4 Reasons why Sami Zayn lost the United States Championship on WWE SmackDown

WWE SmackDown after Crown Jewel 2025 witnessed an unexpected title change when Ilja Dragunov made his return and dethroned Sami Zayn to become the new United States Champion. The Mad Dragon's comeback was already a surprise for the WWE Universe, and this title switch was something no one predicted.

In this article, we will discuss four possible reasons why Zayn lost the US Title on Friday Night SmackDown.

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#4. WWE wants to push the Mad Dragon

One of the major reasons behind the title change could be WWE's intention to push Dragunov as a single star in the company. Before suffering from injury, he was working in the main roster but hadn't achieved any major feat.

With his comeback, the Stamford-based promotion may want to elevate him, and giving him the mid-card title is a perfect way to set the stage for a monster push. This contributes as a major reason behind the loss of Sami Zayn on SmackDown.

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#3. No plans for Sami Zayn

Since becoming the US Champion, Sami Zayn hadn't been part of any major storyline angle. Instead, he was only seen in a short-term rivalry with his United States Championship Open Challenge. So, it's probable that Triple H might not have any plans for Sami as the title holder.

This could be why Triple H decided to shift the title and eventually crowned the Mad Dragon as the new champion on the blue brand.

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#2. To set the stage for Zayn's heel turn?

Over the past few years, Sami Zayn has been the babyface star in WWE. The title loss on the blue brand could be to set the stage for the heel turn of the 41-year-old star. With this loss, he could express his frustration with the Mad Dragon comeback.

This angle will slowly corrupt him, leading to Sami eventually turning into a villainous star and establishing himself as a heel on the blue brand.

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#1. Sami Zayn vs. Solo Sikoa feud

Solo Sikoa played a crucial role in the title change on the Friday Night show. The MFT leader distracted Zayn, allowing Ilja to emerge as the new champion. So, the title change might unfold to set the storyline between Sami and Solo on SmackDown.

Previously, Zayn was the one who dethroned Solo Sikoa as the champion. This move from the latter served as revenge for the MFT leader. Now, a rivalry between these two is expected to unfold soon on WWE SmackDown.

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Edited by Angana Roy