The Great Eight: Top Eight Sami Zayn Matches

Sami Zayn debuted in WWE 13 years ago, and since then, he has given his all to entertain us. He goes out there every night, and whether it’s cutting a promo or putting on a match, he puts his heart and soul on the mat.

And while his first reign was only nine days long, after that scathing post-match promo, I fully believe he will make it to the top again. This isn’t the end of Sami Zayn and the World Championship. And I wanted to take some time to celebrate the matches Zayn has given us. So, let’s get into the top eight Sami Zayn Matches!

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Disclaimer:

This is my list; if you don’t like it or have a different list, awesome! Please share your own list and opinions in the comments section. I welcome open discourse about this wacky art we all love. It is an art form, so it is subjective; we all have our opinions on it, and all of them are valid. So, if you want to share your thoughts and opinions, don’t insult others for their opinion. There is already enough negativity in the world; let’s not add to it. And with that, on to the list!

The List

Honorable Mentions:

Sami Zayn vs Adrian Neville vs Tyler Breeze vs Tyson Kidd – NXT Championship Fatal Four Way match – NXT TakeOver: Fatal 4-Way, Sami Zayn vs Kevin Owens – Battleground 2026, Sami Zayn vs Cesaro vs Kevin Owens vs The Miz – WWE Intercontinental Championship Fatal Four Way match – Extreme Rules 2016, Sami Zayn vs Gunther – WWE Intercontinental Championship – WrestleMania XL Night 1

8: Sami Zayn vs AJ Styles vs Jeff Hardy – WWE Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match – Clash of Champions 2020

The COVID era of the WWE was weird in a lot of ways. But it also has a lot of hidden gems in it. This is one of those matches. You have the spots that you’d expect from a ladder match. But Zayn pulls out some unique stuff as well. I love him using the cuffs on Hardy’s stretched lobe to cuff him to a ladder.

Add in one of the greatest of all time, AJ Styles. And Jeff Hardy’s willingness to sacrifice his own body for our entertainment. And you have one excellent Ladder match. It’s full of great action and drama. It’s a shame this match doesn’t get talked about more, because it really is a great Ladder match, only hampered by the video screen audience.

7: Sami Zayn vs Shinsuke Nakamura – NXT TakeOver: Dallas

Zayn and Nakamura have some great chemistry. I’ve loved all of their matches, and this one is my favorite. This is a younger Zayn, who was still able to pull off some pretty impressive athletic moves. Which isn’t to say he can’t now, but time and injuries have slowed him down a bit.

Nakamura was still looking to prove himself to the WWE fans. And so, he went in guns blazing. His strikes are crisp and impactful, and Zayn’s selling helps make him look like a killer. That early spot where Zayn stops the corner boot shake. Only for Nakamura to hit an Enzuigiri, pops me every time.

Watching this match felt like we were watching the future of the WWE. The fact that Nakamura never won the WWE Championship, and it took this long for Zayn to win it, is a travesty. I’m rewatching the match as I write this, and I have to mention Zayn’s selling again. He did an excellent job in making Nakamura look like a killer. And he did while still keeping himself credible. Also, that draping corner knee that Nakamura does is brutal looking. I recommend you watch all of these matches, but seriously, stop reading and watch the match before finishing the article.

6: Sami Zayn vs Kevin Owen – Unsanctioned Match – Elimination Chamber 2025

As of now, the end of the saga for Zayn and Owens. 2025’s Elimination Chamber gave us a vicious Unsanctioned match. Two best friends taking out their frustrations on each other. While blood was absent, which always seems weird, they use barbed wire. It doesn’t distract from the overall match.

By the end, the level of brutality felt uncomfortable. It felt like these two men would fight to the death if need be. And that is what you want from a match like this. The punishment that Owens put Zayn through was not something you were used to seeing in a WWE match, which gave the Unsanctioned stipulation a unique feel. (Comparing it to Drew McIntyre vs Jacob Fatu, which just seemed like a Street Fight.)

These two set a blueprint of what a modern-day WWE Unsanctioned match should aspire to. Brutal and violent to a slightly uncomfortable degree.

5: Sami Zayn vs Cesaro – NXT ArRIVAL

This match is one of my favorite NXT matches of all time. Zayn and Cesaro had cut their teeth in PWG and ROH. They faced each other several times in both singles and tag team matches. Most famously for the PWG World Title at Kurt Russellreuinon 2 in 2011. So, it wasn’t a surprise when they brought their excellent chemistry to NXT.

Cesaro’s strength made him a solid base for Zayn to show off what he could do. Including that awesome dive through the turnbuckle Tornado DDT. A move I always pop for, and I’d love to see someone like Je’Von Evans start doing.

