WWE Night of Champions Review

World Heavyweight Championship: Seth “Freakin” Rollins VS AJ Styles

Night of Champions kicked off with Seth “Freakin” Rollins and AJ Styles doing battle to become the brand new World Heavyweight Champion. The crowd were fully behind both men and you could tell that Seth and AJ were trying to prove a point as to why they should’ve been the main event. The match itself was great, both men pulled out all the stops including a Buckle Bomb into a Frog Splash from Rollins and a Calf Crusher by AJ. The Phenomenal One nearly picked up the victory after he delivered the Styles Clash, but the Visionary was able to kick out before his knee gave way when he attempted the Stomp. However, Rollins eventually hit the Pedigree before he nailed AJ with the Stomp to become the brand-new World Heavyweight Champion. Triple H gave Seth the belt after the match and I thought this was really, really good.

Grade: B+

Becky Lynch VS Trish Stratus

The second match of the night saw eras collide as Becky Lynch took on Trish Stratus. This match was ok, it wasn’t the best, but it was certainly better than the match the two were involved in at WrestleMania. Trish hit a few decent moves and Becky did really well to catch her opponent at one point. Becky thought she was about to win when she locked in the Dis-arm-her, but Stratus was able to get out of it. However, the big moment came at the end as Zoey Stark came from under the ring and nailed Lynch with the Z360 which allowed Trish to hit Stratusfaction to get the victory. I liked this ending, Stratus winning was the right call and it’s awesome to see Zoey Stark get put in this position.

Grade: B-

Intercontinental Championship: Gunther VS Mustafa Ali

Mustafa Ali came out to a big ovation as he looked to pull off one of the biggest upsets in recent memory as he took on the Ring General Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship. Gunther was in control for the most part, but Mustafa Ali fought back to keep himself in the contest. It was actually Ali who came close to winning as he nailed the Ring General with the 450 for a close near-fall. Gunther then got back in control until he was stunned by a tornado DDT but this time, Gunther was able to dodge the 450 before he nailed Ali with a massive dropkick. He then Powerbombed the Heart of 205 Live to retain his title. This was really good, Gunther is one of the best in the world whilst Ali was able to show why he’s so underrated. It’s really important now that WWE continue to push Mustafa Ali going forward because he’s clearly good enough.

Grade: B

Raw Women’s Championship: Bianca Belair VS Asuka

Bianca Belair was the next champion to defend her title as she battled Asuka in a WrestleMania rematch. This match felt like a much better contest than their match at WrestleMania, but it still didn’t feel amazing. There wasn’t anything wrong with it, but there weren’t really any moments that jumped out as awesome. However, the ending was great as earlier in the match Asuka missed Belair when she attempted to mist her so this time, she sprayed it onto her hand. This meant that when the EST went to hit the K.O.D., Asuka racked the eyes with the mist on her hands which allowed her to kick Belair in the back of the head to get the much-needed win. This match (like the Stratus-Lynch match) showcased that the ending/result of the match can sometimes be more important than the match itself.

Grade: B-

SmackDown Women’s Championship: Rhea Ripley VS Natalya

Natalya came out to wrestle Rhea Ripley for the SmackDown Women’s Championship, but the bout didn’t go much longer than a minute. Dominik Mysterio distracted Nattie which allowed Ripley to throw her opponent into the steel steps a couple of times before the Eradicator nailed the Queen of Harts with the Riptide to retain her title. This was weird, but I liked it because Ripley should be dominant, particularly against opponents that haven’t been credible for years.

Grade: C+

Brock Lesnar VS Cody Rhodes

Cody Rhodes looked to do the impossible as he battled Brock Lesnar with a broken arm. Lesnar started the match with a few German Suplexes before Rhodes realised that he had a titanium brace on so he started blasting Brock in the head with it. Cody also hit 3 Cross Rhodes on the Beast, but that wasn’t enough for him to get the victory. Lesnar locked in the Kimura Lock at one point, but Rhodes eventually got his hand on the rope, but that didn’t happen the second time as the referee called for the bell. Brock kept the hold-in on Cody after the match until he eventually let go. I’m fine with Brock winning and I definitely think this match was better than their contest at Backlash.

Grade: B-

Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships: Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn VS Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa

Roman Reigns made his signature long entrance on his 1,000th day as Universal Champion whilst Sami Zayn came out in the joint-best gear of the show (alongside Ali). The match started slow as Roman Reigns berated the crowd, but when it got going, it really got going! Kevin Owens hit Roman Reigns with a Stunner before the Tribal Chief wrecked Owens with a Spear and Sami Zayn nearly picked up the win after he hit Solo Sikoa with the Helluva Kick (Roman just broke it up). Reigns then Speared the referee “by accident” before the Usos arrived and dropped KO and Zayn. However, Sami avoided the twins’ attempt at a double Superkick and this meant that the greatest tag team of all time nailed their younger brother Solo with the kick whilst Roman Reigns watched on. Reigns got in the ring and shoved his Right Hand Man before he turned around to get met by a Jimmy Uso Superkick in a brilliant moment. Jey looked heartbroken before Jimmy told his brother “I’m doing what you should’ve done a long time ago” before he nailed Reigns with another Superkick. Paul Heyman’s facial expressions were fantastic and after a Stunner by KO, Sami nailed Sikoa with the Helluva Kick to get the victory and retain his and KO’s Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships. Sami and KO laughed at Roman who looked devastated on the outside as Jey and Jimmy watched on from the ramp. This was sensational storytelling. The match itself was good, but the last few minutes of this match proves why Roman Reigns has been champion for 1,000 days. It also showcased why Jey Uso has been one of the best in WWE for the past 3 years, why Paul Heyman is the greatest “manager” of all time and why Jimmy Uso doesn’t get enough credit. And finally, what a brilliant moment for KO, but particularly Sami Zayn who looked genuinely emotional.

Grade: A-