CM Punk to back out of WWE Night of Champions match against John Cena for one major reason? Exploring the possibility

At Night of Champions 2025, CM Punk will get an Undisputed WWE Championship shot against John Cena. The Second City Saint confronted the Franchise Player on RAW this week, where he challenged Cena to match for the title.

Punk made it clear that he wanted to compete against the champion on the RAW after MITB. Despite accepting Punk's challenge, Cena instead granted a title match for the upcoming Premium Live Event, Night of Champions 2025.

The Franchise Player stated that the Best in the World needs to travel to Saudi Arabia to get the title shot he wants. Despite the match being officially announced, there is one major reason why CM Punk might back out during his match against John Cena.

Back when the Voice of the Voiceless was absent from the wrestling business, he made some extreme comments about WWE stars visiting Saudi Arabia for shows. The veteran marked it as "blood money" while replying to The Miz's WWE Backstage video on Twitter.

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It's important to note that the Franchise Player granted Punk the title shot at Night of Champions, but the Best in the World's only acceptance seemingly came off-mic.

So, it's conceivable that WWE may turn this into a storyline angle where CM Punk backs out from going to Saudi Arabia, stating he is not a hypocrite. He could refuse to travel to Night of Champions 2025 and demand a title shot from Cena elsewhere.

There is already a considerable conversation among fans on the internet regarding CM Punk heading to a Saudi show for a match against Cena. It remains to be seen what will happen in the forthcoming weeks, and if the veteran star will take any steps due to his past comments.

It is important to note that this is merely speculation and as of right now the match at Night of Champions is still on.

What CM Punk thinks about going to Saudi Arabia for WWE Night of Champions 2025

CM Punk has been advertised by the company for Night of Champions since the announcement of the Premium Live Event. During an Instagram live, Punk was asked by a fan about him getting advertised for the show.

In response to this, the Best in the World replied that he has no hate for the Saudi show, but he has just never been there. This seemingly hints that the opinion of Punk has changed regarding the WWE shows in Saudi Arabia.

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The decision ultimately lies with Triple H, his creative team and the Voice the Voiceless on whether they want to make any changes due to Punk's previous statements.

About the author

Love Verma is a WWE features writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling with a Bachelor’s degree in Arts and Legislative Law. His experience in legal drafting helps him cross-check reports with reputed media to ensure their accuracy. Despite being an avid WWE fan, Verma manages to maintain objectivity in his work, ensuring unbiased writing that resonates with both the casual reader and die-hard fan.

Love became a pro wrestling fan after watching Royal Rumble 2014, and became a Brock Lesnar Guy following the 2015 edition of Royal Rumble. He admires the sheer power and dominance The Beast Incarnate displayed in his Triple-Threat Match against John Cena and Seth Rollins. However, one of his favorite matches is Seth Rollins vs. Randy Orton at WrestleMania 31, where Orton delivered one of the greatest RKOs ever.

Outside of wrestling, he enjoys painting, sketching, and immersing himself in the world of PC and PlayStation gaming, showcasing his creativity and love for entertainment.

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Edited by Brandon Nell