WWE Night of Champions returning as Saudi Arabia PLE in May 2023

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Bengaluru, April 14: In a slight change in their schedule, WWE has now announced the returning Night of Champions pay-per-view/premium live event, essentially the third one in the month of May after Backlash and King & Queen of the Ring.

However, it appears to be a rebranding of the King & Queen of the Ring which is now being dissolved with Night of Champions. While no official confirmation has been received from WWE, it's unthinkable to receive two PLEs on the same night, after all.

Back in March, WWE announced that on May 27, King & Queen of the Ring PLE will emanate from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with separate King and Queen of the Ring tournaments serving as the main event attractions.

In a change of plans, the new King and Queen of The Ring via these two tournaments may be crowned during WWE's rebranded premium live event, Night of Champions on the same night from the King Abdullah Sport City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

It should also be noted that there's no confirmed news on whether or not the King and Queen of the tournaments will still be happening at the latest included event in WWE's PLE calendar as the company didn't provide any update regarding it.

The last King of the Ring and Queen's Crown tournaments went down in 2021 at WWE Crown Jewel PLE where Xavier Woods defeated Finn Balor to become the new King and Zelina Vega defeated Piper Niven in the first-ever Queen's Crown tournament final.

As for Night of Champions, the show mostly consisting of championship matches on the card, was first run in 2007. This eventually became an annual tradition in WWE's pay-per-view schedule from 2007 through 2015 before being reintroduced as Clash of Champions.

Now that Night of Champions is confirmed to return from Saudi Arabia, it also solidifies the fact that WWE's deal with Saudi Arabia will move along even after Endeavor taking over the previously Vince McMahon-owned brand, also causing a UFC-WWE merger.

At present, the confirmed WWE Premium Live Event schedule goes as follows:

- WWE Backlash (May 6 from the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot in San Juan, Puerto Rico)

- WWE Night of Champions (May 27 from the from the King Abdullah Sport City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia)

- WWE Money in the Bank (July 1 from the O2 Arena in London, England)

- WWE SummerSlam (August 5 from the Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan)

- WWE WrestleMania 40 (April 6/7 from the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)