Drew McIntyre’s Royal Rumble Win Over Sami Zayn Almost Didn’t Happen

There seemed to be some debate regarding the Undisputed WWE Championship Match at the Royal Rumble.

Drew McIntyre is still the champion after he defeated Sami Zayn in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which allowed ‘The Scottish Warrior’ to move to 12-0 in the all-time series between the two superstars.

It was the first successful title defense for McIntyre after he defeated former champion Cody Rhodes last month in a 3 Stages of Hell Match on SmackDown.

However, there may have been a push for a different result in the Zayn vs. McIntyre match.

Sami Zayn pushed for the title

According to the latest edition of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the finish of the match was a “subject of discussion” until the day of the Royal Rumble, with Zayn pushing for himself to win the championship.

The report states that while Zayn advocated for a title switch, Paul “Triple H” Levesque decided against the swap and went with McIntyre to retain.

It is rumored that McIntyre will defend the championship against Rhodes at WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Jacob Fatu could potentially be added to the match, as he interfered in the third fall Cage Match in the aforementioned title match between McIntyre and Rhodes on SmackDown.

Despite not being in Men’s Royal Rumble Match, McIntyre came out and hit a Claymore on Rhodes to eliminate him from the battle royal.

Roman Reigns, the winner of the 2026 Royal Rumble, chose World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk as his WrestleMania 42 opponent on this week’s Raw.

Is Sami Zayn going to be a world champion?

Zayn has pushed the idea that he will be a world champion on WWE television over the past year, but he once again came up short at the Royal Rumble. He could still find his way into the title picture at Elimination Chamber later this month in Chicago, even if Rhodes vs. McIntyre appears to be the direction for WrestleMania.

WWE may have future plans for Zayn to win the championship, with one potential option being next year at WrestleMania 43 in Riyadh. That could be a full circle moment for Zayn after losing again to McIntyre

There is no question that WWE has a crowded list of main event superstars at the moment, including McIntyre, Punk, Reigns, Rhodes, Fatu, Bron Breakker, Gunther, and more.

Zayn’s direction for WrestleMania season could say a lot about the story WWE wants to tell with him.

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