WWE moving forward with Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia despite growing concerns & UK travel advisory: Reports

Night of Champions 2025 is set to emanate from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia!

WWE is gearing up to deliver the 2025 edition of Night of Champions this Saturday from the Kingdom Arena in Saudi Arabia. The promotion will also host the go-home show of Friday Night SmackDown in the same arena, the night before the PLE.

Amid rising tensions in the region, especially since the United States’ airstrikes on Iran’s three nuclear sites, many fans and pundits have urged WWE to cancel the PLE, citing the safety of superstars and personnel. However, according to recent reports, the promotion is likely moving forward with its plans.

Talents have not been advised of any changes by the WWE

According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select, the promotion company is closely monitoring the situation, but according to one source, everything is progressing as planned in Saudi Arabia.

The same source expressed confidence that Night of Champions will not be postponed or canceled, citing the significant financial investment tied to the upcoming 2026 Royal Rumble event in the country.

The source also assured that the company will be safe, stating, “Saudi is one of the safest places in the world.” Those on-site in Riyadh are currently in “full build mode” as they prepare for WWE‘s arrival, operating under the assumption that everything will proceed as planned.

Sapp also noted that the situation would have been much less complex if the promotion had only planned to run Night of Champions, as it would have only featured a handful of talents.

However, running SmackDown before the PLE means that the majority of WWE’s roster and production team will be traveling to the country later this week.

Additionally, PWInsider also reported that talents have not been advised of any changes with regards to SmackDown and Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia next week. They also noted that numerous WWE officials offered no comment when asked about the status of the shows.

The promotion has announced multiple matches for the Night of Champions 2025. John Cena is set to defend the Undisputed WWE title against CM Punk, while Jacob Fatu will defend the Intercontinental title against Solo Sikoa.

The show will also feature the finals of the King and Queen of the Ring tournament, with the winner also earning a title shot at SummerSlam.

WWE Night of Champions 2025 match card

• John Cena (c) vs CM Punk – Undisputed WWE title match
• Randy Orton vs TBD – King of the Ring tournament final
• Asuka vs TBD – Queen of the Ring tournament final
• Dominik Mysterio (c) vs AJ Styles – Intercontinental title match
• Jacob Fatu (c) vs Solo Sikoa – United States title match

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