Night of Champions went down this weekend live from the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and included a stacked card as we were treated to both King and Queen of the Ring finals matches, a steel cage match, and an Undisputed WWE Championship match. So how did it all shake out and did the matches live up to the hype? Let’s get into it!
The show started with the King of the Ring finals match. Main Event Jey Uso had his work cut out for him as he took on The Ruler, Oba Femi. Oba has been on a tear and a warpath since his debut to the main roster and has only shown any semblance of weakness at the hands of Brock Lesnar, and that’s not saying a whole lot because Brock has made a career out of manhandling everyone on the roster for the past couple decades…and he did not manhandle Femi. Jey tried to start fast and hit and move quick to get Femi thrown off his game without giving him an opportunity to get his hands on him. The plan didn’t work though as Oba shook off Jey’s kicks and punches and took over control early. Jey found his opening by slipping off Oba’s back as he went for his finishing ‘Fall from Grace’ and hit a pair of superkicks to knock him off his feet before delivering his patented top rope Splash, but Oba kicked out at 1. Oba connected with a chokeslam shortly after, but Jey kicked out at 2. Uso found another opening shortly after and went back to the well as he delivered a few more superkicks to Oba before dropping him and connecting with another Splash, but Oba still kicked out at 2. Jey followed up immediately with a sleeper, but this just seemed to anger Femi as he came to life, fighting out of it before tossing Jey all the way across the ring and delivering his ‘Fall from Grace’ powerbomb for the pin and win to become King of the Ring. I enjoyed how they booked this match honestly; Jey was given some real hope spots and saved from not looking weak while keeping Oba looking like an unbeatable monster at the same time. All without any interference or shenanigans. Which unfortunate champion has to face this beast that has all the momentum in the world behind him right now at SummerSlam? Only time will tell.
Next up was the Queen of the Ring finals match as Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan took on the Genius of the Sky, Iyo Sky. Before the match, Danhausen came out to cut a promo and say hello to the audience in Riyadh (I think? Not really sure why he was there honestly.), but he was quickly interrupted by Liv Morgan who was making her entrance for her match. She confronted Danhausen about how he didn’t curse Oba and help Dom win the King of the Ring and now he owed the Judgment Day a lot of money. Danhausen pleaded his innocence as Liv threatened him, until he cursed her which caused her to panic before slapping Danhausen and continuing with her entrance. Liv got and maintained control of the matchup early as she came at Iyo immediately in pursuit of the crown. As the action spilt to the outside that’s when Iyo began to come to life. She first attempted a Sunset Flip, but Liv blocked it, but Iyo followed up with a flying crossbody from the guardrail before celebrating with the fans ringside. Liv got control back by throwing Iyo face first into the ring post before choking her with the top rope and bringing her back into the ring. Liv began to target Iyo’s weak leg from a bad landing earlier in the matchup, but Iyo fought out of a single leg Crab and hit a double stomp on Morgan before following up with a shotgun dropkick and her patented Bullet Train knee attack in the turnbuckle, but Liv fought out of her suplex attempt with a backstabber. Liv was looking to end things as she cranked back on the single leg Crab on Iyo, but Iyo fought through the pain and got a rope break before eating a Codebreaker from Liv right after. Liv tried to stay on the attack, but Iyo came back to life out of nowhere, scaling the ropes and hitting a Spanish Fly before following up with her signature Over the Moonsault after for the pin and win to become Queen of the Ring. After the match, Iyo immediately called Liv out and said she’ll see her again for that Women’s World title at SummerSlam.
The steel cage was next as The Visionary Seth Rollins took on his former protege turned blood rival Bron Breakker. Before he even entered the cage Rollins grabbed a fistful of kendo sticks and tossed them into the ring before following that up with a few chairs and a couple tables to show he was putting an end to his chapter with Breakker and The Vision tonight. Bron tossed a trash can, a chair, and a kendo stick in as well to show he wasn’t at all intimidated by the veteran and was fully ready to go to war with him. The 2 sat across from one another in steel chairs before jumping up and going at it with Bron retaining the upper hand through the early goings of the match. He tossed Seth face first into the steel cage back and forth before adding in some kendo stick shots across the back for good measure. Rollins recovered by catching Breakker in the air and dropping him with a powerbomb, following up with some kendo stick shots of his own. Rollins now tossed Breakker back and forth across the cage before throwing 3 chairs back-to-back across Bron’s head to drop him, and then attempted to bury him under the chairs. Bron came to life though and caught Rollins on the top rope, dropping him with a Franken-Steiner onto the pile of chairs but Seth kicked out at 2. Bron connected with a Spear on a staggering Seth, but he still kicked out at 2. Angry now, Bron looked to inflict more damage on Seth before thinking better of it and attempting to climb over the top of the cage. Rollins caught him though and delivered a massive superplex to Breakker from the top of the cage and through a table that was set up below. Breakker now bloody and staggering still somehow caught Rollins with a vicious clothesline before following up with another Spear for a near fall. Breakker was nearly irate at this point in Rollins resilience as he went for another Spear that Rollins this time dodged which sent Bron flying headfirst through a table that was set up in the corner. Rollins followed up with his Pedigree and Stomp combo, but Bron kicked out at 2! Bron weakened and on his knees now still taunted Rollins, before Seth ended it for good with a Super-Stomp from the top rope for the pin and win. Usually don’t really like steel cage matches all that much, especially ones that end in pinfalls, but this was an exception. This match was a war and these 2 have great chemistry with each other in the ring.
