Let Me Tell You Somethin' Mean Gene — WWE 2025 Night Of Champions Betting Preview

Believe it or not, books take live action on pro wrestling nowadays — and though limited, it may be the most fun way to cash a bet... There was a time the thought of betting on professional wrestling would have gotten you laughed at — and even though that still may happen, at least it's true. 

Up until recently, I hadn't watched WWE for a few decades... we're talking golden era Hulk Hogan. Well, I've got two kids now who found out it's one of the few shows we can all watch together in extended periods of peace — that is, except for the flying elbows... HA! 

Saturday afternoon (1 pm EST), June 28th is World Wrestling Entertainment's Night Of Champions Premium Live Event in Saudi Arabia. For rather obvious reasons I won't expose here, most matches feature an extremely heavy favorite. That said, anything can happen for that same reason — and it's possible to find values.

Singles Match

• Karrion Kross: +200
• Sami Zayn: -300 

Sami's obvious chalk against new cult fan-favorite Kross. While it appears on its face Karrion should just be happy for the PLE opportunity — without a title or fragile reputation at stake, there's no reason he can't beat Zayn. There's usually at least one curveball, and this pop for a Kross win would set a fun tone for the night.

Women’s Street Fight

• Raquel Rodriguez: +400
• Rhea Ripley: -700

Laghezza family fave Rhea Ripley is so over with fans, she could lose her next ten matches and still be the most popular superstar in the company. With Liv on the shelf for months, Night Of Champions could be used as a boost for a monster Raquel — even if it's by a dirty win via interference from Roxanne.

United States Championship

• Solo Sikoa: +165
• Jacob Fatu: -240

Go figure, the one match I'd consider signed, sealed and delivered before it even starts boasts the shortest odds on the entire card. Betting limits make wagering on favorites nearly impossible, but I'm getting down whatever they'll let me on the Werewolf — there's no chance Fatu loses the belt amidst this monster push.

WWE Intercontinental Championship

• AJ Styles: +400
• Dominik Mysterio: -700

Dominik's an insanely heavy favorite and rightfully so — he's so beloved by the fans, the eventual face turn's coming any day now. AJ Styles is getting on in years, and feels more like a springboard for younger stars to get over in quality tilts. Also my favorite for match of the night, Mysterio wins easy.

Queen of the Ring Winner

• Asuka: +300
• Jade Cargill: -500

Granted, I was way off on the women's division this past Money In The Bank — but I price this match much closer than the current Cargill landslide would suggest. Jade's clunky and struggling to connect against an eight-time women's champion the crowd simply adores. Even if you could get me to agree Jade's the favorite, Asuka's also a top-of-the-card female talent.

King of of Ring Winner

• Randy Orton: +400
• Cody Rhodes: -700

Had Cody Rhodes gotten some kind of payback or retribution against John Cena after his most recent pinfall loss, maybe we could argue for Orton's chances at Night Of Champions. Since we've seen nothing but heated promos, the crash course for a rematch looms inevitably. Love the Viper — but he's just filling in heavyweight storylines at this point. Nightmare wins without a doubt.

Undisputed Championship

• CM Punk: +900
• John Cena: -3000

Before admitting I'm betting CM Punk even though I hardly think he stands a chance, just know it's already baked into a (+900) price. Tell the kids to cover their ears but this isn't pro sports — there's a 10% chance of ANYTHING happening. Punk could win, get challenged and lose it back tomorrow... or finally get his moment, only to have Rollins steal it with the briefcase to set up the Summerslam main event with Cena.  Head on a swivel, people.

LAGHEZZA'S LEANS:

Most books set limits around $25-$50 and disallow parlays so it's just a matter of getting money down on dogs with a pulse. Eyeroll all you want, weird stuff happens. Seth Rollins entered Money In The Bank as a (+275) underdog to Solo Sikoa somehow, which must feel silly to the people that fell for it. 

I'm max-betting Jacob Fatu as my only favorite, then separately balancing chips on Karrion Kross (+200), Raquel Rodriguez (+400) and CM Punk (+900) where one win means a profitable venture. Good Luck!