• SmackDown Wrestler Is Injured
Elton Prince has been sidelined with an injury. Pretty Deadly — the duo of Prince and Kit Wilson — last appeared together on the May 2nd edition of SmackDown. Since then, Prince has not competed, and WWE has not released any specifics about the nature of his injury or a projected timeline for his return to the ring. In Prince’s absence, Wilson has been competing in singles matches as of late. Wilson recently faced Hikuleo in a match on WWE Main Event. This was Hikuleo’s debut. On Friday’s SmackDown, Wilson was scheduled to face Aleister Black, but got assaulted by R-Truth.
• Goldberg’s Role For Monday’s RAW Revealed
Adam Pearce announced the updated card for this Monday’s RAW:
– Goldberg will have a sit-down interview about his upcoming match with Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship
– Adam Pearce will be back to handle some “other business”
– We’ll hear from Mr. Money In The Bank Seth Rollins
– Bron Breakker vs. Penta
– Jade Cargill vs. Roxanne Perez in the Queen of the Ring semi-final
– Cody Rhodes vs. Jey Uso in the King of the Ring semi-final
– Becky Lynch (c) vs. Bayley for the Women’s Intercontinental Championship
• Goldberg Not Retiring On Saturday Night’s Main Event?
WWE recently announced in a press release that Goldberg’s match against Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship on Saturday Night’s Main Event in Atlanta on July 12th will be his final match. However, during yesterday’s SummerSlam Kickoff press conference at Fanatics Fest, Michael Cole said this match “could be” Goldberg’s final bout. Cole made it sound like that wasn’t confirmed. Now, AEW star Jeff Jarrett is saying that Goldberg’s won’t be retiring next month, and that he’s back for one last run, and not just one last match. Here’s what Double J said on his My World podcast:
“I don’t think it’s gonna be his last match in Atlanta. I think he’s coming back for a run, if you will. Timing, as we’ve said so many times in this business, Bill entered at the right time with the right streak, with the right company like WCW, he would have never had that kind of run of undefeated streak somewhere else. And Hogan was at the right position and felt that the ticket sales… just timing, timing, timing, timing. Timing really lined up for him. In a lot of ways getting over during that time frame is still paying big dividends.”
RELATED: Goldberg Comments On Fans’ Reaction To Him Limping To The Ring On RAW
• U.K. Issues Urgent Warning About Saudi Arabia – WWE Night of Champions in Jeopardy?
Tensions in the Middle East have cast a shadow over WWE’s upcoming trip to Saudi Arabia for Night of Champions, but those involved with the event insist it’s still moving forward. Following recent U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, Iran issued a warning of “everlasting consequences.” Iranian state television responded with a stark warning, declaring that “every American citizen or military personnel in the region is now a target,” sparking international concern – including among WWE fans aware of the company’s upcoming shows in Riyadh. Given the already delicate history of WWE events in the region, the timing has raised questions about whether the planned programming will be affected.
WWE has yet to issue an official statement on the situation. While Fightful Select reached out to company representatives, no public comment was provided. However, one WWE higher-up privately stated that the situation is “being monitored accordingly.”
Stamford, we have a problem….. https://t.co/mXbNX6kG9t
— Jim Cornette (@TheJimCornette) June 22, 2025
As of now, the plan remains for WWE talent to fly out mid-week on a chartered flight to Riyadh. The current schedule includes both Night of Champions, which reportedly features only 10 wrestlers, and a special three-hour SmackDown broadcast.
Locally, production is ramping up as usual. According to a source working the show, it’s “full steam ahead” with no signs of postponement or cancellation. The source emphasized that WWE is expected to receive assurances regarding safety, noting that “Saudi is one of the safest places in the world” in this context.
In an update on this situation, the U.K. government has issued a warning advising its citizens to avoid traveling to Saudi Arabia and other parts of the Middle East at this time.
Below is the match-card for Night of Champions:
– Undisputed WWE Championship: John Cena (c) vs. CM Punk
– King Of The Ring Tournament Final: Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes OR Jey Uso
– Queen Of The Ring Tournament Final: Asuka vs. Jade Cargill OR Roxanne Perez
– United States Championship: Jacob Fatu (c) vs. Solo Sikoa
– Intercontinental Championship: Dominik Mysterio (c) vs. AJ Styles
The SmackDown before Night of Champions will also take place in Riyadh. 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)
