The Night of Champions is Riyadh, Saudi Arabia has been an incredible journey that fans will remember for a long, long time. The match cards for the night have been absolutely epic, with every performance showing why WWE is the best at what it does. From King and Queen of the Ring to that explosive Street Fighter between Rhea Ripley and Raquel Rodriguez, and finally the chaos that was the last match of the night - CM Punk vs John Cena. What a night!
The first match of the night started with the King of the Ring match between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton. The Viper was once a mentor to Rhodes, showing him the ropes in WWE. A back problem became the center point of the match, and student overcame master, as at the end, the American Nightmare won the match against Orton to win King of the Ring by pinfall.
Arguably one of the best matches of the night - Rhea Ripley and Raquel Rodriguez looked like two powerhouses who came to give their all in a match that blew the fans out of the park. Roxanne Perez came from behind to help her stablemate, but Mami wasn't having it. The match looked like it could go in anyone's favor until the final whistle, but Ripley finally overcame all obstacles to win it with a pinfall against friend turned foe, Raquel Rodriguez.
Sami Zayn and Karrion Kross started the match with a bang. Kross kept teasing his opponent, trying to get him mad and lose focus. But at the end, Zayn emerged as the winner after a Helluva kick that led to him winning the segment by pinfall. The match was pretty special for Zayn as he made his entrance wearing a traditional Muslim thobe.
A simple match soon turned chaotic as members of Solo Sikoa's faction started emerging one after the other. Where once Sikoa looked to be all alone when even his trusted Jacob Fatu left him, leading to the two going against each other, now he emerges as a leader once more. Unfortunately for Fatu, his reign as the United States Champion comes to an end after losing the title belt to Sikoa at the end of the match. His faction now also has new member in the latest WWE debutant, Hikuleo. The segment ends with Solo Sikoa winning against Jacob Fatu by pinfall.
The Queen of the Ring match between Asuka and Jade Cargill was the shortest segment of the night. The Empress of Tomorrow looked like she could be the winner a couple times, but The Storm stood her ground and emerged as the Queen of the Ring after intercepting an Empress Impact and winning the match by pinfall.
The highlight of the night that everyone was for came at the very end, when CM Punk and John Cena took the center stage. Both powerhouse performers kept one-upping the other, but an injury to the referee proved to be the turning point of the match. Seth Rollins and his newly formed stable entered the stage alongside Paul Heyman and everyone thought he would cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase.
John Cena successfully retained his championship in a dramatic and chaotic main event that had the crowd on the edge of their seats. Just as CM Punk seemed to be closing in on victory, Seth Rollins made a shocking appearance, interfering at a crucial moment and once again costing Punk the match. The finish left fans stunned, as Rollins reignited his long-standing rivalry with Punk, leaving more questions than answers in the aftermath of this explosive showdown. There were a few moments in the match which hinted we might see babyface Cena once again, but in the end, it didn't happen. Cena attempted a cheap shot on Punk after shaking hands with him before Rollins got involved once again, but the champ was smart enough to push the MITB winner out of the ring to pin his opponent and retain the title.
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