CM Punk vs. Sami Zayn

[6.0] "***3/4 A good match--a good bout that had the potential to be much better. They showed great chemistry; the two work together far better than it might seem, and they could deliver an even better match on a PLE, as weekly shows tend to limit them with time constraints and chaotic interference. There were good sequences, interesting intensity, and a solid pace, along with effective limbwork targeting Punk's knee and Sami's wrist, plus strong selling from both men. The match's premise offered more potential, but I hope they face off again in a main event at a major show. The finish was just average--a bit chaotic and not executed particularly well, as the interference spots lacked fluidity and cleanliness. Ultimately, Sami capitalized on KO accidentally hitting Punk with the title belt to take out KO and finish Punk off with a Helluva Kick, winning the WWE World Championship for the second time--a well-deserved achievement for someone as underrated as Sami"

[7.0] "The idea of Sami winning back the WWE title already felt unlikely, but him doing so on SmackDown in Mexico City makes for quite a stunning moment. The match itself is solid. Sami going after Punk's knee and doing a fantastic job on it is perfect, Punk's selling is excellent and him working Sami's wrist in response is great. Those shenanigans with Gargano, Candice and KO getting involved make for an overbooked mess but Sami winning this way makes for an interesting shift. ***1/2+"

[8.0] "Very nice match, the crowd, the wrestling and the result ! What a great match with a shocking ending. The Main Event scene is getting better and better."

[4.0] "Not gonna lie, this was kinda bad. I know Punk can't move like he used to, but he was on especially bad form this night. Going in I just kinda assumed it would be a decent Sami carry job. But while it *was* a carry job from Zayn, the slow pace of the match and overbooked, messy finish left a LOT to be desired. I *am* pleased Sami finally got his 'justice, ' but I also don't believe he should have lost the title in the first place."

[9.0] "One of my favorite Punk matches in a minute. Probably cause he lost, but irregardless, it's a very well put together match w a great limb work portion before building into more of a classic WWE style match. It's quite good and Sami is one of the best to ever do it."

[7.0] "CM Punk really did save SmackDown. His run was so good and I love how he didn't have a very long reign. Sami beating him was unexpected and I liked that a lot. So excited to see what's next. The match was also good!"

[7.0] "It was a good Tv match it can be better but it was good for a title change and I think this reign for Sami will be the best reign of his whole career"

[4.0] "Part Time Punk and Sami Zayn have a nearly identical match because that's what they do in WWE. For this episode Part Time went full CM Pander with his gear in the colors of the Mexican flag. Punk, known for his deep latino roots, paid homage to his homecoming. Why else would anyone wear the colors of a flag of a place they have zero ties to? Hot potato with the belts is also terrible booking. It may not be so bad if one of them wasn't pushing 50 and tired after walking down the ramp."

[8.0] "Another good match between these two guys with a surprise title change. Loved the decision to put the belt back on Sami since it makes me see anyone who challenges him in the future as an actual threat, just hope this reign is longer than his last one. [4*]"

[5.0] "really did not like this match, considering these are two of the best wrestlers in the game right now. The match just did not get enough time and there's zero memorable spots or anything until the interference of Owens and Gargano. Literally as mid as a match can get, Punk did not need to lose this way but realistically the WWE title scene has been an absolute mess for a while and it's not his fault. This title is struggling immensely and let's see how Sami takes another 40-ish day reign before losing it to someone else. Rating: **1/2"

[8.0] "Good match, moved into great territory by the finish. We got some great selling of the knee and hand by Punk and Sami respectively (minus one awkward moment where Punk couldn't get the protective gear off - Sami had to remove it himself but commentary did a nice job of covering for it). Then we got the finish, which I'd say was overbooked if it weren't for the fact that the WWE Championship picture is the most layered and competitive in the company right now. Candice LeRae distracts the referee, Gargano tries to hit Punk with the Title but gets dropped, Sami tries to get to the title but KO grabs it and tries to hit Sami, hits Punk, doesn't mind as he hates him too, Sami low blows KO and takes advantage to hit Punk with a Helluva kick and get the win. Think the clusterfuck finish was befitting the division at the moment, and the surprising result also."

