CM Punk to miss WWE Night of Champions despite major John Cena announcement? Possibility explored

CM Punk has been among the top names in WWE since his return in 2023 and fulfilled his dream to main event WrestleMania this year in a Triple Threat match. After a prolonged rivalry with Seth Rollins over the past few months, which is seemingly still not over, Punk confronted John Cena on this week’s episode of RAW.

Cena has been enjoying his run as the Undisputed WWE Champion and has been looking for some big names to defend his title against and prove why he is the Greatest of All Time. The Best in the World stepped up and challenged Cena for the Undisputed WWE Championship at Night of Champions.

The premium live event is set to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June 28, 2025, and the excitement among fans is at an all-time high. While Punk vs. Cena is official, The Best in the World could end up missing the match if The Visionary gets involved in the story.

Considering the unfinished business between both men, Rollins and his faction could unleash an assault on The Voice of the Voiceless backstage, right before the premium live event, to write the star off TV and force him to miss his appearance in Saudi Arabia.

This would also end up being a way to keep Punk off the flight to Saudi Arabia, a place he has reportedly never been to. During a recent Instagram Live, Punk revealed that he didn’t hate the country, but hadn’t been there as well, which is the reason there has been speculation of Punk missing the Night of Champions PLE.

"I’ve never been to Saudi, I don’t hate coming to Saudi," said Punk.

A potential attack from Rollins would solve all the problems, and could end up saving yhe potential John Cena vs. CM Punk bout for a big stage stage like SummerSlam, which will be a two-night affair for the firat time this year.

Fans will have to wait and see what the company has in store for the stars at Night of Champions.

Who will John Cena face if CM Punk doesn’t make it to WWE Night of Champions?

The Franchise Player is set to make his final appearance in Saudi Arabia as a WWE Superstar, and will surely have a match at Night of Champions. If Punk gets written off TV after a potential assault by Seth Rollins, Triple H could surprise the WWE Universe with some stunning booking.

Cena could be announced to face a mystery star in place of The Best in the World, which is where Ron Killings could step in and challenge Cena for the Undisputed WWE Championship. If not the legend, Drew McIntyre could make his return and face Cena one-on-one for the first time in history.

With a lot of options available for the company, only time will tell what WWE has planned for the Night of Champions Premium Live Event.

About the author

Ishaan writes for the WWE vertical at Sportskeeda. While he is a finance student, Ishaan is an avid pro wrestling fan, which has led him to pursue a career in sports journalism.

Before joining Sportskeeda, Ishaan worked for various renowned websites such as GiveMeSport and Fansided, and has nearly three years of experience. He relies only on credible sources like Cagematch when reporting on a topic. Ishaan cross-checks his work multiple times to ensure it is factually correct.

Ishaan’s favorite pro wrestler is Seth Rollins. He admires The Visionary’s never-give-up attitude and work ethic. In fact, it was The Shield’s memorable WWE debut in 2012 that got him hooked on sports entertainment in the first place. Ishaan would love to interview Rollins someday.

When not reporting on pro wrestling, Ishaan loves to watch movies and occasionally play cricket.

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Edited by Harish Raj S