Cody Rhodes to ruin John Cena vs. CM Punk at WWE Night of Champions after controversial win? Exploring the possibility

The 2025 Night of Champions kicked off with Cody Rhodes taking on Randy Orton in the finals of the King of the Ring Tournament. The two delivered a top-notch performance. However, in the end, The American Nightmare was able to secure the victory.

Rhodes will now challenge for the Undisputed WWE Title at SummerSlam this August.

Expand Tweet

That said, John Cena will be defending the Undisputed WWE Championship against CM Punk later on tonight. The two have taken their feud to a plateau for the past two weeks on SmackDown. After Cena delivered his version of a pipebomb on last week's show, last night on the blue brand, Punk came out dressed as Dr. Thuganomics and took brutal shots at The Franchise Player.

One wrong move ended his WWE career - Watch Now!

While fans are eagerly waiting to see who wins the bout between Cena and Punk, Cody may interfere and ruin the match in a shocking twist. This could be done to set up a Triple Threat match for the Undisputed WWE Championship at SummerSlam.

A match between Cody, Punk, and Cena could generate great excitement among fans and open the door for a blockbuster match at The Biggest Party of the Summer. While the above scenario might sound promising, it is speculative, and fans have to wait and see what happens later on tonight in Saudi Arabia.

Randy Orton to cost Cody Rhodes his match at SummerSlam?

Cody Rhodes won the 2025 King of the Ring Tournament by defeating Randy Orton in the finals at Night of Champions. With the win, The American Nightmare has secured the slot for a title shot at SummerSlam.

The American Nightmare will be facing either John Cena or CM Punk for the Undisputed WWE Championship at The Biggest Party of the Summer. That said, Cody is currently on a mission to regain the title after losing it to The Franchise Player at WrestleMania 41.

However, things might go against the 39-year-old's favor during the proposed bout at SummerSlam. Randy, after losing to The American Nightmare at the finals of the KOTR Tournament, could decide to take out his frustration on his former Legacy team member. The Legend Killer might interfere during the match and ultimately cost Cody Rhodes the victory.

This angle is hypothetical at this point. Only time will reveal what the Triple H-led creative team has in store for the superstars.

About the author

Bethel is a WWE writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling with a Bachelor's degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He has also attended a virtual school where he was certified in Effective Communication in English. His grasp of the language and his utmost dedication to researching and verifying information help him ensure he is unbiased, practical, and nonjudgmental as he writes about the world of pro wrestling.

When he looks back at how he got hooked onto WWE, Bethel particularly recalls WrestleMania 30 in 2014. Here, he saw and became an avid supporter of Roman Reigns for his courage and boldness. However, his all-time favorite is WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin because of his rebellious ways and how he would thumb his nose at authority.

All of this has led Bethel to work for multiple institutions. He quickly learns the content guidelines and completes his and the company's targets effortlessly. One of the highlights of his career was covering WrestleMania 41 in 2025.

When Bethel is not writing for Sportskeeda, he loves to indulge in reading and singing.

Know More

These WWE moments were totally off-script - Check now!

Edited by Jeevak Ambalgi