The 2026 Night of Champions, also promoted as Night of Champions: Riyadh, was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It is the 12th Night of Champions and took place on Saturday, June 27, 2026, at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for the second consecutive year.
This was the 15th major event WWE held in Saudi Arabia as part of its 10-year partnership in support of Saudi Vision 2030. It was also the first Night of Champions to livestream on the ESPN streaming service in the United States.
๐ Event Background
Night of Champions is a professional wrestling event produced by WWE, established in 2007. It was held annually until it was discontinued after the 2015 event, then reinstated in 2023, although an event was not held in 2024.
The event is characterized by having championship matches. In early 2018, WWE began a 10-year strategic multiplatform partnership with the Ministry of Sport in support of Saudi Vision 2030.
๐ Scheduling and Location
On March 17, 2026, POST Wrestling reported that Night of Champions was internally scheduled for Saturday, June 27 in Saudi Arabia. The event’s status was initially subject to speculation due to the 2026 Iranian strikes on Saudi Arabia.
On April 23, WWE officially confirmed that the event would proceed as planned on June 27 at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. This marks the second consecutive year the venue will host the event.
๐บ Broadcasting Details
In addition to airing on traditional PPV worldwide, Night of Champions was available to livestream on ESPN’s streaming service in the United States. It also streamed on Netflix in most international markets, SuperSport in Sub-Saharan Africa, and Abema in Japan.
This marked the first Night of Champions to livestream on ESPN in the United States, as WWE’s contract with Peacock expired at the conclusion of Clash in Paris in August 2025.
๐คผ Tournament Finals
The event hosted the finals of both the 25th King of the Ring and fourth Queen of the Ring tournaments. The tournaments were announced to begin on the June 1 episode of Raw, with finals taking place at Night of Champions.
The winner of each tournament received a match for a world championship at SummerSlam. Oba Femi, Jey Uso, Iyo Sky, and Liv Morgan, all from Raw, advanced to the finals of the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments.
โ๏ธ Main Event and Key Matches
Six matches were contested at the event. In the main event, Sami Zayn defeated Gunther and defending champion Cody Rhodes in a triple threat match to win SmackDown’s Undisputed WWE Championship.
In other prominent matches, Iyo Sky defeated Liv Morgan to win the Queen of the Ring tournament. In the opening bout, Oba Femi defeated Jey Uso to win the King of the Ring tournament.
๐ Match Results Table
| Match | Stipulation | Winner | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sami Zayn vs. Gunther vs. Cody Rhodes | Triple Threat Match | Sami Zayn | Won Undisputed WWE Championship; became Triple Crown and Grand Slam Champion |
| Iyo Sky vs. Liv Morgan | Queen of the Ring Tournament Final | Iyo Sky | Both from Raw |
| Oba Femi vs. Jey Uso | King of the Ring Tournament Final | Oba Femi | Both from Raw; opening bout |
| Bron Breakker vs. Seth Rollins | Steel Cage Match | Not specified in text | Made official on June 15 episode of Raw |