WWE working towards a planned timeline involving several contenders.

Zayn captured the championship for the second time on the September 11 episode of SmackDown in Mexico City. While the result surprised viewers, comments during a WrestleVotes Q&A suggest the timing was important to WWE’s plans.

JoeyVotes explained that the company wanted Zayn holding the title at this stage of the story, which now involves six or seven wrestlers.

“Sami, it fits whatever story they are telling here with all these six or seven guys that are now involved. They got to Sami on Friday because they have an idea and a timeline they want to fit in, and it just so happens to work.”

The switch also comes amid a reported push to make WWE’s weekly television more unpredictable. TC said the company wants to give fans meaningful matches on Raw and SmackDown, with major results that encourage viewers to keep watching.

“There’s a big emphasis on big-time matches on TV happening on Raw and SmackDown. We saw it happen on Friday night. They’re going to continue to want you to tune in, not giving you these ho-hum matches where you know the outcome of the matches.”

Punk’s defeat certainly delivered a dramatic finish. He appeared to have the match won when Zayn tapped out to the Anaconda Vice, but Candice LeRae distracted the referee, who missed the submission.

Johnny Gargano and Kevin Owens also became involved. Owens accidentally hit Punk with the WWE Championship, allowing Zayn to land the Helluva Kick and claim the gold.

The decision reportedly faced some opposition backstage. However, Dave Meltzer said he was told the storyline would help explain the title change as events unfold.

“With the Sami Zayn thing, the basic gist was they have a storyline that will make sense when you look back on it, is what I was told. When it’s all said and done this will all make sense. There was certainly people who were against it but they did it. And that was that.”

Zayn now has several unresolved issues surrounding his reign. Punk lost the championship following interference, Gargano had previously sought the first title opportunity if Zayn became champion, and Owens played a decisive role in the finish.

Exactly how those stories will connect remains to be seen, but the report suggests Zayn’s victory is one step in a larger plan.