CM Punk is confirmed to compete at WWE’s Night of Champions on June 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, despite previously criticizing WWE’s relationship with the country. Punk will be facing John Cena for the Undisputed WWE Championship—a booking that has stirred backlash due to a now-deleted tweet from 2020 in which Punk told The Miz to “go suck a blood money covered d**k in Saudi Arabia.”
Dave Meltzer reported on the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio at F4WOnline.com that Punk’s involvement in the event has been in the works for quite some time. Meltzer clarified that Punk was not obligated to appear and had the choice to opt out but still chose to move forward with the match.
“He could not go to Saudi Arabia/Night of Champions if he really wanted to not go,” Meltzer stated. “He was going months ago. I had already asked about that a couple of months ago when the show was first talked about, and he was in the original promo package, and then he was taken out of the promo package. And I asked, am I supposed to see when Seth Rollins replaced him in that promo package that he’s not going, and it’s like, ‘Nope, he’s going.’”
The resurfacing of Punk’s deleted tweet has prompted speculation among fans, many of whom are questioning his current stance. Despite this, Meltzer emphasized that Punk’s commitment to the show has remained steady and that there hasn’t been any recent indication of resistance on his part.
“So it’s been known he’s going for months, probably all along. I don’t know if he ever voiced any issue with going at any point since he signed, but he hasn’t in months. I know that,” Meltzer added.
WWE Night Of Champions, featuring CM Punk vs. John Cena for the Undisputed WWE Championship, takes place on June 28, 2025, live in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