[8.0] "[8.0]. This was a very good match with insane selling by Punk. I legit thought he was hurt and I feel that in todays day and age there is not many wrestlers that make you feel like Punk. In that regard he is genuinely one of one and the best in the world to this actual day. Obvious shenanigans at the end which drops it lower than I would have originally have it but still a great match. Not as good as the Chicago one though"

[9.0] "Welcome back to the championship Sami! I absolutely loved this decision. Now I wish Punk and Sami had more time like they did for their match on Raw which is a match of the year contender. But I loved the targeting of Punk's tweaked knee and Sami's broken hand. Loved details like that in a match. Kevin Owens accidentally costing Punk the belt was genius and sets up the main event picture beautifully with even more layers. Sami has the potential to be a great heel champion. His character work in 2026 is beyond stellar."

[8.0] "I like their last match more, because here was just a simple story with injuries and overbooking at the end. But it was a solid match overall with unexpected Sami Zayn's victory."

[9.0] "Sami Zayn vs CM Punk was yet another great main event between these two who have given us three of the best WWE TV matches over the past two years. The overbooking and interference made for a chaotic close to the show and loved Sami getting the victory (****1/2)"

[8.0] "Very good match. Loved the limbwork and the selling in this match ans also the way they made it look like such a struggle was amazing. The run-ins were not pointless, they all made sense in the storyline and I'm excited to see where they go with this."

[8.0] "[4.0*] Yeah man, I don't care, I loved this match. The majority of the action was very old school coded with classic face/heel dynamics, Atomic Drops, Figure Four Leglocks and stuff like that. We all love a limb-work focused match, specially when it's "impromptu" in a sense that Sami started targeting Punk's knee after Phil landed awkward. This kind of stuff makes wrestling more natural. Punk's work on Sami's previously injured wrist was impeccable too and so was the selling. Both guys sold their injuries perfectly well, this felt very old school in every manner. The ending stretch had the usual modern WWE shenanigans, indeed, but in this case I thought they were fun. The surprise title change was the cherry on the top of this super hot and unpredictable TV Main Event. A pretty nice huge surprise. Probably the coolest thing WWE has done in ages."

[8.0] "A very strong main event built around smart limb work and well-protected finishers. Punk targeting Sami Zayn's arm while Sami worked the leg gave the match a clear structure, and both the GTS and Anaconda Vise were handled in a way that kept them feeling important. The interference was expected, but the finish still opened several interesting directions involving Owens, Gargano, CM Punk. A well-worked match that also did plenty for the wider title picture."

[8.0] "That was the running theme of the evening. There was a focus on specific limbs (Punk's leg versus Zayn's arm); I like it when finishing moves are protected, and that was the case here--the first GTS was countered, and Punk was too battered to make the cover after the second one (otherwise it likely would have been a three-count), while Zayn tapped out to the Anaconda Vise but the referee didn't see it. As expected, there were interferences. The ending opens up several possible directions--Punk vs. Owens, Gargano vs. Zayn, and the Gunther vs. Bálor match set up during the show--so we could see some great matches in the coming weeks."

[7.0] "Good match. It was unexpectedly better than I thought it would be and the ending was a surprise but in a really good way. I love Punk but his time is over, he should hang his boots, and even Sami isn't a young man anymore, this is a young man's game. Still seeing Sami win his second one felt good and the match itself was also good. It was technical, both men going after limb; Punk's leg and Sami's wrist, the selling was very good, the drama was solid, the crowd was red hot and it was a very competitive match. Johnny Gargano and KO interfered and I don't mind it as it plays well in this story they are telling with these four men and a few others as well. ***3/4"

[7.0] "Odd crowd reaction, I thought sami was going to be the face with this story tbh. I don't really get why the knee was a thing but it was used super well! Commentary makes it worse. Very nice selling and good consistency. Minus 1 for the commentary and the messiness and that finish."

