In a historic moment, Sami Zayn ended a drought on the most important live event (PLE) of WWE, taking a place in the memory after almost one year of no victories. He won at Night of Champions in Riyadh, defeating Karrion Kross, his Helluva Kick, and pinning him. It was his initial singles PLE victory in 357 days since his last victory at Money in the Bank 2024, where he beat Bron Breakker.
The Chief Content Officer of WWE, Triple H, who used to be a ring legend, did not miss it. During a post-show, he posted a supportive and acknowledging message to Zayn. Although not heavy on details, it was clear to Triple H that this was not merely a single win, but a rebound. Zayn seems to be on a different path in main-event scene of WWE under blessings of the CCO.
The victory itself was a tough one, and it has revived rivalry between Zayn and Kross that has been burning fans up for months now. The two previous NXT champions provided a great match, where Kross demonstrated power and technical advantage. However, Zayn's quickness and determination finally led him to take advantage of situation and victory.
A Turning Point in Zayn’s Career
This win cannot be counted-it is a milestone. Zayn has had a tough run on sidelines of PLE and allegations of being difficult or hard to work with have been going around regarding him this year. Regardless of whether it is true or not, this win gives him vindication he needs, and may be start of a new push toward larger storylines.
To Triple H, this moment is part of a bigger picture. Since he is man in charge of the creative direction of WWE, he is not giving encouragement easily. It leads to the possibility of Zayn being in a position to receive feuds of a higher tier, maybe pursuing a championship or being next major storyline in SmackDown.