Sami Zayn is the new WWE United States Champion, adding another title win to the legacy of the Canadian Superstar. Not only has Zayn etched his name in the history books along men like Race, Cena, Flair, Ambrose, and others, but he's also become the fifth member of a very exclusive club.
The Canadian Zayn won the U.S. Title in Lyon, France, making him the fifth wrestler born outside the U.S. to win the U.S. Title outside the U.S. The first was Kensuke Sazaki, who won the WCW U.S. Title in his native Japan in 1995. Five years later, Canada's Lance Storm would win the WCW U.S. Title during a WCW event in the United Kingdom.
When the title became part of WWE, these unique title changes continued. In 2010, Bret Hart shocked fans by winning the gold, and the Canadian icon did so in his home country. Canada was also home to Shinsuke Nakamura's title win at Survivor Series: Toronto in 2024, where the Japanese star dethroned LA Knight.
Now, Zayn had added his name to this list, proving that one doesn't need to be from the U.S. to capture the star-spangled strap. It remains to be seen how far he goes as the new U.S. Champion.
H/T to @WrestleStatcast for uncovering this stat. Stay tuned to SEScoops for more interesting wrestling facts and statistics.