[7.0] "Good match for the WWE title. Easy to follow story with Punk targeting Sami's injured hand and Sami going after Punk's knee that he tweaked early into the match. Good selling from both guys and the crowd was invested. Gargano interfering made sense because of his connection to Sami but is quickly taken out by Punk. It took a ridiculous amount of time for the ref to roll Gargano out of the ring, meanwhile the ref has to pretend he doesn't notice that Owens has entered the ring. Owens tries to hit Sami with the belt but gets Punk instead. Sami takes advantage, lands a Helluva Kick and pins Punk to become the champion again. I was surprised by the title change happened here but it was the right move. The shenanigans were a bit too much though it does play into the bigger story. 7/10"

[9.0] "Meksika'daki atesli seyircinin önünde gerçeklesen CM Punk vs. Sami Zayn karsilasmasi, hem psikolojisi hem de sundugu kaosla haftalik sov standartlarinin çok üzerine çikan harika bir ana olay maçi oldu. Punk'in sakat dizine, Sami'nin ise sakat bilegine odaklandigi uzuv çalismasi (limb work) ve ikilinin bu durumu mükemmel satisi, maçin anlatisini bastan sona çok saglam tuttu. Mücadelenin sonlarina dogru Johnny Gargano, Candice LeRae ve Kevin Owens'in dahil olmasiyla tam bir karmasa yasansa da bu overbooking hikaye anlatimina hizmet ettigi için siritmadi. KO'nun kemerle kaza süsü vererek Punk'a vurmasi ve hemen ardindan gelen Helluva Kick ile Sami Zayn'in kemeri tekrar kazanmasi, hem seyirci için büyük bir sürpriz hem de ana kemer etrafindaki kaosu bir üst seviyeye tasiyan harika bir hamle oldu. Temposu, ring içi zekasi ve sürpriz sonuyla son zamanlarin en doyurucu TV maçlarindan biriydi."

[8.0] "What an amazing match! I really loved the Trilogy of Matches we got from CM Punk and Sami Zayn; this match was such fun. Sami Zayn has been wanting his title back since July. Setback after setback he been dealing with a lot of things that have been derailing his moment of getting close to the Undisputed WWE Title again, but man, CM Punk has been the WWE Wrestler of the Year. Every match he has had this year has been simply amazing. The closing stretch of this match reminded me of that NXT Sequence with Aleister Black, Johnny Gargano, and Tommaso Ciampa. But this time we did get Johnny Gargano trying to help. Kevin Owens came to the attack, and Sami Zayn is a 2x WWE World Champion. Great match; finally, we'll be getting a proper Sami Zayn reign with the World Title."

[7.0] "Another really enjoyable match between Sami and Punk, the in-ring work was great as always from them, but for me, it wasn't as good as their first WWE title match and their Elimination Chamber qualifying. The interferences were expected, but I loved the small detail of Kevin smiling after hitting Punk, it was an accident, but Kevin doesn't like Punk so he wasn't really upset about it. I honestly wasn't expecting Sami to win here, like at all."

[7.0] "(3, 5 Stars) They were having a good match, but--naturally, as always--they had to resort to overbooking, which was executed horribly to boot; and the fact that Zayn one of my favorite won a world title leaves me completely cold--I don't even want to elaborate; it's just a shame."

[7.0] "Good match right here, these two have pretty good chemistry. Obviously this wasn't as good as the July match but I still enjoyed it along with all the chaos, which was expected. Happy that Sami is champion again, now all I hope is that they give him a run that lasts more than 9 days."

