Riyadh: The city roared with energy on Friday night as WWE SmackDown lit up Kingdom Arena during the Riyadh Season 2025 festivities. Thousands of fans packed the venue, celebrating Saudi Arabia’s growing love for world-class wrestling. The event opened with a shocker — Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton appeared unannounced, thrilling the crowd.
Orton addressed fans warmly, praising the country’s culture and saying each visit made him feel more welcome than the last. The night’s headline match saw Giulia, also known as Eimi Gloria Matsudo, defeat veteran Zelina Vega to win the WWE United States Women’s Championship for a third time, reaffirming her dominance. In a brutal Last Woman Standing match, Tiffany Stratton retained her title against powerhouse Nia Jax in a chaotic, hard-hitting contest.
Tag team drama followed as The Street Profits battled The Wyatt Six to a no-contest, leaving fans demanding a rematch. Andrea and Reina Faklis thrilled the crowd with a high-flying win over DAW while rising star JC Mateo took down Jimmy Uso in a breakout performance. The night set the stage for Saturday’s King and Queen of the Ring event, where matches include John Cena vs. CM Punk, Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton, and Jade Cargill vs. Asuka.
More high-stakes bouts are scheduled, including Jacob Fatu vs. Solo Sikoa and Rhea Ripley’s Street Fight with Raquel Rodriguez. Sami Zayn also faces Karrion Kross, wrapping up a historic WWE weekend in the Saudi capital.
