Browsing: Sami

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It’s hard to think of a more likeable WWE star than Sami Zayn. A big reason for that is that the WWE United States Champion’s authenticity; what you see with Zayn is what you get. And Zayn has had no problem showing that off ever since he first started gaining momentum in “WWE NXT” a decade ago, and has continued regardless of whether he was a babyface or a heel. Where some wrestlers would be a little weary of expressing their beliefs, Zayn hasn’t been shy at all; he is open about being a Muslim, his support for Palestine throughout the Israel-Palestine conflict, and has run several successful campaigns under the name “Sami for Syria” in order to raise funds for Syria. Even with less serious matters, his relationship with Kevin Owens has been an open book, with Zayn, Owens, and WWE not being shy of highlighting just how far back the friendship goes, and how significant it’s been to both men’s careers.

These factors would make it seem like Zayn is overall a very public person; in reality though, it’s the exact opposite. When you take away Zayn’s activism, his religion and his friendship with Owens, you’ll find that Zayn was largely a blank slate for years when it came to his personal life, to the point that fans wondered if he had any sort of family. It was a question that wasn’t answered until, arguably, the zenith of Zayn’s career to this point at Elimination Chamber 2023, when Zayn challenged Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship in his hometown of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Leading into that show, WWE decided to profile Zayn with a video diary, which gave wrestling fans the first ever glimpse of Zayn’s wife, Khadija, as she discussed his feud with Reigns, how proud she was of him, and revealed the existence of not just herself, her and Zayn’s son as well.

Zayn’s Wife, Khadija, Lives A Private Life

That video may have informed fans that Zayn had a wife and child, but it naturally didn’t tell them any more about Khadija as a person. As is the case with most spouses of wrestlers living out of the limelight, that may have been by design. Like her husband, Khadija has lived a very private life, and most knowledge pertaining to her can be found from the limited appearances she’s made in WWE to support him. The first of those appearances came just days after she recorded the aforementioned video diary, as Khadija could be spotted in the front row at Elimination Chamber for Zayn’s match against Reigns, which unfortunately ended in defeat for Zayn.

It was a much happier moment a year later, when Zayn brought her and their son to WrestleMania 40, and both witnessed Zayn becoming the WWE Intercontinental Champion by ending GUNTHER’s historic championship reign. Beyond that, only bits and pieces of Khadija are out there. From what can be gathered, Khadija, like Zayn, is also from Montreal, has worked in the film and TV industry, and first met Zayn in 2014, initially unaware of his wrestling career. After dating for several years, the couple got married in 2018; Khadija would give birth to their son three years later in 2021, with the couple naming him after Zayn’s real name, Rami Sebei.

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Ilja Dragunovâ€s return to WWE SmackDown ended with him defeating Sami Zayn to capture the United States Championship—but the story behind the decision just took a surprising turn. While one report claimed Zayn personally pushed for Dragunov to beat him, Baron Corbin has now stepped in to call that rumor false.

According to Bodyslam, Zayn wanted Dragunov to take the title off him, hoping it would elevate both the belt and Dragunovâ€s momentum. The report claimed Zayn saw it as a way to make the U.S. Championship feel important again while giving Dragunov a huge comeback moment.

But Baron Corbin didnâ€t waste time shutting down the idea. Responding on Twitter, the former WWE Superstar dismissed the claim in blunt fashion, simply writing that it was “BS.â€

So far, Zayn have addressed Corbinâ€s denial, leaving fans to wonder where the truth lies. Zayn has long been known for helping talent shine, so it wouldnâ€t be out of character for him to support Dragunovâ€s win. Still, with Corbin rejecting the story outright, the situation remains unclear until someone directly involved speaks up.

Do you think Sami Zayn really pushed for Dragunov to win the U.S. Title, or is this just another case of false reporting in wrestling news? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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Ilja Dragunov made a stunning and thrilling return to the ring after being out for over a year due to injury, answering Sami Zayn’s United States Open challenge during Friday’s edition of SmackDown and taking the champion’s title belt.

Dragunov got the job done after hitting Zayn with a Torpedo Moscow and then an H-Bomb for the win.

Zayn was clearly distracted by nemesis Solo Sikoa beforehand, although he still caught a charging Dragunov and gave him an Exploder Suplex.

Zayn then ran in for a Helluva Kick, but Dragunov countered and closed the match, stunning fans.

Dragunov previously suffered a torn ACL in a match with Gunther during a live event in Sept. 2024 and had been out ever since.

