A popular star returned from a prolonged absence on the latest episode of WWE SmackDown.
During the blue brandâ€s international broadcast from Perth, Australia, Sami Zayn held his United States Championship open challenge. The contest was answered by none other than Zaynâ€s old rival, Shinsuke Nakamura, who made his return after an extended hiatus to fight for the title.
Nakamura also brought back his classic theme, “The Rising Sun,†to a huge pop from the crowd.
Despite both superstars electrifying the audience with their performance, the match never reached a decisive conclusion as Tama Tonga returned from injury to attack Nakamura before delivering the same treatment to Zayn inside the ring. Tonga later joined the rest of the MFTs in their confrontation with the Wyatt Sicks following their WWE Tag Team Championship defense against The Street Profits.
Shinsuke Nakamura made his WWE debut in 2016, answering Sami Zaynâ€s challenge at NXT TakeOver: Dallas. Tonight marked the King of Strong Styleâ€s first televised appearance since June 13, 2025. As for Zayn, the former Honorary Uce has successfully defended his title against the likes of Rey Fenix and Jeâ€Von Evans on the blue brand.
WWE SmackDown will air on the USA Network later tonight, while the show is available internationally on Netflix. Catch up on everything that went down on the show here.
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