Night of Champions 2025: Crowd booed Jade Cargill, Chanted “John Cena S*cks” and more shocking reactions | WWE News
The Riyadh, Saudi Arabia edition of the Night of Champions 2025 event showcased its fair share of anticipated matches and shocking moments, but the biggest surprise was the reaction from the Saudi crowd. Whether it was sarcastic but deafening cries of “John Cena s***ks” or the straight-up rejection of the new Queen of the Ring Jade Cargill, the live crowd was not here to mince words. Not even the biggest baby faces like Cody Rhodes were safe from booing in important moments. Even if it appeared that on paper all the matches were essentially fan service, the actual twist was the crowd, which turned out to be a wild card.
Chants of “John Cena s**ks” shake the arena
Everything began fittingly enough with the “John Cena s**ks” chant that broke out when the 16-time world champ entered for his title match against CM Punk. And while this familiar chant is performed more tongue-in-cheek by American crowds when John Cena comes out to his entrance music, the Saudi crowd made it a deafening call to arms. John Cena held his composure, but it was obvious he had lost a bit of the crowd. There were still some cheers for the veteran, but the loud majority established the tone which would run through the evening — passionate, opinionated, and no filter whatsoever.
Jade Cargill’s moment spoiled by boos
Jade Cargill had one of her career-defining moments right there with her winning Queen of the Ring by taking down Asuka, only to be greeted by howls of boos by the crowd. The silence of the crowd lasted for much of the fight and when the referee raised her hand, boos cascaded. At various points in the contest, especially during the bout, a lot of fans seemed a little quiet, signalling that perhaps either they were not emotionally invested in the contest, or more likely, in Cargill, the character. Jade Cargill could at least try to rally the fans with a celebratory promo post-match, but the crowd was icy. WWE commentary observed the difference in atmosphere, saying different markets react to rising stars in different ways.
Cody Rhodes hears boos during Randy Orton assault
And, of course, when Cody Rhodes battled Randy Orton in the King of the Ring final, there was another filmy moment. Cody started to go after Orton’s back (the one they battered a few weeks back) as the heels went for the long play — and the crowd started to boo him. Fans chanted “Let’s go, Randy!” in support of Orton, who received boos. Also Read: WWE Night of Champions 2025: List of all winners, top performers, and moreCody Rhodes had been positioned as the courageous competitor, but some fans were left feeling that his strategy paid off too well, as he found himself in an uncomfortable position. That said, Cody Rhodes was declared the winner of the match and won the crown. But WWE may have to reconsider the way it books its top baby faces outside of the United States based on the crowd’s response.Night of Champions 2025 might be remembered less for the in-ring action than the message from the Saudi crowd: they’re no longer there to passively watch—they’re now the vocal part of the moment.
