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Cody Rhodes must win the WWE King of the Ring finals to get another shot at John Cena. (Credit: … More
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WWE Night of Champions 2025 takes place this Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and is the final stop on the road to SummerSlam.
The latest WWE pay-per-view, or Premium Live Event, emanates from Kingdom Arena and features a rare match for John Cena as well as the finals of both the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments. The event was an instant sellout and is expected to feature roughly 27,000 fans in attendance.
WWE did not hold a Night of Champions event in 2024, instead holding an event titled “King and Queen of the Ring” in Jeddah last May. In 2023, the Night of Champions show was at the time WWE’s most viewed event ever to be held in Saudi Arabia. The 2025 WWE Night of Champions will determine not one but two world title challengers for SummerSlam and could potentially feature the last-ever match between Cena and CM Punk.
WWE Night of Champions 2025 Match Card
The 2025 WWE Night of Champions event features six matches, deviating from the recent trend of major events having just four or five bouts. Below is the full match card:
- WWE Championship Match: John Cena vs. CM Punk
- King of the Ring Tournament Finals: Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton
- Queen of the Ring Tournament Finals: Asuka vs. Jade Cargill
- WWE United States Championship Match: Jacob Fatu vs. Solo Sikoa
- Raquel Rodriguez vs. Rhea Ripley in a Street Fight
- Sami Zayn vs. Karrion Kross
WWE had originally scheduled an Intercontinental title match between Dominik Mysterio and AJ Styles, but that match was removed due to an injury to Mysterio.
Also, the winners of the King and Queen of the Ring Tournaments finals will challenge their specific brand’s world champion, respectively, for the title at the first-ever two-night SummerSlam in August.
WWE Night of Champions 2025 Start Time And Streaming Info
WWE Night of Champions 2025 will air on Peacock in the Unites States at 1 pm EST/12 pm CST. The event is available on Netflix to non-US fans.
The one-hour pre-show will begin one hour before the main card on WWE’s official YouTube channel.
WWE Night of Champions 2025 Favorites And Most Likely Winners
WWE Championship Match: John Cena vs. CM Punk
In their 14 singles matches, John Cena and CM Punk have each won six matches while the other two bouts ended without a clear winner. In other words, Punk vs. Cena, potentially for the last time ever, should serve as the rubber match between the two.
While Punk remains one of WWE’s most beloved stars and Cena is struggling to be a convincing heel, it’s difficult to envision Cena losing the WWE Championship roughly two months after his record-breaking 17th title win. WWE is clearly building toward a massive rematch for Cena (more on that later) while there isn’t really any indication that Punk vs. either Rhodes or Orton is the direction for the near future.
Punk can rebound from a loss, especially with Cena likely to win controversially in order to set up a blockbuster SummerSlam rematch.
Likely Winner: John Cena
WWE Queen of the Ring Tournament Final: Asuka vs. Jade Cargill
Although Asuka just returned from a year-long absence and could be in line for a major push, Jade Cargill is clearly standing in the way. And she isn’t moving either.
Prior to Cargill’s injury late last year, WWE reportedly had planned on making the polarizing star a world champion on the road to WrestleMania 41. While those plans may have been slightly delayed, they likely haven’t been scrapped altogether. WWE is clearly going all in on a major singles push for Cargill, and it’s just a matter of time.
At WWE Night of Champions 2025, Cargill can take one step closer to her first singles title with a big win over Asuka, one that would allow Cargill to reignite her feud with Ms. Money in the Bank Naomi come SummerSlam.
Likely Winner: Jade Cargill
WWE King of the Ring Tournament Final: Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton
When the WWE King of the Ring brackets were first revealed, WWE fans could see where this was headed: Cody Rhodes vs. John Cena II.
Rhodes vs. Orton is certainly a massive dream match, and with both stars so beloved that they shouldn’t turn heel, it makes sense to book them in a competitive tournament finals match without having to move either star to the dark side. Given that WWE just billed Orton vs. Cena at Backlash as their final match ever, Orton doesn’t figure to get another crack at “The Champ.”
No, WWE Night of Champions is all about Rhodes winning to get a second shot at Cena at SummerSlam.
Likely Winner: Cody Rhodes
WWE United States Championship Match: Jacob Fatu vs. Solo Sikoa
As is the case with Jade Cargill, WWE is going all in on a monster push for Jacob Fatu, perhaps its fastest-rising babyface star.
Solo Sikoa, a fine midcard heel but overall mediocre performer, isn’t going to change that. Or is he? In the ideal situation, Fatu should get a significant push similar to what Gunther received as Intercontinental Champion, where his stellar reign as a midcard titleholder helped catapult him to the main event scene.
Fatu just won the WWE United States Championship two months ago at WrestleMania 41, after all. Losing it to Sikoa would seemingly be too big of a step backward for a star WWE is pushing forward. Then again, maybe not.
With potential new Bloodline member Hikuleo reportedly spotted in Saudi Arabia, expect the faction’s latest addition to make his long awaited debut and help Sikoa defeat Fatu in controversial fashion.
Likely Winner: Solo Sikoa
Sami Zayn vs. Karrion Kross
A late addition to the WWE Night of Champions card, Sami Zayn vs. Karrion Kross is highlighting two stars who have gotten mega over in completely different ways.
Zayn has been one of the best booked babyfaces in all of WWE over the past few years while Kross, though a heel, is finally getting a shot on TV after a riveting post-WrestleMania promo that made him a cult favorite among WWE fans. While Kross would benefit greatly from a significant win over someone like Zayn, there’s been little to suggest that he will actually get it.
After all, Zayn is in the midst of a major character arc, one in which he’s pursuing his first-ever world title win. Kross, meanwhile, barely gets on TV. This should be a surefire win for Zayn, and anything else would be a massive surprise.
Likely Winner: Sami Zayn
Street Fight: Rhea Ripley vs. Raquel Rodriguez
Rhea Ripley remains one of WWE’s most beloved stars, but her never-ending feud with members of The Judgment Day is beyond tiresome.
While WWE is focusing a little more on Raquel Rodriguez with Liv Morgan injured, she’s not portrayed to be anywhere near the same level as Ripley, who’s always protected by WWE’s booking. If this were a standard wrestling match, Ripley would be a shoo-in to win. That isn’t the case, though.
The Street Fight stipulation opens the door for Rodriguez’s fellow Judgment Day members to help her win, which will keep Ripley looking strong even in defeat.
Likely Winner: Raquel Rodriguez
