WWE goes back to the Saudi Arabia to crown a new King and Queen of the Ring. The prestigious tournament returns and the finals to crown a new King and Queen take place today! Cody Rhodes will defend the Undisputed WWE Championship against Sami Zayn and Gunther in a triple threat match. Trick Williams defends his United States Championship against Ricky Saints. Tiffany Stratton defends her United States Title against Jade Cargill. Seth Rollins faces Bron Breakker in a steel cage! Join Nickolye for the results on Saturday, June 27th with the main show at 1 PM ET on the ESPN Unlimited app (USA) and Netflix (worldwide). Hit F5 or refresh as often as you like for the latest updates!
WWE Night of Champions takes place live in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for another year and it’s the 25th King of the Ring Tournament. The first hour of the PLE will also be broadcasting live on ESPN. Michael Cole and Corey Graves are the commentators for this event. We start with the finals for the King of the Ring, and the crowd “yeets” with Jey Uso on his way out, but they mark out when Oba Femi struts to the ring. Mark Nash is the ring announcer tonight, and Darryl Sharma (a/k/a Adrian Butler) is the referee for this match.
* King of the Ring Tournament Finals: Jey Uso vs. Oba Femi
The opening bell dings, both men size each other up, Uso steps up to him, but Femi tosses him back into a corner. Jey punches him, Oba eats a punch, hits a big shoulder block, charges, Jey rolls out the ring, Oba clobbers him from behind, Jey slips off and shoves him into the ringpost. Uso hits a suicide dive, gets back in, hits another suicide dive, Femi is still on his feet, cuts him off the third dive with a forearm smash, gets back in the ring, and hits a shoulder breaker. Femi sends him across the ring with a hammer throw into the turnbuckles, sets up for the choke slam, Uso blocks it, kick to the ribs, Femi catches his foot, Uso counters the Fall From Grace, kicks him in the back of the head, goes up top, hits the USO SPLASH, and covers for ONE!! Femi plants him with a CHOKE SLAM, covers, and gets a 2-count!
Femi awaits in a corner for him to stand, Uso superkicks him, another superkick, a third superkick in a row, running shoulder thrust to the midsection, hits the SPEAR, goes back up top, and hits another USO SPLASH! Uso goes back up, hits another USO SPLASH, covers, and gets 2.9!! Femi is sitting up holding his ribs, Jey gets behind him and locks in the Sleeper, but Oba gets back to his feet, tosses him away, Jey superkicks him, Oba hits a big running uppercut, delivers the back suplex toss, plants him with the FALL FROM GRACE, and covers for 1-2-3!!! WINNER and 2026 KING OF THE RING: “THE RULER” OBA FEMI!!!
SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis presents Oba Femi with the King of the Ring crown and shakes his hand. Byron Saxton is in the ring to interview The Ruler for his big win, and he says you can’t beat fate, you can’t beat destiny, and you can’t beat Oba Femi. He raises his crown and soaks in his aura.
Danhausen comes out to brag about his experiments going well because he is receiving a lot of human money. Liv Morgan interrupts, demands Danhausen to give back the money to the Judgment Day, or else he will face the consequences. Danhausen says he doesn’t know what she’s talking about, then says she’s the only one in +Trouble+ because – “YOU, ARE, CURSED!” Liv slaps him across the face and heads to the ring for her match, not believing in the curse. Daphanie LaShaunn is the referee for this match.
* Queen of the Ring Tournament Finals: Liv Morgan {Women’s World Champion} vs. IYO SKY
They lock up, Iyo with a side headlock, Liv reverses, Iyo counters to a hammerlock, back to the headlock, hiptoss, Liv with a hurricanrana, back splash in a corner, hits the running knee, and stomps her down in a corner. Iyo dropkicks her, Liv side-steps her in a corner, tosses her onto the apron, Iyo goes for a sunset flip bomb, Liv fights her off, Iyo blocks the ringpost, goes up on the barricade and hits a diving crossbody! Iyo breaks the ref’s count, Liv shoves her into the ring, stomps on her in the ropes, and poses around the ring. Liv hits the running knee, chokes her in the corner, hits a diving mat slam, and covers for 2. Liv pummels her, covers for 2, delivers a suplex, rolls over, another suplex, rolls over, and continues the Three Amigos successfully. Liv hits the shining wizard, covers for 2, puts her in the sleeper hold, Iyo counters with a snapmare, they trade punches, Liv sends her into a corner, Iyo goes for the dropkick, Liv catches her, goes for the Boston crab, but Iyo rolls through for the double stomp.
