Sami Zayn became WWE Champion at Night of Champions, pinning Cody Rhodes in a triple threat also involving Gunther, to officially summit that decades-long climb to the top.It had taken multiple attempts at various iterations of the WWE World title, over 10 years in the company, and came after watching those he wrestled with outside the company come in and etch their names in the halls of World Champions past.Now, as he said during Friday's "WWE SmackDown," no one will be able to take the fact that he is a WWE World Champion away from him. The win cemented him as a Grand Slam Champion, having collected reigns with the United States, Intercontinental, and Tag Team Championships.But he is also the first Grand Slam Champion to have won all of those titles while performing on the "SmackDown" brand, the first Muslim WWE Champion since the Iron Sheik, and thus the first Muslim Grand Slam Champion in the company.And, on a more personal note, he is the latest of late legend Dusty Rhodes' batch of "WWE NXT" prospects, collectively known as "Dusty's Kids," to become World Champion doing it by dethroning his son.But, as the ink of history begins to dry, attention turns to the next page. That is yet to be written. A blank space communicating the next to come, whoever that may be. So with that in mind, let's break down who should fill that void, who should be the one to inherit the title once Zayn has had his moment in the spotlight.
Cody Rhodes already has an opportunity to regain his title from Sami Zayn, established for Monday's "WWE Raw," having beaten Jey Uso on "WWE SmackDown" to earn Number One Contendership.If he were to win, it would be his fourth title reign since "Finishing His Story" against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40.It would also be the third time he has beaten the man who beat him for his title, having lost the title to John Cena at WrestleMania 41 only to reclaim it at SummerSlam 2025, and then to Drew McIntyre in January, only to reclaim it in March. In fact, Rhodes' win over Reigns followed that vein, having been felled initially at WrestleMania 39.Point being, beating Rhodes can be a Herculean task in itself. Beating him with the title on the line is that extra step towards impossible. Beating him in a championship rematch has proven to be impossible thus far.That, coupled with the very manner Zayn won his title, arguably stealing the title from beneath Rhodes and Gunther, lends to the idea that he is on the ropes as it stands. It would take a miracle for him to see Rhodes off, and if he were to do it, then that would put the Undisputed into Undisputed WWE Champion.But if he were to pull off that miracle, then maybe it would take another miraculous happenstance for the rightman to come and dethrone him when all is said and done.
Kevin Owens is on the sidelines indefinitely having announced last year that he would be needing neck surgery. Health is wealth and obviously this all enters the realm of fantasy booking around the pragmatism that should come with that. But, wrestling being the love story for masochists that it is, Owens sure would be the most interesting option to inherit the title from his best friend.Daniel Bryan, Edge, and even this year with Paige, all have returned from cataclysmic neck injuries that had initially spelled the end of their time with the sport.All returned to compete for WWE gold, with Bryan winning the WWE Championship, Edge winning the Royal Rumble to challenge Roman Reigns (and Bryan) at WrestleMania 37, and Paige returning at this year's WrestleMania to claim the Women's Tag Team Championship. So there's precedent, at the very least.Owens is also in that gray area of having been a WWE World Champion, holding the Universal title from 2017 to 2018, while never holding the Lineal WWE Championship that Zayn is in possession of. Zayn being in possession of something Owens hasn't been and wants to be has never historically gone well for the champion.But times have changed since then, and while Zayn may call himself the "Last Real Good Guy" in wrestling, he is a heel. Owens, should he return, would be undoubtedly revered and adored by the crowd. That sets the scene for Zayn and Owens to share yet another iconic moment in an duo warranting its own Hall of Fame ballot.One where Owens now has the crowd behind him rooting for him to unseat Zayn and establish who the real "Last Good Guy" is. Or, alternatively, one where Owens continues to be the spiteful enemy he always is when Zayn has something he wants.Either way, it feelsrightfor Owens to be the one. It always does.
