Will Sami Zayn Be A "Transitional" WWE Champion? (WWE News)
Cody Rhodes is expected to take the WWE Title back from Sami Zayn on Raw, but...
Many fans expect Sami Zayn to lose his WWE Title back to Cody Rhodes on this coming Monday's episode of Raw in Chicago. The flagship will be newsworthy regardless, because it looks for sure like CM Punk will make his return to TV on the red brand, but millions of eyeballs will train on Sami vs. Cody.
Rhodes secured his title rematch by beating Jey Uso on this weekend's edition of SmackDown.
Reports coming fresh from Night Of Champions over in Saudi Arabia last week suggested that Sami's win was a shock to those behind the scenes at WWE as well as the fanbase. Triple H seemed to pull a fast one on everybody, but there's no denying the visual of Zayn clutching the top prize was an emotional moment for him.
WWE legend JBL has even chimed in to give his thoughts via 'Something To Wrestle With'. There, the former champ blasted back at anyone calling Sami a "transitional" champion, because he thinks the workhorse has earned every bit of his success and it'd be unfair to refer to him as "a mailman".
For reference, the term "mailman" amongst wrestlers refers to those only temporarily holding onto the big belt and acting as a bridge between champs management are more serious about. Think The Iron Sheik in the mid-1980s - he won it from Bob Backlund so Backlund wouldn't have to drop the WWF Title to Hulk Hogan in a babyface vs. babyface battle.
However, things are different in 2026. It's ex-champion Cody who's gunning for Zayn this coming Monday, so Sami wouldn't be bridging a gap to anything different. If Rhodes wins, then it's back to business as usual and Zayn's title reign will be pretty much pointless.
JBL Likened Sami's Win To Eddie Guerrero's In 2004
On his podcast with Conrad Thompson, Layfield went further by comparing Sami Zayn's win to the one enjoyed by Eddie Guerrero in 2004. Nobody expected 'Latino Heat' to beat Brock Lesnar at No Way Out that year, and there were a few suspicions behind the curtain that Eddie's success would be fleeting.
Longtime wrestler and agent Jack Lanza broached these concerns by telling everyone they'd "find out" if Guerrero had the chops to be champion on the follow up TV. Then, when WWE fans went ballistic for the new incumbent, Lanza turned to JBL and offered: "Well, there's our answer".
Layfield had no doubts that Guerrero would work out well in the hot seat, and he sees the same future for Sami. Of course, comparing him to an icon like Eddie is lofty praise, but it's easy to see what JBL is getting at. Don't forget that then-boss Vince McMahon once commented on how "tiny" Guerrero was in person, so it didn't look like the in-ring magician would ever get a crack at WWE glory.
Then, he won the richest prize in the industry and became a made man.
All eyes turn to Raw on Monday to see if Zayn can get over his first major hurdle as champ. If not, then it'll show that Triple H doesn't fully believe in his ability to steer the ship over on SmackDown for longer than a cup of coffee.