Iyo hits a back elbow, flapjack, Liv reverses the Irish whip, Iyo, goes up top, hits the missile dropkick, and kips up. Iyo hits the Bullet Train Attack, covers, gets a 2-count, Liv avoids the double underhook, hits the Backstabber, charges the ropes, Iyo blocks the suicide dive, and hits the Asai moonsault! Iyo rolls her back into the ring, hits the double underhook backbreaker, and covers for 2. Iyo goes up top, Liv shoves her to cut her off, and locks in the Boston crab! Liv switches to the single-leg Boston crab, Iyo counters out, kicks her off, they trade punches again, Liv attacks the knee, Iyo can’t run the ropes, hits the springboard Codebreaker, and covers for a near-fall. Iyo side-steps the Oblivion, goes for the dive but Liv sends her crashing to the mat. Liv pulls Sky up the ropes and up the turnbuckle, Iyo grabs her, hits the SPANISH FLY OFF THE TOP, connects with OVER THE MOONSAULT, and covers for the 3-count! WINNER and 2026 QUEEN OF THE RING: IYO SKY!!
SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis presents Iyo Sky with the Queen of the Ring crown and shakes her hand. Byron Saxton is in the ring to interview Iyo, and she says: “I am THE QUEEN!!! Liv, I’ll see you at SummerSlam!” Iyo puts the crown on her head and has a huge smile on her face. This concludes the live broadcast on ESPN. At this point they plug SummerSlam in five weeks, and they introduce the Arabic announce team at their own commentary table.
Seth Rollins heads out to the ring first after the steel cage has lowered, but instead of getting in the cage right away, Rollins grabs a few weapons (kendo sticks, chairs, and two tables) from under the ring to be ready for the fight. Rollins sits on a chair awaiting his opponent’s arrival, and that cues Bron Breakker to make his entrance. Breakker takes cues from Seth and takes out more sticks, chairs and a trash can into the ring. Official Dan Engler is outside the cage and locks the door, while Charles Robinson is the referee inside.
* Steel Cage Match: Seth Rollins vs. Bron Breakker
Both men sit in chairs when the bell dings, they talk trash to each other across the ring, and they strike! Rollins blocks the cage early, Breakker with a takedown, catapults him into the cage, but Rollins catches himself in the ropes and dives on him. Breakker blocks the cage, delivers a German suplex, another German suplex, and a third German suplex. Breakker successfully slams him into the cage for the first time in the match, and does it a second time, then military presses him above his head to toss Seth’s body into the steel. Breakker hits him with a kendo stick, opens a chair in the middle of the ring for a backbreaker onto it, and covers for a 2-count. Rollins kicks him to avoid the trash can, chops him, but Breakker launches him into the cage. Rollins avoids another lawn dart, Breakker hits a jumping knee, Rollins with a discus elbow, and counters a hurricanrana with the powerbomb.
They trade punches while kneeling and standing, Rollins fires up with forearms, clotheslines him twice, and takes him off his feet with a running clothesline. Rollins whacks him with a kendo stick, breaking it over his body, throws him into the cage, slams his head against the cage, and hits a running forearm smash. Rollins leans a table in the corner, blocks the spear, throws a couple of chairs at him, covers him with a few more chairs, but Breakker is already back up, Rollins fights him off, but Breakker hits the BREAKKENSTEINER INTO THE PILE OF CHAIRS, and gets a 2-count! Breakker puts his arm in a chair, gets on the top rope, Rollins sits in the chair, Breakker walks the ropes, hits a diving clothesline, and gets a near-fall. Breakker shouts, “I’m gonna beat it outta you, I swear! Don’t ever speak my name again. You’re gonna die!” Rollins avoids a chair strike, superkicks him twice, makes him catche the chair, superkicks the chair into his head, Rollins goes for The Stomp, but Breakker hits the SPEAR, and covers for 2.9!