Even in defeat, Zayn came out of this match looking great. He was already proving that a plucky underdog can still find a way to the top. And the loss here didn’t hurt him, because it would be less than a year before he won the NXT Championship.

4: Sami Zayn vs Gunther vs Cody Rhodes – Undisputed WWE Championship – Night of Champions 2026

It could be recency bias, but I actually thought the match was pretty great. It had a lot of good spots and psychology. I loved the table sequence and Zayn finding a way to keep Cody’s hand from dropping. Especially because they didn’t show him until then, and Graves and Cole didn’t give it away.

There were some great false finishes, with all three men hitting big moves, but everyone finding a way to keep it going. I also loved Cody pulling out the ref to pay Zayn back from earlier in the match.

Of course, the biggest part of the match comes with the end, Zayn finally winning the Undisputed WWE Championship. Winning it in front of a crowd of the people he represents every week and then getting to celebrate with them.

Look, I know it’s fun to crap on the WWE for making “MOMENTS”, but a lot of wrestling is about the moments. Whether that moment comes from a great match, or it’s Daniel Bryan, Kofi Kingston, Big E, Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio, or Sami Zayn finally winning the World Championship. Moments are what we remember; we may remember that a match was great, but we don’t remember every detail of it. The shot of Zayn celebrating in the crowd is going to be etched in memories for a long time.

3: Sami Zayn vs Adrian Neville – NXT Championship – NXT TakeOver: R Evolution

Zayn’s first big championship win took place 12 years ago. At NXT TakeOver: R Evolution (the wordplay names were strong in the early days of NXT), Zayn beat Adrian Neville to win the NXT Championship. And in a motif that would be repeated often, Zayn struggles with taking a shortcut to get there.

The spot where he has the belt and is contemplating hitting Neville is one that he has drawn on multiple times. And honestly, it still works. Fans eat it up, and when he goes on to win, after choosing to stay honorable, it makes it that much sweeter. It also makes it bittersweet if he loses while trying to do the right thing. I think this was a great showcase for Zayn. And while he wouldn’t hold the title for long (more on that in just a second), this was the first steppingstone to a Hall of Fame career.

Of course, we can’t talk about this match without talking about the aftermath. Owens had made his debut in the opener of the event. And so, of course, he comes out to celebrate with his best friend. And of course, he absolutely destroys him. The friends to rivals to friends to rival story of Owens and Zayn had made its way to NXT. And we were better for it.

No story defines Fight Forever like Owens and Zayn. They work so well together, both as a team and as rivals. So, it makes sense that no matter how long they stay apart, they always find a way to drift back together.

2: Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens vs The Usos – Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships – WrestleMania 39 Night 1

I know there is an eternal debate on whether the main event of Night 1 is a true main event. And my take is that it is. The WWE counts it as one, and they are the ones producing the event. The wrestlers involved say it is, and they are the ones who should decide if it counts for them.

So, Sami Zayn (and Kevin Owens) have had a WrestleMania main event. And in that main event, they won the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship. Ending the historic run of the Usos and starting the beginning of the final chapter of the Bloodline. (Well, for that time period anyway).

As I was just talking about, Owens and Zayn have a long history as tag team partners. And the chemistry they forged after years on the indies helped to give us one of the best tag team matches in WrestleMania history. Of course, they also had some fantastic dancing partners in the Usos.

The match was a fun and chaotic mess, and at the end of it all, best friends stood tall as the new Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions. And if that isn’t a WrestleMania moment, I don’t know what is.

1: Sami Zayn vs Roman Reigns – Undisputed Universal Championship – Elimination Chamber 2023

Speaking of the beginning of the end of the Bloodline. This match was the prelude to the Tag Team Championship match. Zayn had grown tired of Reigns’ dictatorship and finally turned on him at the Royal Rumble.

This would lead to Zayn’s biggest match ever (at the time). A shot at the Undisputed Universal Championship, in his hometown of Montreal. Literally the only crowd who would have cheered louder than the one at Night of Champions.

Zayn went in as the hometown hero, and the drama in the air was palpable. I don’t think anyone thought Zayn would get the win. Especially with Cody waiting to Finish His Story at WrestleMania. But we all had at least a bit of hope that we would see a miracle take place.

The match itself followed the typical formula for a Bloodline Roman match. But Zayn added to it, his selling, his drive, his passion. They all added new layers to the match. Zayn can make you believe he can overcome anything. Up until the very second he loses. It is such a beautiful way to watch his matches unfold. Wondering what has to be done to keep him down and also believing he can pull it off.

I highly recommend rewatching this match if you haven’t seen it in a while. It’s a work of art from two great wrestlers.

Preview:

Tune in next week when we cover the top eight What Ifs? in wrestling history!