to walk out of SmackDown with the belt.

It would be interesting to see who actually answers Zayn’s open challenge this week, and whether he defends his title or the WWE Universe witnesses a massive upset heading towards Crown Jewel.

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