Breakker sets up the other table near a corner, lays Rollins on top, goes up to the top rope, leaps up to the top of the cage, Rollins gets off the table and meets him up there, they trade punches, Rollins chops him, Breakker rakes his eyes, starts to climb over, but Rollins grabs him and SUPERPLEXES HIM OFF THE TOP OF THE CAGE THROUGH THE TABLE!! Breakker is bleeding on the side of his eye. Rollins goes for the Stomp, but Breakker clotheslines him, runs the ropes, hits the SPEAR with speed, and covers for 1-2-KICKOUT!!
Breakker’s face has gotten bloody at this point, calls for the door to open, Rollins grabs him, chokes him in the ropes, and pulls the door into Seth’s head. Rollins side-steps him, Breakker crashes through the table leaning in the corner, Rollins hits the Pedigree, hits THE STOMP, and covers for 2.99!!! Rollins can’t believe that he kicked out! Rollins goes for The Stomp again, but Breakker begs him off, realizes this is the end, psychs himself up, Rollins gets on the middle ropes, hits the MIDDLE ROPE STOMP, and gets the 3-count!! WINNER: SETH ROLLINS!!
Rollins celebrates his big victory at the top of the cage.
The men’s United States Title match is up next. Lil Yachty accompanies the champion to the ring. Darryl Sharma (Adrian Butler) holds up the title, and Ricky attacks Trick before the bell!
* United States Championship: Ricky Saints vs. Trick Williams {C}
Saints chops him, but Williams hits a leaping clothesline and finally throws off his ring jacket. Saints side-steps him in a corner, Williams avoids a couple of swings, knocks him down, and stomps him “Whoop That Trick” style. Ricky avoids the Trick Shot, exits the ring, rips the kendo stick out of Yachty’s hand, smacks it against the steep steps behind the ref’s back, and takes a dive to fake being hit. The referee EJECTS Lil Yachty from ringside! Saints takes advantage beating up the champ around the ring, tosses him into the steel steps, throws him back in the ring, and continues the attack with stomps and elbow drops.
Williams starts to fight back, but Saints hits a clothesline, covers for 2, slams his head on the turnbuckle, wrenches his arm, struts along the top rope, hits an axe handle, delivers a belly-to-back suplex, and poses instead of making the cover. Williams goes for a back drop, but Saints counters with a sunset flip for 2. Saints knees him in the back, delivers a snap suplex, goes for the DDT, but Williams counters with a suplex. Williams punches him, uppercuts him, hits the crescent kick, hits the flapjack, kips up, hits the backhand, and plants him with the float-over Book End for a near-fall. Saints avoids the Trick Shot, hits a clothesline from the middle ropes, hits a swinging STO, covers, and gets a 2-count. Saints sets him up, but Williams counters with a back body drop.
Both men trade shots back and forth, Trick hits a capoeira kick followed by a jumping neckbreaker and gets a 2-cout. Saints side-steps the Trick Shot again, hits the Revolution DDT, connects with a diving elbow drop, and gets 2.5!! Saints kicks him in the face, counters the Book End with an armdrag, hits a jumping knee to the jaw, Williams blocks the tornado DDT, ducks a clothesline, hits the TRICK SHOT and covers for 3! WINNER, and STILL, UNITED STATES CHAMPION: TRICK WILLIAMS!
Ricky Saints is back in the ring to attack Trick Williams, but Lil Yachty is back in the ring with the kendo stick! Trick hits the backhand, Yachty hits him with the kendo stick, Trick wants him to hit the elbow drop, so Lil Yachty hits his own version of the People’s Elbow.
We take a moment to plug NXT: The Great American Bash the next night, airing for the first time on the CW Network. The Women’s United States Title is on the line next, and Daphanie LaShaunn is the referee.
