Cliff Notes – WWE star ends 40-year record with controversial Night of Champions win
- Cody Rhodes made history by becoming the first wrestler to win the NWA Worlds Championship, King of the Ring, and WWE Championship since the tournament’s inception in 1985.
- Despite facing boos from the audience in Saudi Arabia, Rhodes secured a victory over Randy Orton using a controversial tactic involving an exposed turnbuckle.
- Following the match, Rhodes acknowledged the crowd’s shift in support towards other superstars and vowed to reclaim their favour at SummerSlam.
WWE star ends 40-year record with controversial Night of Champions win
Cody Rhodes has put his name in the history books with another massive win (Picture: Andrew Timms/WWE)
A major WWE superstar made history at Night of Champions with a record breaking victory.
The wrestling giant is in Saudi Arabia this evening and the premium live event (PLE) kicked off on Netflix with the King of the Ring final between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton.
The two delivered an exceptional match to start the show, with the American Nightmare pulling out all the stops to secure the win.
Despite the crowd being firmly behind his opponent, Cody earned the crown and is now only the third man – after wrestling legends Harley Race and Ken Shamrock in 1986 and 1998 respectively – to win King of the Ring and hold the NWA Worlds Championship.
However, the so-called ‘quarterback’ of WWE has also secured a himself a spot in the record books.
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By matching the two Hall of Famers, he’s also become the first person in ever to win the NWA Worlds Championship, King of the Ring and WWE Championship since the inaugural tournament in 1985.
Cody beat longtime friend and rival Randy Orton (Picture: Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
The American Nightmare faced his critics head-on (Picture: Scott Brinegar/WWE via Getty Images)
The son of the late, great Dusty Rhodes has been a fan favourite since returning to WWE at WrestleMania 38 in 2022.
In recent weeks, some corners of the audience have started to turn against Cody, with crowds in London and now Saudi Arabia booing him in favour of the likes of John Cena and Randy Orton.
That continued on Saturday, with the former world champion pushing Orton into an exposed turnbuckle – with his opponent has untied – to score a win.
After the bell, he took the unprecedented move of acknowledging the way the audience have started to cheer the likes of Orton, Cena and Jey Uso over Cody himself.
WWE Night of Champions 2025 live results
King of the Ring final: Cody Rhodes beat Randy Orton
Street Fight: Rhea Ripley pinned Raquel Rodriguez
Sami Zayn vs. Karrion Kross
United States Title: Jacob Fatu (c) vs. Solo Sikoa
Queen of the Ring final: Asuka vs. Jade Cargill
WWE Title: John Cena (c) vs. CM Punk
‘I completely get how you feel as an audience when I got up against this beloved characters,’ he said, before making a defiant statement: ‘I was born to do this.’
He claimed that superstars like Cena and CM Punk – who will clash over the WWE Title in tonight’s main event – are only interested in their own legacy.
John Cena is the current WWE Champion (Picture: Fayez Nureldine / AFP)
Cody will face the winner of Cena and CM Punk at SummerSlam (Picture: Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
Turning boos back to cheers, he promised: ‘At SummerSlam, I get the ball back.’
Elsewhere on tonight’s show, Rhea Ripley and Raquel Rodriguez face off in a Street Fight, while Jacob Fatu defends the United States Title against former friend Solo Sikoa.
The Queen of the Ring final will see Asuka and Jade Cargill competing for the crown, with Sami Zayn vs. Karrion Kross rounding off the card before the Cena/Punk main event.
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