Dragunov almost didn’t even get the opportunity to answer the Open Challenge. The Miz first took the opportunity and started cutting a promo on Zayn as he walked down to the ring. However, Carmelo Hayes then attacked The Miz from behind, and that challenge was soon squashed.

Zayn then awaited a new challenger, and Dragunov took advantage of his opportunity. He also debuted a new look, showing a more bulked-up physique and sporting a neck tattoo as well.

Dragunov signed with WWE in 2019 and wrestled on NXT UK from 2019-2022 before moving to NXT in 2022. He fared quite well, winning the NXT United Kingdom Championship and the NXT Championship. Dragunov also earned Male Superstar of the Year honors in 2023.

He made his main roster debut on April 8, 2024, but his first stint there unfortunately lasted just five-plus months.

However, Dragunov didn’t waste any time making a major impact in his return, taking Zayn’s belt and becoming a champion for the first time on the main roster.

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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…

WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT
OCTOBER 10, 2025
PERTH, AUSTRALIA AT RAC ARENA
AIRED LIVE ON USA NETWORK
REPORT BY WADE KELLER, PWTORCH EDITOR

Commentators: Michael Cole, Booker T

Ring Announcer: Mark Nash

JOIN US LIVE ON YOUTUBE TONIGHT FOR THE VIDEO-FORMAT OF OUR LIVE POST-SHOWS…

PWTorch editor Wade Keller will be joined by PWTorchâ€s Javier Machado to review WWE Smackdown LIVE on YouTube. Weâ€ll be incorporating live viewer comments into the show so join us LIVE!

Email our post-show at wadekellerpodcast@gmail.com with your comments and questions about S,Tmackdown. Weâ€ll read your emails live during the post-show.

If you canâ€t join us live on YouTube, stream the show on demand later at YouTube or listen or stream later on a podcast app. Subscribe to all of our free podcasts by searching “wade keller†and “pwtorch†in your podcast app of choice including Spotify and Apple Podcasts and most other iOS and Android apps.

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Click that link during the post-show to enter the waiting room as “live video caller†(or just audio if you turn off your cam, which is fine).

OPEN TO EVERYONE – LINK TO WATCH LIVE RIGHT AFTER WWE SMACKDOWN TONIGHT: CLICK HERE

[HOUR ONE]

-They opened with a video showing a “hand off” the (meaningless, barely ever mentioned) Crown Jewel Title belts from Saudio Arabia to Australia 7,065 miles.

(Keller’s Analysis: This had the vibe of a bad WWE Films-produced action-adventure or thrilled movie. I mean, it’d be cool if this was done for a meaningful title belt the fans had a reason to care about and was part of the narrative year round.)

-They cut to the arena where Cole touted all the bedazzling of the Crown Jewel Title belts which was shown at ringside.

-Cody Rhodes made his ring entrance wearing a blue suit with a red tie. He carried his WWE Title belt to the ring with him.

Advertised Matches & Appearances

• The Wyatt Sicks vs. The Street Profits – WWE Tag Team Championship match
• Tiffany Stratton & Stephanie Vaquer vs. Giulia & Kiana James
• Damian Priest vs. Aleister Black – Last Man Standing match
• Sami Zayn to issue a United States Title Open Challenge
• Cody Rhodes to speak

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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…

SHOW SUMMARY:This installment of the PWTorch VIP Vault jumps back to the Sept. 18 and Sept. 20, 2007 podcasts covering vintage ROH events.

First, PWTorch contributor Jamie Penick and PWTorch columnist Sean Radican discuss the May 11, 2007 “Reborn Again” ROH event released this month on DVD which includes Bryan Danielson vs. Adam Pearce, Kenta vs. Delirious, Claudio Castagnoli vs. Bobby Fish, plus El Generico (Sami Zayn) and Kevin Steen (Kevin Owens) in action. This originally dropped on Sept. 18, 2007.

Next, a podcast from Sept. 20, 2007 with PWTorch ROH Audio Host Jamie Penick talking with PWTorch contributor Chris Vetter about that Saturday’s ROH PPV taping in Chicago Ridge, Ill. Vetter attended the event in person and gave a detailed overview of the show.

This is another episode in our VIP Podcast Vault series going back to our earliest podcasts. We will continue to present VIP Podcasts from 18 years ago exclusively for PWTorch VIP members on our VIP Podcast Feed.