[6.0] "Oh yeah that was a really decent wwe main event match. It's way down level compared to their first raw match. But still you can get something with these two guys, the booking wasn't really good obviously but the knee thing was chef kiss, it should've been better. ***"

[8.0] "I decided to watch this match, and honestly, I liked it. These 2 got really good offense against each other and focused on a specific part of each other's body. They sold their injured parts well. I think the finishing was a bit too overplayed, but it made sense, considering the storyline. The Mexican crowd was very good, and I personally liked to see Sami winning the championship again."

[7.0] "The WWE rewards Mexico with a title change that even delivers a decent match, though it loses some quality due to the finish and the accompanying overbooking. For Zayn, it's also recognition of his dedication and achievements--not just in this storyline, but also for the patience he's shown over such a long period. A presentable title match and certainly perfectly fine."

[5.0] "Yup, this truly was a main event of a weekly sports entertainment show. Nothing remarkable about it, you can tell both CM Punk and Sami Zayn were holding back A LOT, mostly focusing on the same old spots and sequences they rely on to get a reaction from the crowd. The leg and wrist work from both was really nice, but it, basically, led up to nothing. I know Punk's old, hurt and fucking tired, but he can clearly deliver a better performance than this. Maybe their rematch will be better. ***1/4"

[9.0] "[4.50] For more than a month, Punk has been building up the injury to his knee, and the time has come to use it more significantly. The phrase "El verdugo" wasn't just a design on the gear -- Punk actually tested his opponent on who could last longer. Before Johnny's interference (even though it was acceptable), the match was heading toward history."

[8.0] "Outstanding match, another incredible one between them, and yet different, with lots of new elements and developments, but the overall result was fantastic. Punk was booed in Cleveland last week, and now he's the absolute hero in Mexico City, worked as a babyface, and had an incredible babyface performance, against Zayn and his friends Gargano/LeRae, who also managed to perform a heelish performance, but with purpose, with their particular reasons. That was an incredibly smart match, the limb work from Punk was gorgeous, maybe the peak of his 'old man' champion run, selling the left knee the entire match, with awesome facial expressions... the character work from both during the entire thing was awesome. Zayn won the title in a shocker, and I loved that, it was unexpected and made sense. During that whole ending stretch, I loved when Punk dodged from the belt shot, because he learned from last week, it was a match filled with those smart bits, because they're great wrestlers of course. The stuff with Zayn's injured wrist was great as well, just a great bout overall, where everything seemed to click, enjoyable as hell - {****}"

[9.0] "The Main Event is excellent in terms of storytelling. Punk working on Zayn's wrist is brilliant. Zayn working on Punk's knee was interesting. The tension between the two was palpable. The finish was mad. Gargano helping Zayn made sense given what happened last week. KO trying to pull a Sami Zayn by sabotaging the match was cool. Zayn winning the title was a massive surprise. It's fully deserved because, ever since the feud with Cody and Gunther, Zayn has been excellent both as a character and in the ring. What's interesting is that KO 'set up' Zayn's win. Normally, we'd expect a Zayn/Gargano match."

[8.0] "They tried to offer something different compared to their last encounter; I have to admit I wasn't exactly a fan of the somewhat slow start, but the change of pace made the impact all the greater. The final minutes were excellent, and I found a title change so unlikely that I was truly invested in that surprising finish. It's refreshing to get surprises on a weekly show in a wrestling landscape that has been very predictable in recent months. In-ring quality: 3/5. Stakes: 2/2. Justification: 1/1. Card placement: 1/1. Suspense: 1/1. Bonus/penalty: none. Total: 8/10. Match watched on Netflix (FR)."

