The 2026 Night of Champions, (aka Night of Champions: Riyadh) took place on Saturday, June 27, 2026, at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It is the 12th Night of Champions.
WWE Night of Champions 2026 – Sami Zayn Shocks the World, Oba Femi Arrives, and Seth Rollins Survives
Night of Champions has always been about crowning champions and creating unforgettable moments. Well… the 2026 edition certainly delivered on the latter.
While not every bout lived up to the hype, the show featured several career-defining victories and ended with one of the biggest title changes of the year.
By the time the show closed, we had a new Undisputed WWE Champion, a new King of the Ring, a new Queen of the Ring, and a clear(er) direction heading into SummerSlam.
A Note About PPV Dates | All photos courtesy WWE.com
Oba Femi Defeated Jey Uso To Win King of the Ring
We opened the show with the King of the Ring Final between Oba Femi and Jey Uso.
Going into the match, Jey felt like the sentimental favorite, but I don’t think anyone in their right mind thought he’d win without some sort of outside interference. I could have really seen a Brock Lesnar appearance here to cost Oba the tile. Thankfully they didn’t do that and they had Oba Femi beat Jey Uso clean to win the King of the Ring.
Winning King of the Ring doesn’t just give Oba a crown – it gives him a world championship opportunity at SummerSlam. Considering how dominant he’s looked over the past year, that feels less like a reward and more like a warning to whoever leaves SummerSlam with championship gold. But where does Brock Lesnar fit into this?
Iyo Sky Defeated Liv Morgan To Win Queen of the Ring
The Queen of the Ring Final between Iyo Sky and Liv Morgan was one of the strongest matches on the entire card.
These two have incredible chemistry, and the match showcased exactly why they’re among the best performers in WWE’s women’s division.
Liv continued to play her opportunistic style perfectly, while Iyo once again reminded everyone why she’s arguably the smoothest in-ring performer on the roster.
After nearly fifteen minutes of back-and-forth action, Iyo secured the victory to become the 2026 Queen of the Ring.
The win guarantees her a world championship match at SummerSlam. I’m still not quite sure why Liv was here, especially if she wasn’t going to win the tournament. At the end of the day, even with the Liv headscratcher, this was the right call.
Seth Rollins Defeated Bron Breakker
I wasn’t sure how this one was going to go. I’m happy to say that the steel cage match between Seth Rollins and Bron Breakker absolutely delivered.
Bron looked every bit like the powerhouse WWE has been building him into, throwing Rollins around the cage and repeatedly looking seconds away from victory. Rollins once again found a way to win when it mattered most.
The victory doesn’t hurt Bron Breakker nearly as much as some fans will claim. If anything, this match reinforced that Breakker belongs in WWE’s upper tier. He looked dangerous from start to finish and pushed one of WWE’s greatest modern stars to his absolute limit. I think history will look back on this Vision faction as a tale of missed opportunity due to injury and bad timing.
Trick Williams Defeated Ricky Saints To Retain the WWE United States Championship
Since arriving on the main roster, Trick has carried himself like someone destined to become a future world champion. I’m not a fan of Lil Yachty but I have to say his addition to Trick’s ‘stable’ is a positive one. Williams retained, continued building credibility as champion, and looked comfortable in a featured spot on a PLE.
Tiffany Stratton Defeated Jade Cargill To Retain the WWE Women’s United States Championship
Heading into Night of Champions, it felt like Jade Cargill had all the momentum in the world despite falling short against Rhea Ripley at Clash in Italy.
Tiffany Stratton had other plans.
The Women’s United States Champion continued one of WWE’s most impressive championship reigns, defeating Jade clean to retain her title.
Rather than rushing Jade toward championship gold, WWE once again chose patience. I’m not a fan of Jade… never have been. So I’m happy any time she loses.
Tiffany continues proving she’s much more than flashy entrances and catchphrases.
Sami Zayn Defeated Cody Rhodes and Gunther To Win the Undisputed WWE Championship
If there was ever a time to pull the trigger on Sami Zayn, this was it.
The Undisputed WWE Championship Triple Threat between Cody Rhodes, Gunther, and Sami Zayn was exactly the kind of main event Night of Champions deserved.
Each competitor brought something completely different to the match.
Gunther supplied the raw physicality.
Cody brought the emotion and determination that have defined his championship reign.
Sami delivered the heart and the ‘home town’ boy the crowd could get behind.
The three men created a match filled with believable near falls and dramatic momentum swings that kept the crowd guessing until the very end.
When Sami finally scored the winning pinfall to capture the Undisputed WWE Championship, it genuinely felt like one of those rare WWE moments where the right person won at exactly the right time.
After years of chasing world championship glory, Sami finally reached the mountaintop. I’m not sure how long it will last, but it was an awesome thing to witness.
Night of Champions (2026) – Final Thoughts
Night of Champions 2026 succeeded because it wasn’t afraid to make meaningful changes.
Not every match reached classic status, but the overall show accomplished exactly what a premium live event should accomplish: it left WWE looking very different than it did when the night began.
With SummerSlam on the horizon, WWE suddenly has several compelling championship stories ready to unfold.
That’s a pretty good place to be.
