Night of Champions promises high-stakes action live from Saudi Arabia despite backstage tensions
WWE is once again set to make history on the international stage. This Saturday, June 28, Night of Champions will be broadcast live from Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. It marks WWE’s first major event in the country since last November’s Crown Jewel and expectations are sky-high for a night filled with unforgettable moments, controversy, and top-tier matchups.
Behind the scenes, however, things haven’t gone as smoothly. Members of the production crew faced complications at the Qatar airport due to airspace closures sparked by tensions between the United States and Iran. Thankfully, the situation was resolved in time, and WWE managed to stick to its original travel plans. Earlier this week, the roster and crew boarded a charter flight from Florida to the Middle East, ensuring the show will go on as scheduled.
One of the biggest highlights of the night will be the finals of the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments. Randy Orton, who advanced past Sami Zayn after winning a fatal four-way in the first round, will now face his former protégé Cody Rhodes. Rhodes has had a tough road to the finals, overcoming Andrade, Damian Priest, Shinsuke Nakamura, and most recently Jey Uso in a hard-fought battle on this week’s RAW.
On the women’s side, things are just as intense. Asuka, who made her in-ring return recently, defeated Alexa Bliss in the semifinal and is now set to take on Jade Cargill. Cargill earned her spot after overcoming four major SmackDown stars and defeating Roxanne Perez in the semis. The winner will be crowned WWE’s Queen of the Ring for 2025.
But the true main event of the evening will be the championship clash between John Cena and CM Punk for WWE’s top title. This legendary rivalry was reignited last week when Cena channeled Punk’s infamous pipebomb promo during a heated SmackDown in front of a packed crowd in Grand Rapids. These two last faced off one-on-one in the lead-up to WrestleMania 29, delivering what many still consider one of RAW’s best matches of 2013.
For fans outside the United States, Night of Champions will stream live on Netflix — marking the first WWE Saudi PLE to be broadcast on the world’s leading streaming platform.