Sami Zayn is the new WWE United States Champion. He defeated Solo Sikoa in the main event of the August 29 episode of SmackDown at the LDLC Arena in Lyon-Décines, France, marking his first time holding the title.
The championship match was granted to Zayn following a non-title victory over Sikoa on a previous edition of SmackDown. Before the bout, Zayn addressed the French audience with a promo delivered entirely in French, promising to capture the gold.
Early in the contest, Sikoa controlled the action until Zayn shifted the momentum with a dive to the outside. Sikoa’s allies, the MFTs, quickly became a factor at ringside, but Jacob Fatu and Jimmy Uso emerged from the crowd to even the odds, fighting them through the audience and away from the ring.
The match saw several dramatic near falls. Sikoa hit Zayn with a Spinning Solo, but Zayn managed to kick out. Sikoa later delivered multiple Spinning Solos onto the commentary table, but Zayn narrowly beat the referee’s count to get back into the ring. The end came when Zayn countered a Samoan Spike attempt, hit an exploder suplex into the corner, and followed up with two consecutive Helluva Kicks to secure the pinfall victory.
SmackDown concluded with Sami Zayn celebrating his championship win in the ring as the French crowd erupted.