"Awful, AWFUL booking. Not only is taking the title off a hot CM Punk a dumb move, but the whole way this title change came about. Seeing the same four people interfere boring, but not having Gunther and Finn show up is stupid. No one wants ts, and the wrestling wasn't even that special either. Why is it the supposedly "most important title in wrestling" being hot-potatoed on random SmackDown episodes all year? Fed is in the dumpster"

[7.0] "Somewhere in Tijuana an orphanage just erupted. This was a fairly basic TV main with a solid focus on both guys attacking each other's weak spots. On the one hand, it was bolstered by a red-hot, fully onboard crowd. On the other, the finish was a load of old cobblers ***1/2"

[8.0] "Excellent wrestling between two guys who were born for this and have always done it--which, of course, comes as no surprise. We'd already seen in their two previous matches on RAW that the chemistry was there, so this time they absolutely killed it in Mexico City, and it was so much fun. The crowd was awesome, too. And it all wrapped up with some fun overbooking that hints at cool things to come for the title picture on SmackDown, along with a satisfying outcome. Sami is a two-time WWE World Champion guys!"

"The atmosphere could have been better, felt like a house show match, the crowd reaction for sami winning the wwe championship was probably the worst pop for a wwe championship win ever, it feels like a mistake"

"Very good match with amzing crowds. Both wrestlers selling of injured knee and wrist was great, and sami showed he is the current master of the heel style. The ending which sami zayn became a new champion by kevin owens mistake, really make this title line more interesting."

[9.0] "I thought this was the right call for wwe right now, it needs some shock value and surprises. The match tho had great intensity and interference that felt justified rather then forced. The finish Kevin Owen's accidenh hitting punk and not caring was a good touch and makes sense for Kevin's character. Overall this was great all around punk is still terrific in ring and Sami is Sami ****1/2"

[8.0] "This was a fun match. Started a bit mediocre but it picked up near the end. These two have good chemistry and the crowd definitely elevated the match. The end was fun in its messiness. My only complaint was Michael Cole, he wouldn't shut up and just let moments breathe. Yes Michael, I can see Punks leg is bad, yes Michael, I can see Sami sees it. If he shut up I might have enjoyed it more. Fun match, would recommend"

[9.0] "Excellent match, i do think the other 2 matches these 2 had were better than this one but this one is still great, i hate interferences slop but this interfereres slop was done right, great ending, right winner, these 2 have great chemistry, The selling of their injuries were great and made the storytelling of the match better"

[9.0] "Really fun match. A lot of limb work with Sami's hand and Punk's knee, which made the match feel very open. Gargano getting involved kept the match alive twice, including costing punk while Sami was tapping. I love how Owen's went for Sami, hit Punk, but was just like "Eh, that's fine". When Sami went for the pin I was certain punk was kicking or the ref was getting pulled out of the ring, really well done finish, great storytelling as yeah, Punk was screwed, but look at how he defended against Rhodes and Owens, his defences came through the same thing that cost him. Really enjoyed this, and great to see Sami strapped up again."

[9.0] "Not as good as the first two matches between them, but it's a pair that can do no wrong. Amazing sequences, great selling for Punk and I'm happy with the ending, Sami Zayn has doing a lot of good work since 2023 and he really deserves his time with the title."

[8.0] "A good match between two true greats; it builds to the obvious interference, and as it all happens, it feels logical why everything is happening. It's all a bit crazy, and I'm not a huge fan of this interference and shenanigans, but I enjoyed it for what it was. I think Punk and Zayn can put on banger matches (see the match when Punk won the title), but this was more of a story/angle match than it was a proper wrestling match. That's fine, but I think unless it's perfected, an angle match can only go so far. ****"

[8.0] "I really enjoyed this match a lot and am genuinely suprised by the result. The main event scene on SmackDown is so chaotic right now and with all these big names in the championship orbit I'm pretty excited about where this could go. I don't expect a long reign for Sami though"

[8.0] "Not as good as the first time Sami won the title but a still excellent TV main event with absolutely the right person going over. I am hoping this leads to a much longer reign this time around, culminating in KO vs Sami at Wrestlemania like it always should be"

[8.0] "Match of the night, granted that this not saying much. They worked well together and the only thing I think brought it down was the amount of interference during the finish. That just makes it feel like it was a fluke again. Still pretty decent. Low 8, high 7"