Sami Zayn defeated Solo Sikoa Friday night on SmackDown to win the United States Championship.
As a fan emotionally invested in these characters, Friday night was either an unforgettable triumph or a devastating gut punch, depending on your rooting interests.
But regardless of who you support, here’s the simplest, most eloquent way I can describe this bout:
Holy shit, that was awesome!
In one of the year’s best TV performances, Sikoa and Zayn traded false finishes and intense exchanges, leaving the crowd
in France’s LDLC Arena on the edge of their seats. As the tension mounted, Sikoa squashed Zayn with a top-rope splash, but netted just a two count.
Later, with Zayn on his shoulders, Sikoa tried another aerial assault. This time, Zayn countered into a sit-out powerbomb. As fans stood and counted the pin attempt, a gasp echoed through the building as Sikoa barely escaped defeat.
What set this match apart, though, was that it came down to just Solo and Sami. Earlier, Sikoa’s MFTs were making life difficult for Zayn until Jimmy Uso and Jacob Fatu ran them off.
This year, outside interference has become a crutch in WWE, often resulting in non-decisive finishes — a tired trope. But here, Zayn and Sikoa were left to settle it themselves, leading to a true moment of glory.
The closing sequence saw Zayn counter a Samoan Spike with a roll-up, then score an exploder suplex in the corner. He went for his Helluva Kick, but Sikoa fired back with a superkick.
Like a batter swinging for a home run, Sikoa went for another Samoan Spike, but Zayn ducked. The momentum carried Sikoa into the corner, where Zayn caught him with a short-distance Helluva Kick.
It wasn’t enough to drop Sikoa, but it stunned him long enough for Zayn to land a full-force Helluva Kick that finally put him away.
This finish gave us a clear, clean winner and a feel-good moment. As Michael Cole noted earlier in the match, this was Zayn’s first shot at a singles title in almost a year. Before this, Zayn had come up short in several World Title bids.
While those losses piled up, it seemed like Zayn’s big break was slipping further away, even as he made it his mission to get back on track. At first, it sounded like lip service — the kind of thing an underdog says before being written off as a lovable loser.
Then, he got sidetracked in a feud with Karrion Kross that looked like it was meant to elevate a surging Kross. Meanwhile, those around him on Raw took over the world title picture. But after overcoming Kross, Zayn moved to SmackDown and made a bid for Solo’s crown, a title he had never held before.
At first glance, the move was questionable as Zayn had an opportunity to go to SmackDown earlier in the year, with a guaranteed WWE title match, courtesy of Paul Heyman. Instead, Friday’s win reestablished Zayn as a legitimate title threat. At the same time, it reinforced his babyface character’s commitment to winning “the big one” the right way.
Like Jey Uso’s 2024 rise to the Intercontinental Title, which paved the way for his World Title win this year, Zayn is now poised for a similar run. He’s incredibly popular, and his Helluva Kick gives him a believable shot at taking out almost anyone. If WWE and Zayn can capitalize on this momentum, this could mark the beginning of a campaign to win the World Championship, possibly culminating in a WrestleMania 42 victory.
That’s the best-case scenario.
But right now, as August turns into September?
What a match.
What a Helluva moment.
