The SummerSlam picture is a little more clearer now as WWE held its Night of Champions show in Saudi Arabia.
Your new King of the Ring is Cody Rhodes. He will be facing John Cena at SummerSlam for the Undisputed WWE Championship. Jade Cargill is your new Queen of the Ring. If things remain the same, she will be battling Tiffany Stratton for the WWE Women’s Championship at the biggest party of the summer.
The card itself was as predictable as the Young Bucks in-ring arsenal. The lower card matches didn’t really make an impression but the big marque matches certainly did. Randy Orton versus Cody Rhodes was the best of the night and one of the best matches of the year.
Night of Champions 2025 Results
Mark Nash is your ring announcer tonight.
Randy Orton versus Cody Rhodes – King of the Ring Tournament Final (Winner is crowned “King of the Ring” and gets a world title match for their brand at SummerSlam)
Randy is clearly elated by the boisterous crowd singing his theme. Wow, are they loud or what? Randy stares at the crown as the crowd continues to sing along. This is a mighty long entrance. From one raucous sing-a-long to the next as Cody is out.
There are dueling RKO and Cody chants. The atmosphere is just nuts! I have been covering wrestling for more than 25 years and this is one of the loudest, excited crowds I have ever heard. This is WrestleMania levels of buzz.
Orton Superplexes Cody off the top rope but Orton lands on his back too. He is in massive pain. Cody is right to the attack with a Disaster Kick for a two count. The kick-out is termed as “weak” by Wade Barrett.
Cody works over Randy’s back with suplexes. Randy gives Cody a backbreaker but that move alone hurts Randy’s back. Cody wraps Orton around the steel post. Fans are shocked. There are hushed boos. The crowd chants: Let’s go, Randy!
Randy powerslams Cody off the ropes. He can barely cover Cody, hook a leg. Randy kicks out of a Cody Cutter. The crowd grumbles at Cody. Randy kicks out of an Avalanche Cutter. He is now holding his neck and back. Randy can barely get to his feet. He does execute the Draping DDT though. Cody reverses an RKO into a Cross Rhodes for a two count.
Just when you think he is out of it, an RKO out of nowhere…for a two count. Randy backs up for a Punt. Randy has second thoughts as the crowd encourages him to follow through. He took too long. Cody puts Randy in a Figure Four. Randy reverses the hold. Cody reaches the ropes to break things up.
Both men trade punches in the middle of the ring. The fans cheer for Randy and boo Cody. Cody leaps off the ropes. Randy catches him in another RKO. Two count.
Randy heads out of the ring and grabs a steel chair. The official and Randy fight over the chair. While the official’s back is turned Randy removes a turnbuckle pad. Orton tries another RKO. Cody shoves him ribs-first into the exposed buckle. Cross Rhodes for the 1,2,3.
GM Aldis hands Rhodes the crown.
Rhodes thanks Randy Orton. Randy stops halfway up the aisle to acknowledge the compliment but is still wincing in pain. Byron Saxton interviews
Cody: At SummerSlam, I get the ball back!
Winner: …and the 2025 King of the Ring, Cody Rhodes at 20 minutes and 14 seconds.
Rating: 9 / 10
Rhea Ripley vs. Raquel Rodriguez – Street Fight Match
Notice how Rhea is trying to change her image? She is wearing less Goth make-up and is doing cutesy smiles, winks at the camera. She seems to have lost a lot of her muscle too. She doesn’t act or behave much like a bad ass anymore as she did in Judgment Day.
I just cannot believe she is only 5’7. Her WWE opponents make her look so much taller.
Rhea looks so small compared to Raquel. Raquel throws Rhea around and tackles her into a corner. Raquel delivers one elbow after another as well as a splash in a corner. Rhea is rocked.
Rhea is wrapped up in the ropes. Raquel whips her with a kendo stick. Raquel picks up a chair. Rhea kicks it into Raquel’s face. Rhea escapes from the ropes.
Rhea whips Raquel into the steel ring steps and smashes her head off the announce table. Raquel catches Rhea in the air and slams her into the side of the time keeper’s area. She pulls a table out from under the ring. Rhea is still down so Raquel has all the time in the world to set-up the table in the ring.
Raquel puts the steel stairs on the apron. Rhea reverses driving Raquel’s head into the steps. Rhea takes forever to pull her belt off and whip Raquel.
Razor’s Edge, running knee smash by Rhea for a two count. Roxanne Perez attacks Rhea from behind at 10 minutes in. Rhea awkwardly stops a Perez DDT. Rhea slams Perez on the floor. Rhea puts a garbage can over Perez’s head then kicks her in the head. Raquel swings Rhea into the steel post and steel ring steps. Corkscrew splash for a two count.
