Sami Zayn retained the Undisputed WWE Championship against Kevin Owens on the September 18, 2026 episode of SmackDown, but the match closed in confusing fashion after the referee failed to end the bout when he was supposed to, according to Ringside News. The outlet reported that the planned finish was disrupted when the official missed his cue, forcing those involved to improvise in real time to bring the match to a close.
CM Punk came to ringside during the closing moments and struck Kevin Owens with the WWE Championship belt, after which Sami Zayn covered Owens for the pinfall, according to Fightful. The sequence appeared disjointed on the broadcast, and Fightful reported that the finish had to be changed from what was originally planned.
NoDQ also reported on the backstage circumstances surrounding the awkward ending, corroborating that the match did not conclude as originally scripted. F4W Online likewise confirmed that Zayn successfully retained the title over Owens but noted that, according to new reports, the finish was improvised rather than executed as designed.
None of the reports specify what the originally planned finish was meant to look like, nor do they detail why the referee missed his cue. WWE has not issued a public statement addressing the matter, and the promotion has not commented on the involvement of CM Punk in the closing sequence beyond what aired on SmackDown.
Sami Zayn remains Undisputed WWE Champion following the result, with Kevin Owens having come up short in his challenge on the September 18, 2026 SmackDown. CM Punk’s involvement at the finish raises questions about his role going forward, though no further plans have been reported at this time.
