The 2026 Royal Rumble took place at Riyadh Season Stadium in the King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. There were only four matches on the card, but one of them saw Sami Zayn get a massive opportunity.
Drew McIntyre put the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on the line at the 2026 Royal Rumble. Sami Zayn earned the title shot after running through a mini tournament in the weeks leading up to the event.
The brackets Sami Zayn punched his ticket to the match by winning his qualifier on SmackDown on January 16, 2026, as he beat Ilja Dragunov. That win moved him into the final four for the WWE Championship No. 1 Contenders Tournament.
The tournament then wrapped up at Saturday Nights Main Event on January 24, 2026, where Zayn beat Damian Priest, Trick Williams, and Randy Orton. That set up a huge match in Saudi Arabia for the Underdog from the Underground.
This match had a big-fight feel, and fans were 100% behind Sami Zayn from the start. Zayn pulled out all the stops in this match, as he hit a top rope dive to Drew McIntyre on the outside.
There were a lot of near falls in this match from both sides. However, Drew McIntyre was always an inch away from taking control of the match and ending things with a Claymore Kick. Sami Zayn was also able to reverse out of a Claymore Kick attempt with a Blue Thunder Bomb.
Drew McIntyre missed another Claymore Kick attempt as Sami tried a roll-up pin for a near fall. Fans chanted for Sami Zayn as he climbed the top rope, but McIntyre climbed up to nail an avalanche White Noise for a near fall.
Drew hit three Future Shock DDTs after that and then he got a very long two count before Sami Zayn kicked out.
Eventually, Sami Zayn nailed a Helluva Kick, but Drew McIntyre kicked out at two. The match spilled to the ringside area, where Drew put Sami through the announce table with a powerbomb. They went back into the ring and Sami Zayn was able to come back with an exploder suplex in the corner, but Drew hit him with a Claymore Kick followed by a second one to win the match and retain the title.
The road to WrestleMania 42 is starting, and now we know who is holding the World Heavyweight Championship. Only time will tell what happens next, but this was certainly an amazing showing in Saudi Arabia.
Whats your take on the World Heavyweight Championship match at the Royal Rumble? Did they nail the booking? Let us know what you think in the comments section!