Raquel balances a table across a turnbuckle. Rhea climbs onto the table bouncing Raquel’s head off of it. Rip Tide from the balanced table to the mat for the win.
Winner: Rhea Ripley at 13 minutes and 57 seconds.
Rating: 7 / 10
Sami Zayn vs. Karrion Kross
We get to see Kross’ entire cool entrance again. Dude has has to weather a lot. He deserves a new push. He really does. If he cannot capitalize on this one…one his way.
Kross gets some big cheers. Naturally, Zayn gets a huge reception. He is wearing a keffiyeh. Cole says Zayn is celebrating his heritage.
Barrett: “I am from England. I never walked down the aisle with a bowler hat in London.”
Kross talks smack at the start trying to get into Sami’s head. Kross batters Zayn in the ropes. Zayn fires back with forearms and chops. Zayn clotheslines Kross over the top rope to the floor.
Kross pulls Zayn out to the floor. Zayn is thrown into the barricade. Zayn leaps off of it with a moonsault on Kross. Kross hits the Doomsday Saito back in the ring. Kross calls Zayn a liar. He lands punch after punch on Zayn.
Zayn mounts Kross in the corner landing like 12 haymakers. Blue Thunder Bomb for a two count. Exploder in a corner but as Zayn goes for a Helluva Kick he gets caught in a Kross Jacket. Zayn’s arm drops twice.
Kross demands over and over that Zayn admit he is a liar as he clocks him with running clotheslines in the corner. Helluva Kick pins Kross when he decides to…talk too much.
Winner: Sami Zayn at 13 minutes and 49 seconds.
Rating: 7 / 10
The WWE announces that the Royal Rumble will be in Saudi Arabia next year. Cannot wait to see the reaction to that decision.
Jacob Fatu (c) vs. Solo Sikoa – WWE United States Championship Match
The new and improved Bloodline. Courtesy: WWE.
Solo attacks Fatu before the bell rings. He pummels Fatu into a corner. Fatu flings Solo into a corner. He splashes him, kicking and stomping him down. Solo rolls out of the ring as a big splash is coming in. Fatu still clotheslines him off the steps though. Two sentons on Solo back in the ring. Solo rolls out again. Fatu takes two uranages, one on the apron, the other on the floor. Solo beats Fatu down warning him about leaving, betraying the family. Fatu misses a splash in a corner. He smashes his head on the steel post.
Solo backs it up into Fatu in a corner. “You should have listened to me, Jacob! I gave you everything! You never loved me! I loved you! I am going to take your ass out!” shouts Solo to Jacob while he is in a headlock.
Solo continues to berate Fatu as he lays in more punches. Fatu is suplexed but he no sells it slamming, kicking and splashing Solo in a corner. An impaler by Fatu. Fatu gets a two count after a swanton off the top rope.
Fatu climbs to the top rope. JC Mateo comes running out at 9 minutes in. As the official is distracted, a returning Tanga Loa gives Fatu a Magic Killer off the top rope. Two count for Solo.
Solo misses the Samoan Spike. Fatu takes out Solo. He knocks Mateo off the apron onto Loa then dives onto them both.
Pop-Up Samoan Drop on Solo. Fatu splashes Mateo in a corner. Fatu lands his moonsault.
Hikuleo, Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa’s brother debuts. Courtesy: WWE.
As he attempts to pin Solo, a debuting Hikuleo pulls Fatu off him.
“You had everything!” he shouts chokeslaming Fatu on the announce table then rolls him back into the ring.
A Samoan Spike pins Fatu.
Winner: …and new Untied States Champion…Solo Sikoa.
Asuka vs. Jade Cargill – Queen of the Ring tournament final (Winner is crowned “Queen of the Ring” and gets a world title match for their brand at SummerSlam)
I am tired of Asuka. She is bland, boring, hasn’t evolved much in WWE over the years. It is just the same song and dance from her. Speaking of dancing, she is doing that jackass dancing again. She needed to be sent on her way a long time ago. Asuka is well past her expiry date.
Cargill comes out dressed as Storm in white. She dwarfs Asuka. Asuka tries to take Cargill down by her leg. That fails. Jade just shoves her off and slams her down. The crowd is solidly behind Asuka.
Asuka delivers a dragon screw leg whip in the ropes. Asuka works over that leg and knee. With Jade on her knees, Asuka lays in some kicks. Asuka turns a slam into a knee bar. Jade picks up Asuka for a German Suplex. No reaction from the fans.
