WWE Superstars arrived in Saudi Arabia yesterday. During their arrival, a young fan tried to take a photo with CM Punk, but Punk and security stopped him. This footage went viral on social media.
You can watch it below:
CM Punk has arrived in Saudi Arabia for Night of Champions and the first thing this scumbag does is push away a kid who wanted to take a photo with him. 😤🖕#WWENOC #WWE #NightOfChampions pic.twitter.com/O1Fmy0tX9Y
— AEWBlog (@AEW_Blog) June 26, 2025
Former WWE wrestler Matt Riddle tweeted the following about it:
“Hmmmm (thinking face emoji)”
WWE released Matt Riddle in 2023 due to some controversies he was involved in outside the ring. He also failed two drug tests in WWE.
After CM Punk returned to WWE at Survivor Series 2023, Riddle tweeted the following:
“Hey @WWE you thought I was hard to deal with (laughing emoji) have fun with 0-2 @CMPunk”
The 0-2 part is a reference to Punk’s UFC career. Riddle is also a former MMA fighter who used to compete in the UFC (before he was fired). He has an MMA record of 10-3.
In 2024, Riddle said the following in an interview with Chris Van Vliet:
“I’ll say this and this isn’t a knock to anybody. Good luck to everybody. If CM Punk can come back, there’s definitely a possibility I can come back. I’ll say this. I have no ill will. I really don’t.”
Below is the final card for this Saturday’s Night of Champions:
– Undisputed WWE Championship: John Cena (c) vs. CM Punk
– King Of The Ring Tournament Final: Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes
– Queen Of The Ring Tournament Final: Asuka vs. Jade Cargill
– United States Championship: Jacob Fatu (c) vs. Solo Sikoa
– Street Fight: Rhea Ripley vs. WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Raquel Rodriguez
– Sami Zayn vs. Karrion Kross
Tonight’s SmackDown before Night of Champions will also take place in Saudi Arabia. Below are the advertised matches:
– Last Woman Standing Match For The WWE Women’s Championship: Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Nia Jax
– Women’s United States Championship: Zelina Vega (c) vs. Giulia
– WWE Tag Team Championship: The Street Profits (c) vs. Wyatt Sicks (Dexter Lumis & Joe Gacy)
WWE Sent Top Executive To Calm Locker Room Before Saudi Arabia Flight
With heightened tensions in the Middle East surrounding Night of Champions 2025, WWE has taken extra steps to ease concerns within the roster. According to PWInsider, John Gaburick – the executive who oversees WWE’s Saudi Arabia events – flew from Riyadh to personally meet with the talent before they boarded the charter flight to the Kingdom. His presence was meant to reassure the locker room that the trip would proceed as planned and would be no different from previous visits to the region.
This follows recent unease stemming from the Israel-Iran conflict, which only just reached a ceasefire days before travel began. WWE performers have reportedly been instructed not to discuss the situation publicly, and concerns over safety had grown backstage in the lead-up to the event. Despite that, WWE is moving forward with the show as scheduled, with Gaburick serving as the key liaison between the company and Saudi officials.
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