SouthernWorldwide.com – This past weekend was a momentous occasion for Sami Zayn.
After over a decade on the WWE main roster, Zayn finally achieved his dream of winning a world championship. He pinned Cody Rhodes in a thrilling triple-threat match against Gunther at Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia. The victory was decisive, with no external interference needed. Zayn’s win sent the crowd in Riyadh into a frenzy.
Zayn’s monumental triumph naturally leads to questions about Cody Rhodes’ next steps.
As highlighted on Busted Open, it has been a considerable time since Rhodes experienced a loss without any outside distractions or interference.
This fact only further emphasizes the dominant reign Rhodes has enjoyed in WWE since his return at WrestleMania 38.
The past ten months have been quite a journey for Rhodes. He regained the Undisputed WWE Championship from John Cena in August. He then lost the title to Drew McIntyre in January, only to win it back less than two months later. He successfully defended the championship through WrestleMania 42, defeating Randy Orton on Night 1. He even took the initiative to book the Night of Champions triple threat himself, seemingly to leave no doubt about his status as WWE’s top star.
However, this decision may have been somewhat short-sighted. Zayn now stands at the pinnacle of the wrestling world, leaving Rhodes in a state of shock, looking up at one of the individuals he may have underestimated the most.
“I think it’s kinda one of those things that would kinda be hard to process. I truly don’t know. I don’t know how the fans would react,” he said. “I hope they would enjoy it but you never know because my character right now is a little polarizing – I truly don’t know. But I don’t know. I think there’s a lot of like cultural and historical kind of significance that would kinda maybe hit me after the fact.
“From a sentimental point of view, for sure, I think it would be kind of awesome. I think it would be a big cultural moment, actually. I don’t think about it. I kind of dismiss it a lot at this point because we come to Saudi a lot. A lot has been made of the fact that I’m Arab or I’m Muslim or whatever. But growing up, that was not the case. It was not like this was a common thing or something that you could ever even dream. I couldn’t have dreamt that this would happen. So, yeah, that would be a pretty big deal I think.”
As Zayn embarks on this new chapter, Rhodes’ most ardent supporters will be keenly watching to see his future direction.
==
Will Ospreay emerged victorious against Swerve Strickland in the Owen Hart Foundation Men’s Tournament on Sunday night at Forbidden Door. This win secures him a championship opportunity against the AEW World Champion at All In.
While the professional wrestling world celebrates Ospreay’s upcoming shot at glory at All In, the looming presence of The Death Riders has grown significantly.
Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Daniel Garcia, Pac, Yuta Wheeler, and Marina Shafir were in Ospreay’s corner as he defeated Strickland. They joined him and Alex Windsor in the ring for a celebratory moment.
Although Ospreay appeared to maintain a degree of separation from The Death Riders, a genuine alliance seemed to be forming. He employed Moxley’s signature moves to overcome Strickland. Moxley and Castagnoli then hoisted him onto their shoulders, earning applause from those who had previously harbored doubts about Ospreay.
Ospreay and Windsor made their way back up the ramp, while The Death Riders exited through the crowd. The unfolding narrative promises to be captivating, raising questions about the level of trust between the two factions with just two months remaining until All In.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
==
Oba Femi defeated Jey Uso to claim the King of the Ring Tournament. His victory grants him the right to challenge for a world championship of his choosing.
Femi displayed a defiant attitude during his post-match interview in the ring following his victory.
“It feels so good to go from ‘The Ruler’ to being the king,” Femi proclaimed in his promo. “Jey Uso did not understand what he was up against tonight. He thought he was just fighting one man. You might be able to beat one man but you can’t beat fate and you can’t beat destiny and most importantly, you can’t beat me.
“I am the ruler, the destroyer, the bringer of war, the mountain that you cannot climb, the mountain that you cannot conquer, the one-of-one, the beast slayer, the one, the chosen one, the king of the ring, Oba Femi!”
The more pressing question revolves around how Femi will be utilized in the future. He is widely expected to set his sights on Roman Reigns, the World Heavyweight Champion who has exerted his dominance over the Raw roster. This would be a logical and compelling direction for Femi.
However, a formidable shadow looms large behind him.
Femi’s rivalry with Brock Lesnar is far from over. Lesnar did not interfere in Femi’s match against Uso, and wrestling fans are undoubtedly hoping for a final confrontation between the two, potentially at SummerSlam. Such a conclusion would be truly epic.
This also raises the possibility of Femi competing in two matches at SummerSlam. Could he withstand the challenge of facing both Lesnar and Reigns in a single weekend, or even a single day? It is undeniable that Femi is on a trajectory for significant success.
==
He is also credited as a co-producer for the event.
==
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) witnessed several championship changes at Slammiversary. Nic Nemeth captured the TNA World Championship, Xia Brookside won the TNA Knockouts Championship, Rosemary and Allie secured the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship, and The Hardys claimed the TNA World Tag Team Championship.
Furthermore, a significant announcement was made regarding a new title to be introduced to the roster. TNA revealed the creation of the Knockouts TV Championship, which will be exclusively defended on “Impact.”
TNA’s Slammiversary event was a remarkably strong showing, especially considering the recent discussions surrounding the company. The upcoming major events hold the potential to become must-watch spectacles.