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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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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…

WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT
OCTOVER 3, 2025
CINCINNATI, OHIO AT HERITAGE BANK CENTER
AIRED LIVE ON USA NETWORK
REPORT BY WADE KELLER, PWTORCH EDITOR

Commentators: Michael Cole, Booker T

Ring Announcer: Mark Nash

Attendance: WrestleTix reports as of today 6,943 tickets were distributed so far. The arena has a capacity of 17,556 spectators when configured for concerts.

JOIN US LIVE ON YOUTUBE TONIGHT FOR THE VIDEO-FORMAT OF OUR LIVE POST-SHOWS…

PWTorch editor Wade Keller will be joined by PWTorchâ€s Christopher Maitland to review WWE Smackdown LIVE on YouTube. Weâ€ll be incorporating live viewer comments into the show so join us LIVE!

Email our post-show at wadekellerpodcast@gmail.com with your comments and questions about Smackdown. Weâ€ll read your emails live during the post-show.

If you canâ€t join us live on YouTube, stream the show on demand later at YouTube or listen or stream later on a podcast app. Subscribe to all of our free podcasts by searching “wade keller†and “pwtorch†in your podcast app of choice including Spotify and Apple Podcasts and most other iOS and Android apps.

VIP MEMBER EXCLUSIVE VIDEO CALLER CODE: CLICK HERE

LINK TO BE A VIP CALLER:

Click that link during the post-show to enter the waiting room as “live video caller†(or just audio if you turn off your cam, which is fine).

OPEN TO EVERYONE – LINK TO WATCH LIVE RIGHT AFTER WWE SMACKDOWN TONIGHT: CLICK HERE

[HOUR ONE]

Advertised Matches & Appearances

• Cody Rhodes & Randy Orton vs. Bronson Reed & Bron Breakker
• Sami Zaynâ€s United States Open Challenge to continue
• Tiffany Stratton to appear
• Damian Priest to be in action

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Tonight, Friday, October 3, 2025, WWE SmackDown broadcasts live from the Heritage Bank Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, starting at 8 PM ET on the USA Network in the United States and streaming internationally on Netflix.

Storylines are focused on building toward Crown Jewel, including more potential appearances from Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyreâ€s revenge arc, and a strong focus on the developing tag team and womenâ€s division storylines.

Matches and Segments (October 3, 2025)

Main Event Tag Team Match: Cody Rhodes teams with Randy Orton to face Bronson Reed & Bron Breakker (The Vision). This comes after Orton helped Rhodes clear the ring of these challengers last week, building momentum toward Crown Jewel.

Sami Zaynâ€s United States Championship Open Challenge: Zayn, who has successfully defended his title in a string of open challenges, will issue another open challenge for the U.S. Championship tonight. Previous challengers have included John Cena, Rey Fenix, Carmelo Hayes, and Jeâ€Von Evans. The new challenger will be revealed on the show.

WWE Womenâ€s Champion Tiffany Stratton Appearing: After defeating Nia Jax and Jade Cargill last week, Tiffany Stratton will address her Crown Jewel opponent, Womenâ€s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer, and set her sights on further championship dominance.

Damian Priest in Action: After an ongoing feud with Aleister Black, including backstage attacks, Damian Priest is scheduled for an in-ring match. Speculation is that Kit Wilson could be his opponent, with Aleister Black possibly interfering.

Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest WWE news on the road to WWE Crown Jewel Perth next weekend.

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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…

This was a bizarre episode of Smackdown, full of unintended surprises, great wrestling, and a Crimson Mask! Smackdownâ€s inconsistency, though, shows again, and I wonder if each episode is written and structured by completely different teams. Compared to Raw, Smackdown feels formulaic and tired, with infrequent flashes of energy and excitement. Letâ€s get to it, friends! As always, Iâ€m Chris Adams, and you can reach me at cadamsowj@gmail.com if you think Iâ€ve Missed!

PAUL HEYMAN, CODY RHODES, AND THE BRONS: HIT

My initial reaction to this promo and the whole segment was one of admiration and praise. In particular, it was Cody Rhodes calling out Paul Heyman that made this segment a hit. Running down Heymanâ€s history of going into business for himself cast doubt in the minds of Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker, both of whom came out looking less than menacing. Randy Ortonâ€s run-in created an opportunity for him to eye the prize that is the WWE Championship. All in all, a fine yet fun way to open the show.