* Women’s United States Championship: Jade Cargill vs. Tiffany Stratton {C}
Tiffany strikes first, hits a running dropkick, Jade charges, Tiffany with a sunset flip for 1, blocks a choke slam, Jade picks her up, Tiffany lands on her feet, drop toehold into the ropes, and splashes against her back. Jade rolls out the ring, blocks a suicide dive, hits a knee strike, throws her back into the ring, Tiffany side-steps her, but Jade counters a hurricanrana with a sit-out powerbomb for a 2-count. Tiffany rolls out the ring, Jade follows to attack her, back in the ring now, hammer throw into the corner, and she does push-ups to mock her. Tiffany fights back, Jade plants her with the Black Hole Slam and gets a 2-count.
Jade slams her into the turnbuckles, Tiffany fights back, Jade clobbers her on the chest, Tiffany hits a back elbow, hits a pop-up dropkick, handspring back elbow, counters Jaded, dropkicks her, and covers for 2. Jade counters, but Tiffany counters back sending her into a corner, hits the rolling senton, Jade gets her knees up to block the Prettiest Moonsault Ever, hits the Sandstorm, and gets a near-fall. Tiffany counters Jaded with a stunner, Jade catches her, and Tiffany counters with the crucifix driver for 2.
Tiffany drags her into position, goes up top, B-Fab is here to distract the referee, Michin pushes Stratton off the ropes behind the ref’s back, Jade plants Stratton with the choke slam, and gets a 2-count. Chelsea Green crawls out from under the ring, pulls B-Fab off the apron, throws Michin into the steel steps, and tosses B-Fab into the championship podium. Chelsea picks up the title, Jade grabs her from behind, Tiffany rolls Jade up in the schoolgirl for 2, and Jade drops the champ with the pump kick. Jade drags Chelsea into the ring, corners her, the referee stops her, Jade sees the title in the ring, but Charlotte Flair takes the title away and hits her in the head with it! Tiffany finishes her off with the PRETTIEST MOONSAULT EVER and covers for 3! WINNER, and STILL, WOMEN’S UNITED STATES CHAMPION: TIFFANY STRATTON!!
Chelsea Green helps the champion Tiffany Stratton and they head back up the ramp together, while Charlotte Flair looks on in the ring as her feud with Jade Cargill is heating up.
The Women’s World Championship is set for SummerSlam as the 2026 Queen of the Ring Iyo Sky has already made her choice to challenge Liv Morgan.
It’s now time for the main event! Sami Zayn comes out first with more cheers than jeers from his ride-or-die fans, dressed in complete attire for his Muslim religion. Gunther heads out to a chorus of boos as expected. Cody Rhodes heads out last and he gets most of the cheers and the cheers sings along to his theme song. Mark Nash does the proper title match introductions, Dan Engler will be the referee for this match, and the main event is underway!
* Undisputed WWE Championship: Sami Zayn vs. GUNTHER vs. Cody Rhodes {C}
The crowd is going crazy and neither man has done a thing! Gunther boots Sami to send him out the ring, and goes after Cody. Sami gets back in, dumps Gunther out the ring, Cody challenges him, they lock up collar-and-elbow, Cody with a side headlock, hits a shoulder block, and hits the drop-down punch. Sami with a side headlock, Cody pushes him off, leapfrogs over him, Gunther pulls Zayn out the ring and throws him into the steel steps. Gunther pulls Cody out the ring, Cody fights back, sends him back in the ring, and Gunther hits the big CHOP. Gunther rakes Cody’s face, elbow to the top of the head, Zayn attacks Gunther from behind, but Gunther chops him and throws him back out the ring. Cody slams Gunther on the chest, Gunther with a hammer throw to the corner, and clobbers him on the back.
Gunther with a couple of knee strikes to Cody’s midsection, chops him on the chest, covers for a 1-count, Sami gets back in the ring, back elbow, leaps off the middle ropes and Gunther chops him in mid-air. Gunther delivers a back suplex to Zayn, goes for another but Cody lands on his feet, and hits Gunther with the Cody Cutter! Rhodes plants Gunther with the snap powerslam, hits the Side Effect to Zayn, and covers him for 2. Cody ducks a clothesline from Gunther, and hits a DOUBLE Cody Cutter to both men! Rhodes ducks a clothesline from Gunther, hits Zayn with the suicide dive, sunset flip for 2 to Gunther, Gunther counters the Cross Rhodes, plants him with the POWERBOMB, stacks the cover, and Zayn breaks up the count!
