6 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE Night Of Champions 2025 (Results & Review)

3. The Way Cody Rhodes Won

Keep this finish, as well as Randy Orton's totally disgruntled post-match reaction, in mind.

Everything about the final 60 seconds or so of the King Of The Ring tournament final was perfectly worked. Firstly, it was Randy himself who was the one that exposed the turnbuckle once the ref confiscated his steel chair. Then, capitalising on the distraction, Cody pushed Mr. RKO chest first into the buckle and hit the Cross Rhodes for the win. After the decision and upon receiving his crown, a happy but exhausted Cody thanked Randy for being a great opponent and his old mentor as Orton visibly seethed.

Heel turn incoming, but for who?! Either one would work in 2025, being fair, but it's far more likely that Randy will flip after losing a second consecutive KOTR final under questionable circumstances. Last year, a weird ref call cost him against Gunther. Here, it was arguably Orton trying to turn the clock back to his more menacing days that came back to bite him hard.

It'd certainly be a brave call by Triple H to double turn Cody and John Cena at SummerSlam now they're effectively locked in as the WWE Title match that weekend. Stranger things have happened, but the writers may elect to hold off on heel Rhodes (which he has been dropping hints about in the media) for a while longer.

Cody's win over Orton in Saudi does raise some interesting questions about his future though, and that's a positive. The top babyface in the land never seemed bothered about the way he profited from Randy's misfortune, and Rhodes even sneaked in a couple of smug looks when holding the crown in hand.