STREET PROFITS VS. MELO DONâ€T MIZ: HIT

This match was decent, not outstanding. Nothing was outright bad, but nothing really stood out as a truly memorable sequence. What will be remembered is the face of Carmelo Hayes†face as he watched the Miz take a pinfall. Like a cold-hearted killer, he watched his partner get pinned and suffer defeat without a hint of emotion. I was initially critical of the pairing of Hayes and the Miz, but the tension they’ve been playing with has been surprisingly rich. Unfortunately, Iâ€ve come around to liking their pairing just as it seems they’re about to split. If they split before the Street Profits, then their partnership simply wonâ€t get the recognition it deserves. Regarding the Profits, Iâ€m excited to see singles runs from both, but hope it happens without an actual breakup. Let Angelo Dawkins be the corner man for Montez Ford, and vice versa. Teammates donâ€t have to hate each other to move beyond the tag division. A little positivity, please!

ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…

Check out the latest episode of “The Nicky’s Club” with Nick Barbati, part of the PWTorch Dailycast line-up: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “pwtorch†on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)

GIULIA, JAMES, B-FAB, AND MICHIN: HIT

All four of these performers deserved more crowd reaction. At least there was more than crickets by the end of the match. Itâ€s Michin I feel the worst for, as I really enjoy her work, but I must admit that she has yet to establish a strong connection with the crowd. She has it all though: skill, attitude, and natural charisma. There is much to develop in B-Fab, yet she is promising in every aspect. She needs to prove her mettle quickly though, as she could fall to the bottom of the card faster than Hit Row imploded. Giulia and Kiana James seem like odd bedfellows, and if the purpose of pairing them was to give Giulia a mouthpiece, theyâ€re failing. Neither of them has commanded the mic. Props to Kiana James for her selling, though, appearing as if she was unconscious like a true rag doll. This match was a hit, but just barely.

DREW MCINTYRE PROMO: HIT

Seeing Drew McIntyre in an orthopedic boot was worth the price of admission alone. His dour face walking down the aisle gave way to a sullen, self-pitying promo, his specialty of late. He is great in this role, as his own worst enemy. A new feud was thrown into focus with the arrival of Jacob Fatu in the ring, which bodes well for Friday nights. Their chemistry, especially the aggressive back-and-forth exchange of the microphone, was comedy gold. Babyface Fatu FTW!

SAMI ZAYN AND JEâ€VON EVANS: HIT

The match of the night. Sami Zaynâ€s Open Challenge for the United States Championship has delivered some incredible matches, but this one reigns supreme. Jeâ€Von Evans shined in the spotlight, and Sami was as generous as anyone could be. He sold Evans†moves, allowed him literally fly, and showed him respect in the end. In fact, this match felt like it could have gone the other way, with Evans taking the title. When you can inject that kind of tension into the conflict, making it feel natural and organic, youâ€ve succeeded in making professional wrestling more than just pantomimed fighting. They made it real. Amazing!

NIA JAX, JADE CARGILL, AND TIFFANY STRATTON: MISS

What an unfortunate series of events! The match had a fairly good flow, although it often felt like a typical one-on-one with alternating opponents. It fell apart badly after Jade Cargill was busted open and joined the club of the Crimson Mask. Reviewing the footage, it seems both Stratton and Jax were waiting for Cargill to break open the pin. She didn’t, and we got a botched finish that made the referee seem responsible when it was a trainwreck all around with no one person to blame.

Nia Jaxâ€s attitude, including flipping off the referee, was good heel behavior but strange for SmackDown. She likely knows her bloodline keeps her safer than others. Overall, something good turned into something bad, but thatâ€s okay. All three wrestlers made sacrifices for us, and I appreciate it. I just canâ€t call it a hit.

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WWE

“WWE NXT” star Je’Von Evans gave an excellent performance in his second-ever “WWE SmackDown” match on Friday night, but it was Sami Zayn to successfully defend his United States Championship in his fourth defense since beginning his US title open challenge. Evans answered the challenge, as the blue brand was live from Orlando, Florida, near WWE’s Performance Center.

Evans had an impressive showing, flying around the ring in attempts to take Zayn off his feet and keep him there. He hit a huge springboard on Zayn and dropkicked him through the ropes, but before he could fly out of the ring to take Zayn out, the champion hit him with a clothesline.

The challenger avoided the Blue Thunder Bomb and got Zayn on the top turnbuckle, but Zayn chopped him and dropped “The Young OG” to the canvas. With Zayn still up top, Evans jumped back up to hit him with a hurricanrana. Zayn caught Evans and hit him with an Exploder into the turnbuckle, but Evans dodged the following Helluva Kick. He dodged a second kick and hit the OG Cutter for a near fall.

Zayn was able to connect with the Helluva Kick on his third attempt and followed it up with the Blue Thunder Bomb for the victory. After the match, Zayn showed “The Young OG” some respect.

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