An Aggressive Cody Rhodes Crowned 2025 King Of The Ring At WWE Night Of Champions

Cody Rhodes was crowned King of the Ring after defeating Randy Orton in the final to open WWE Night of Champions. 

Rhodes fought a notably aggressive match with a man he shares much history with, dating back to his initial WWE run as part of Legacy, and has spent by his side since returning to the promotion in 2022. He targeted the surgically repaired lower back of Orton both inside and outside the ring, wrapping him around the ringpost for a stretch hold and constantly leveling kicks to the injured area. 

Orton responded in kind, exhausting two RKOs and almost the entirety of his move-set to no avail; he sought the Punt Kick at one stage, hesitating for a while before committing to the move, thus allowing Rhodes to avoid it. He eventually went to the outside of the ring once more to grab a steel chair, returning to the ring only for the referee to take the chair from him. 

While the ref disposed of it, however, Orton went and removed the top turnbuckle cover and looked to drive Rhodes into it. Rhodes once more avoided the attempt, with Orton looking for another RKO only to again get countered and sent into the exposed buckle himself. Rhodes followed that up with Cross Rhodes, securing the winning pinfall and being crowned the 2025 King of the Ring. 

Rhodes cut a promo as he presented the crown, thanking Orton for being his mentor and tipping his hat to semi-final opponent and close friend Jey Uso. Orton stood on the entrance ramp as he spoke, staring the King of the Ring down as if he might return to the ring. But he would eventually take his leave as Rhodes made it clear he would be challenging either CM Punk or John Cena at SummerSlam, with the latter defending the Undisputed WWE Championship against the former in the main event.