WWE Night of Champions 2025: Cena’s Saudi Swerve Steals Punk’s Redemption Arc
📍 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | 📺 Peacock | 🏆 WWE Championship Match
The Controversial Build
In what was billed as their final encounter, John Cena and CM Punk collided under the weight of real-world tensions. The storyline leveraged Punk’s past criticism of Saudi Arabia’s human rights record against him, framing his participation as hypocrisy. The meta-narrative reached its peak when Punk publicly apologized to Saudi fans for old tweets during the kickoff show – a move that ultimately won over the Riyadh crowd.
Match Breakdown: A Masterclass in Crowd Manipulation
Act I: Respectful Rivals (0-12 mins)
- Technical opening with chain wrestling and submission exchanges
- Crowd alternated between “Ole!” chants and singing Punk’s theme
- Punk paid tribute to AJ Lee with a Black Widow submission
Act II: Signature Spam (12-22 mins)
🔥 Cena hits Five Knuckle Shuffle after classic comeback sequence
🔥 Punk counters AA attempt with running knee + elbow drop
💀 Cena locks in STF; Punk responds with his own STF moments later
Act III: Moral Crisis (22-30 mins)
⚖️ Cena hesitates on belt shot after “NO!” chants (echoing 2012 Punk feud)
🤼♂️ Three AA near-falls; Punk survives with desperate GTS counters
👊 Ref bump leads to visual pin after brutal strike exchange
The Heist of the Century
Just as Punk seemed poised for victory, Seth Rollins’ faction (Bronson Reed, Braun Strowman) stormed the ring. The chaotic sequence saw:
- Ugly double spinebuster through Arabic announce table
- Babyface Cena returns, AA’s Rollins to massive pop
- Surprise Sami Zayn/Penta save continues Saudi’s odd booking trends
The Swerve:
After a show of unity against the invaders, Cena delivered a low blow to Punk – allowing Rollins to hit a Stomp before Cena stole the pin in 32:17.
Key Takeaways
- Crowd Psychology Mastery
- Riyadh crowd turned Cena face organically through his moral dilemma
- Punk’s apology worked almost too well – he was beloved by match end
- Meta Storytelling
- Worked shoot on Saudi controversy blurred lines brilliantly
- Cena’s belt hesitation callback to 2012 Punk feud added depth
- Faction Warfare Tease
- Rollins’ new stable looks set to feud with Cena/Punk/Zayn/Penta
- Bronson Reed continues his breakout year
Star Ratings
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Workrate)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Storytelling)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Crowd Engagement)
What’s Next?
- Cena’s tweener turn completes his final character evolution
- Punk likely gets rematch at SummerSlam
- Rollins’ cash-in attempt sets up Money in the Bank fallout
