There's only one man who can win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship from Gunther
The 2025 King of the Ring Tournament kicked off this week, and with it, a creative hard reset for WWE in the aftermath of Money in the Bank. SummerSlam is now on the horizon, title pictures are taking shape, and somewhere in that chaos lies a perfect, albeit unlikely story, just waiting to be told.
Sami Zayn advanced to the semi-final of the King of the Ring Tournament last night on RAW, defeating Penta, Bron Breakker, and Dominik Mysterio in a Fatal 4-Way Match. It’s a huge win for someone who’s been floating around the main event scene for months and has faced a ton of adversity in recent times.
Zayn, however, is no stranger to adversity. He thrives on it and makes the fans feel every high and low on his path, which he says is headed to winning his first World Championship. Next up, he faces the winner of a loaded SmackDown bracket featuring Randy Orton, LA Knight, Aleister Black, and Carmelo Hayes. It might look like a tough road, but that's where The Underdog From The Underground is known to do his best work.
What is the history between Gunther and Sami Zayn?
Zayn ended Gunther’s record-breaking Intercontinental Championship reign at WrestleMania 40. Now that Gunther has reclaimed the World Heavyweight Championship from Sami's buddy Jey Uso, the idea of the Montreal native being the one to beat him again, this time for an even grander prize, would be a full-circle moment.
If Sami Zayn wins the King of the Ring Tournament, it would mean the world — and not just because of the title shot. The final takes place in Saudi Arabia at Night of Champions, a country so special for him despite Zayn not being allowed to wrestle there in the initial phase of the WWE-Saudi deal. If he wins the crown there, it would be a cathartic moment for the WWE Universe, especially for the people in Riyadh.
Does Sami Zayn really have a chance to do the unthinkable?
Of course, the odds aren’t in his favor. Cody Rhodes is the current frontrunner and a top pick to challenge John Cena for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam. But Rhodes also recently pinned Cena at Money in the Bank. He has a claim to a title shot for pinning the champion, as well as a rematch after being cheated out of the gold at WrestleMania. This might mean that WWE goes another route with the King of the Ring Tournament.
Meanwhile, CM Punk vs. Cena is already locked in for Night of Champions, and the MITB briefcase now belongs to Seth Rollins. Plus, with Gunther only just regaining the World Heavyweight Championship from Jey Uso, it feels like WWE might not take the belt off him again so soon, let alone to the same man who beat him last year. But that’s exactly why Sami Zayn winning the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam makes sense.
Nobody expects it, and yet, everyone would love it. Sometimes, the best booking decision isn’t the most logical. It’s the most emotional, and Sami Zayn is one of the few people in the industry who can invoke such tremendous passion from the fans.
What could be in store for Sami Zayn if he does win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship?
If Zayn wins the crown and then dethrones Gunther at SummerSlam, it also avenges Jey Uso’s loss, makes Zayn a world champion for the first time, and does it all in front of a crowd that would explode for him. And if WWE doesn't plan on giving Zayn a proper World Championship reign yet, Triple H could have Seth Rollins cash in the Money in the Bank contract on Zayn. Rollins will stay looming on Zayn's shoulder anyway.
A conflict between Rollins and Zayn has been brewing for several months and has tremendously escalated since WrestleMania. WWE could even have Rollins go on a lengthy title reign before Sami Zayn wins the Royal Rumble next year in Saudi Arabia and goes on to challenge Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship in a story arc reminiscent of Daniel Bryan's triumph at WrestleMania 30.
