Sami Zayn is no longer WWE Intercontinental Champion.
WWE announced that Sami Zayn has been stripped of the Intercontinental Championship as he is unable to defend the title. As a result, WWE will hold a tournament to crown a new champion. The tournament is set to begin on Friday's SmackDown. Competitors for the tournament have yet to be announced.
BREAKING NEWS:@SamiZayn is unable to compete and defend the Intercontinental Championship, therefore @WWE has declared the title vacant. A tournament to crown a new Champion will begin on Friday Night Smackdown on FOX. pic.twitter.com/5qZgUyL9rC
— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) May 13, 2020
Zayn won the IC Title at WWE Elimination Chamber, winning a three-on-one handicap where he teamed with Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro to defeat Braun Strowman. He successfully defended the belt at WrestleMania 36 against Daniel Bryan.
Zayn reportedly made the decision to miss the recent WWE SmackDown tapings amid the coronavirus pandemic. WWE taped more episodes of Raw and SmackDown on Monday and Tuesday.
It is unclear when Zayn will return to television.
Fightful will keep fans updated on when competitors for the tournament are announced.