Spinebuster on Asuka off the ropes and a big splash in a corner. Jade kips up from a fallaway slam. Asuka gets up only to be dropped by a swift kick to the head. A chokeslam almost pins Asuka. The crowd boos Asuka and Jade as they trade strikes. Back fists stun Jade. Jade kicks out of missile drop kick off the top rope.
The crowd cheers: Let’s go, Asuka!
Asuka kicks out of a sit-out powerbomb. Asuka locks in an arm bar. Big boot by Jade. Asuka escapes Jaded and applies the Asuka Lock. Jade escapes Asuka new lame butt, hip attack finisher. That becomes Jaded but Jade pulls Asuka over far too much so her shoulders are off the mat. The official still counts three. The crowd boos Jade more and more as Byron interviews her.
“For the people out there who are doubting themselves, praise yourself because you are fighting through the boos. Don’t let them tell you who you are. You show them!” she said.
Winner: …and WWE Queen of the Ring, Jade Cargill at 8 minutes and 21 seconds.
Rating: 6 / 10
John Cena (c) vs. CM Punk – Undisputed WWE Championship Match
A big response for Punk who sits cross-legged in the middle of the ring waiting for Cena. Cena and Punk engaged in a test of strength. Both men backed away. Punk brings Cena down to the mat with a headlock. Cena does the same with an arm bar. Cena bounces quickly around the ring around Punk.
Punk escapes Cena and greets him with the “You can’t see me!” wave.
Cena takes down Punk with a shoulder tackle. A big right hand has Punk caught up and bobbing in the ropes. A succession of quick pin attempts by Cena. Cena rolls out of the ring before he is dropped with the GTS.
Punk relaxes in a corner as Cena moves to get back into the ring. Cena has Punk in the AA position but Punk rolls him up for a two. Punk goes for a weird Octopus move like AJ Lee does. Odd that.
Series of shoulder tackles from Cena as well as the Five Knuckle Shuffle. Punk escapes the AA with a heel kick, neck breaker and a running knee in a corner. Punk climbs to the top rope and hits Macho Man’s flying elbow smash.
Punk gives the GTS sign. Cena picks him out of the air though with the STF. Punk flips that into the Anaconda Vice. AA by Cena for a two count. Cena attempts another. Punk DDTs him. Punk turns the tables on Cena with an STF. Cena reaches the ropes to break the hold. Punk boots Cena in the face when he attempts another Five Knuckle Shuffle. Punk barely kicks out of another AA.
Cena puts Punk on the top rope. Punk hammers some elbows down. Cena catches Punk’s crossbody. A third AA has Punk kicking out once again.
Cena leaves the ring retrieving the championship belt. The official warns him not to use it. Cena listens to the fans and slides the belt away. What could it all mena?
Punk escapes another AA. Cena kicks out of a GTS. A slugfest in the middle of the ring. Cena accidentally shoulder tackles the official. Punk has Cena pinned with another GTS but there is no referee to make the call. Punk calls for another official but…Seth Rollins and his crew answer the call.
Barrett wonders how you cash in MiB without an official present?
Cena gets Bronson up for the big one. Courtesy: WWE.
Rollins takes off his jacket. He takes the briefcase out of Heyman’s hands. Bron and Bronson attack Punk. Punk splashes them both on the floor but he kinda misses it. Punk is slammed through the Arabic announce table.
Rollins calls for an official. Cena takes him out. Cena and Rollins argue in the middle of the ring. Cena AAs Rollins. Bronson and Bron attack Cena. Penta joins the fray. Penta fights Bron on the entrance way. Bron dumps Penta on the stage. Sami Zayn’s music plays and out him comes to fight off Bron. Penta leaps off the stage onto Bron.
Bronson heads to the top rope. Punk pushes him off. Cena AAs Reed. Punk and Cena can barely stand. They stare at each other. Punk offers his hand. Cena shakes his hand. As they hug, Cena makes that face he did before with Rhodes. He tries to kick Punk in the “lower abdomen”. Punk blocks it putting him in the GTS. Rollins hits Punk with the case in the head and stomps him. Cena pins Punk.
Winner: …and still WWE Undisputed Champion, John Cena at 27 minutes and 31 seconds.
Rating: 8 / 10
Summary
Although most of the matches were above average with Cody and Randy, Punk and Cena overshadowing all the others, the results were all very predictable and there is nothing that takes away from a good wrestling card than predictability. John Cena almost leaned back into being a face as you know he will before this farewell tour is done. The question is will Cody come off as the heel at SummerSlam if he does make a deal with The Rock to screw Cena or will he just beat him and Cena learns from Cody’s gallant behaviour? We shall soon see. It does seem that the landscape of the WWE will look a lot different after SummerSlam.
