At WWE Royal Rumble 2026, Drew McIntyre defeated Sami Zayn to retain the Undisputed WWE Championship.
Following this loss, fans saw a dejected Zayn backstage on the February 6 edition of Friday Night SmackDown.
After being down in the dumps and thinking he ruined his last chance at the top prize on SmackDown, Zayn could find a new direction by turning heel sooner rather than later.
Here are six potential Sami Zayn WWE SmackDown heel turn plans.
6. Turning On The Fans Who Have Supported Him
Throughout his career in WWE, Sami Zayn has been one of the most beloved and popular stars on the roster.
Known as “The Underdog from the Underground,” Zayn has spent much of his career as a babyface and someone the fans have rallied behind time and time again.
After failing to win the Undisputed WWE Championship once again, it might be time for Zayn to turn on the fans who have supported him for so long.
Looking to change his trajectory, it might be time to do whatever is necessary to reach the mountaintop even if that means Zayn has to betray his longtime fans.
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5. Cheating To Beat Cody Rhodes & Jacob Fatu In Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match
On the February 13 episode of Friday Night SmackDown, Sami Zayn will face Cody Rhodes and Jacob Fatu in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match.
With all three men having their experience against Drew McIntyre, it feels like a bout that could see any of these competitors picking up a victory.
While Zayn was down in the dumps on the February 6 SmackDown, Fatu and Rhodes attacked McIntyre, which could come back to haunt them.
Zayn using this advantage to cheat Rhodes and Fatu out of the win would set up his heel turn perfectly on this week’s SmackDown.
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4. Snapping On Rey Fenix
On the February 6 episode of SmackDown, Sami Zayn could be seen very despondent during a backstage segment.
Zayn was then approached by Rey Fenix who looked to lift the spirits of his friend before Trick Williams interrupted.
This could start a story where Fenix tries to help Zayn regain his confidence on his journey back to the Undisputed WWE Championship.
However, it feels like Sami is one loss away from snapping and he could do just that on Fenix, which would initiate a heel turn for the longtime babyface.
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3. Screwing Carmelo Hayes Out Of The United States Championship
Back in September 2025, Sami Zayn adopted the John Cena United States Championship Open Challenge and made the title one of the consistent highlights of Friday Night SmackDown.
For seven straight weeks, Zayn boosted the prestige of the U.S. Title with wins over the likes of Rey Fenix, Je’Von Evans, Shinsuke Nakamura and Aleister Black.
Now months later, Carmelo Hayes is now the champion and has continued on with the tradition of the United States Title Open Challenge.
Looking to regain his lost momentum, Zayn could answer the open challenge and proceed to screw Hayes out of the United States gold, betraying the honor that he brought to the title during his last reign.
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2. Betraying Jey Uso
During the course of his time with The Bloodline, Sami Zayn and Jey Uso created an unbreakable bond that saw them become the best of friends.
Since leaving The Bloodline, both men have been seen time and time again to have each other’s back against a variety of opponents.
However, it looks like both Uso and Zayn might take part in the upcoming Elimination Chamber Match at the titular premium live event on February 28.
Sami Zayn betraying Jey Uso and cheating him out of the opportunity to get another world title shot at Elimination Chamber could show just how much the gold means to him and the lengths he is willing to go to get to another opportunity at WrestleMania 42.
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1. Attacking An Injured Kevin Owens
The friendship and rivalry between Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens is one of the most storied sagas in all of pro wrestling today.
Coming up in the wrestling business starting from their time in Canada making a name for themselves all the way to their current runs in WWE, Zayn and Owens have a complicated relationship that is unlike any fans have seen in the company’s history.
While they last faced each other in a brutal Unsanctioned Match at WWE Elimination Chamber 2025, KO has since been out of action with a serious, career-threatening neck injury that has sidelined him for over a year.
Zayn choosing to attack an injured and defenseless Owens could be the best way to turn the fans against the popular underdog and set him up for the biggest heel run of his career.
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