WWE Reportedly Wants Roman Reigns vs Sami Zayn At Crown Jewel After CM Punk's Shocking Title Loss

Sami Zayn's second run as Undisputed WWE Champion may already have a major opponent lined up. After taking the title from CM Punk on the September 11 episode of SmackDown, Zayn could now be heading toward a huge Crown Jewel main event against Roman Reigns. According to a report from PWInsider, WWE is believed to be considering exactly that matchup for November's event.

The title change also makes more sense when looking at WWE's recent Crown Jewel setup. Since 2024, the event has featured a singles match between the reigning World Heavyweight Champion and Undisputed WWE Champion, with the actual championships not on the line. The winner instead becomes Crown Jewel Champion. If the reported plan happens, Zayn would enter that match as the Undisputed Champion, putting him across the ring from Reigns in a very different kind of title-versus-title story.

Why WWE May Have Chosen Sami Zayn For Roman Reigns

The biggest clue came from the timing of Zayn's championship win. PWInsider's Mike Johnson reported that “the belief among several spoken to within WWE” is that the company wants Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn to headline Crown Jewel.

That would also explain why the Undisputed WWE Championship moved away from CM Punk so quickly. Zayn's first reign lasted only nine days, but he reclaimed the championship after a chaotic finish on SmackDown. Candice LeRae, Johnny Gargano and Kevin Owens all became part of the chaos before Zayn connected with the Helluva Kick and pinned Punk.

WWE now has a route toward the reported Crown Jewel match without needing another Reigns-Punk main event.

What Happened Between Sami Zayn and CM Punk

The championship switch came after a messy closing stretch on the September 11 SmackDown from Arena Ciudad de México in Mexico City.

CM Punk was caught in the middle of the chaos when Kevin Owens accidentally struck the former champion with the title. Zayn then found his opening and hit the Helluva Kick, winning the Undisputed WWE Championship for a second time.

That result matters because WWE had already used Reigns vs. Punk as a major WrestleMania match earlier this year. Reigns defeated Punk on Night 2 of WrestleMania 42 in April, winning the World Heavyweight Championship.

Keeping Punk away from another immediate match with Reigns could give WWE the option of returning to that rivalry later instead.

When Is WWE Crown Jewel 2026?

Crown Jewel is scheduled for November 7 at Riyadh Season Stadium at KAFD in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The event has followed the champion-versus-champion format since 2024, with Cody Rhodes defeating Gunther in Riyadh that year to become the first men's Crown Jewel Champion. In 2025, Seth Rollins defeated Cody Rhodes in Perth, Australia.