Gunther throws Sami out the ring, Sami launches him into the steel steps, gets back in the ring, Cody blocks the blue thunder bomb, hits the jabs, but Sami counters the Bionic Elbow with the Blue Thunder Bomb, and gets a near-fall! Sami awaits him, but Gunther drops him, and crotches him in the ringpost. Gunther chops Rhodes, sets him up on the top rope, continues the attack, climbs up to him, Cody blocks the superplex, Gunther catches him on the way down, but Cody hits Gunther with CROSS RHODES for 1-2-NO as Sami pulls ref Engler out the ring to stop the count! Cody wants Sami to get in the ring to fight!
Sami steps back in the ring, they start scrapping with punches, Sami ducks the Disaster Kick, delivers the BRAINBUSTER, covers, and Gunther breaks the count with a big splash. Gunther hits Sami with the POWERBOMB, plants Cody with the POWERBOMB onto Sami, goes for another powerbomb but Sami counters with a sunset flip for 2.5!! Sami with mounted punches to Gunther, goes up top, leaps over him, side-steps a big boot in the corner, hits the HELLUVA KICK, makes the the cover for 1-2-NO as this time Cody pulls ref Engler out the ring to stop the count!! Turnabout is fair play!
Cody challenges Sami to fight him outside the ring, Sami goes after him, Cody slams his head on the English announce table, then takes it apart. Sami slams Cody’s head on the Arabic announce table, then takes that apart. Sami has Cody set up on the Arabic announce table, goes for the package piledriver, but Cody counters with a BACK BODY DROP THROUGH THE ENGLISH ANNOUNCE TABLE!! Michael Cole’s headset audio got taken out in the process. Gunther grabs Rhodes, POWERBOMBS him onto the Arabic announce table, but it doesn’t break, so he goes for it again to POWERBOMB CODY THROUGH THE ARABIC ANNOUNCE TABLE!! Gunther drags Rhodes back up, brings him into the ring, and locks in the SLEEPER HOLD! Cody gets back up to a knee, stands with Gunther on his back, and drops back to slam him and release the hold, but Gunther locks in the SLEEPER again! Cody starts to fade, the ref raises Cody’s arm, but Sami blocks the arm from falling!
Gunther has Sami in his grasp, slaps him on the chest harder and harde, Sami fights back, Gunther chops him, Sami hits the EXPLODER SUPLEX into the turnbuckles, hits the HELLUVA KICK, and covers for 1-2-KICKOUT!! Sami is getting frustrated, he picks Gunther back up to his feet, and Gunther blasts him with a clothesline. Gunther picks Zayn back up, Rhodes hits Gunther with the Super Cody Cutter, picks Zayn up for Cross Rhodes, but Sami counters to hit his own CROSS RHODES to Cody! Sami backs up to a corner, Gunther catches him in stride with the SLEEPER HOLD, Sami reverses the SLEEPER onto Gunther, Cody grabs Sami for the DOUBLE CROSS RHODES to both men, keeps the grip on Zayn, rolls him over to pick him back up, but Sami drops down with a roll-up for 1-2-3!!!!!!
SAMI ZAYN IS THE NEW WWE CHAMPION!!!!! WINNER, and NEW, UNDISPUTED WWE CHAMPION: SAMI ZAYN!!!
Sami Zayn has FINALLY won the WWE CHAMPIONSHIP for the first time! This now makes Sami Zayn a GRAND SLAM CHAMPION IN WWE!! Sami Zayn is emotional in the ring before being presented with the championship and showing off his prize. After the replays, Sami celebrates in the crowd. Sami Zayn raises his new title while on the ramp as the pyro goes off behind him. “10 years in WWE I’ve been challenging for this championship, They said I’d never do it. They said I’ll never win it. Well here it is! Ride or die!”
