• Possible Spoiler On Upcoming Undisputed WWE Title Story
While the Road to WrestleMania 42 has been plagued by creative pivots, Fightful Select has revealed that Sami Zayn was a primary focus during WWE’s recent European tour.
Sources indicate that Zayn was tentatively planned for a World Championship match, with many expecting the trigger to be pulled at the Royal Rumble or shortly thereafter.
The internal push for Zayn isn’t coming out of nowhere. Members of the creative team have reportedly been campaigning for this since the conclusion of Zayn’s war with Karrion Kross in 2025. That rivalry was designed to test Zayn’s resilience, and the payoff was always intended to be a legitimate shot at the biggest prize in the industry.
Zayn will face Randy Orton, Trick Williams, and Damian Priest in a Fatal 4-Way #1 contender’s match at Saturday Night’s Main Event tomorrow, with the winner facing Drew McIntyre for the Undisputed WWE Championship at Royal Rumble 2026.
The Wrestling Observer previously reported that Zayn is expected to win this match to earn a WWE Title shot on January 31.
On the January 9 episode of SmackDown, Sami said there’s a small part of him that hopes McIntyre defeats Cody Rhodes to become the WWE Champion, because he wants to beat Drew to win the title.
On the January 16 episode of SmackDown, McIntyre confronted Zayn backstage. Drew reminded Sami that he has beaten him 11 times, while Sami has beaten him 0 times.
• Ex-AEW Star Has Officially Signed With WWE
The Opps have officially lost their heavy hitter to the global leader in sports entertainment. Just seven days after his exit from All Elite Wrestling, Powerhouse Hobbs is officially a WWE-contracted superstar.
According to Sean Ross Sapp, the ink is dry on a deal that WWE has been chasing for years. While the exact length of the contract remains under wraps, Hobbs is moving on to the grandest stage possible. His final act in AEW saw him, Samoa Joe, and Katsuyori Shibata losing the Trios Championship on the January 17 episode of Collision.
What makes this jump particularly stinging for Tony Khan is the effort made to keep him. AEW reportedly threw a huge financial offer at Hobbs to prevent the move, but the lure of a WWE run—which the company has been pitching since his 2020 tryout—proved too strong to resist.
The most immediate question now is when he appears. With Royal Rumble weekend just around the corner, rumors suggests Hobbs is already slated for a surprise entry in the 30-man Rumble match. However, don’t expect him to keep the “Powerhouse” moniker; reports indicate that WWE is planning an altered name and a fresh identity to ensure he hits the ground running as a brand-new entity on the main roster.
Also Read: Huge Name Might Be Returning To WWE TV Soon
