WWE’s latest Saturday Night’s Main Event saw one of the most charged nights in wrestling this year, with championships changing hands and old rivalries reignited. The show, which took place on November 1, became a symbolic victory lap for former AEW stars who have since crossed over, proving that the WWE-AEW talent exchange continues to shape the landscape of modern wrestling.
Cody Rhodes successfully defended his Undisputed WWE Championship in a hard-fought main event, while Jade Cargill captured her first WWE Women’s Championship since joining the company, sealing her arrival as one of the promotion’s top stars. CM Punk also reclaimed the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, marking his second reign since his brief championship run that was halted in SummerSlam 2025. In addition, another AEW-alumnus, Ricky Saints, recently attained his NXT Championship back in September, completing what many fans have called a full-circle moment for wrestlers who made their names in the rival company.
Jade Cargill, CM Punk, Ricky Saints, and Cody Rhodes backstage at SNME tonight with their Championships. pic.twitter.com/L3Kd0VUD8d
— Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps) November 2, 2025
After the show, Rhodes, Cargill, Punk, and Saints were photographed together backstage, their shared history now rewritten under WWE’s banner. The photo quickly went viral, garnering thousands of likes and comments from fans who brought up the connection of the long-rumored WWE-AEW rivalry.
Each wrestler’s journey tells part of that story. Rhodes left AEW in 2022 to reestablish himself as a headliner in WWE. Cargill, once AEW’s breakout star, joined WWE in 2023. Punk’s short and turbulent AEW stint ended in controversy in 2023 after a backstage fight that led to his departure. Saints’ move earlier this year completed the quiet migration of AEW’s former pillars. WWE’s Saturday Night’s Main Event was the culmination of a years-long tug-of-war for wrestling’s future.