Next up the United States Championship was on the line as newly married champ Trick Williams took on fresh on the main roster, Absolute Ricky Saints. A confident Trick controlled the early goings of the match before Ricky went to the outside and stole Lil Yachty’s bejeweled kendo stick and banged it against the steel steps before falling down and faking an injury. Classic Eddie Guerrero move. The extremely oblivious referee then threw Lil Yachty out from ringside, and the mind games worked in Ricky’s favor from that point forward. He took over control of the matchup, delivering his patented and own form of ‘Old School’ before following up with a sidesuplex to the champ. Ricky continued to keep on the gas, pausing at points to pose and showboat, as he targeted and worked over Trick’s back. Trick came to life though stunning Ricky out of nowhere with an ax kick and following up with a Book End (shout out Booker T), but Ricky kicked out at 2. The 2 traded blows back and forth and Trick tried to catch Saints by surprise with a Trick Shot, but he dodged it and dropped Trick with a Revolution-DDT instead. Ricky followed up with a top rope elbow drop, but Trick still kicked out at 2. Much to Ricky’s dismay. Trick ducked a clothesline, came off the ropes, and caught Saints with a Trick Shot dropping him for the pin and win to retain the title. This was a decent match. I like Ricky and they made him out to look pretty solid here while still keeping the title on Trick. I just hope they continue to utilize him now and not let him fall to the background. After the match, an irate Ricky began to sneak attack Trick before he was saved by Lil Yachty who ended up hitting a People’s Elbow on Saints.
Next up, the Women’s United States Championship was on the line as champ Tiffany Stratton put the title on the line against Jade Cargill. I’ve gone on record on here before that I actually think these 2 have pretty good chemistry with one another and their match for the WWE Women’s Championship at last year’s SummerSlam is still one of Jade’s best matches in my opinion. I’m also just happy they’re putting some actual stock behind the Women’s United States Championship finally and having some top talent fight for it. This is the first time since they’ve debuted where it feels like the Women’s US title is currently more relevant than the Women’s IC title. I obviously want to see them both succeed and have matches of importance for them, I’m just saying the Women’s US title has desperately needed this. Jade used her strength to her advantage early as Tiffy tried to counter that with her speed and high-flying abilities. Tiffany escaped Jaded, dropped Jade out onto the floor and attempted a dive, but Jade caught her and dropped her with a knee to the face instead. Back inside the ring, Tiffany attempted to mount a comeback but was thwarted by Jade who leveled her with a Black Hole Slam for a near fall. Stratton caught Jade with a dropkick and attempted a ‘Prettiest Moonsault Ever’, but Jade got her knees up and delivered a Sandstorm. Tiffy still kicked out at 2. Jade let her anger get the better of her and Tiffany momentarily capitalized by taking over control of the match and heading to the top rope before Jade’s baddies, Michin and B-Fab, made their presence known at ringside. Michin distracted the ref while B-Fab dropped Stratton off the ropes and set Jade up for a chokeslam. Chelsea Green came running to Tiffy’s aid and laid out the Baddies at ringside, but as she celebrated, she got too close to the irate Cargill. Jade pulled her into the ring before disposing of her. As the ref was distracted, Jade was thinking about using the title which was sitting on the ring apron to her advantage on the downed champion. Charlotte Flair appeared though and grabbed the title out of Jade’s hands. The distraction ended Jade’s night as Stratton dropped her before connecting with a P.M.E for the pin and win to retain her title.
Then it was time for the main event as Cody Rhodes put his Undisputed WWE Championship on the line against Sami Zayn and Gunther in a triple threat match. The Saudi crowd was heavily behind Sami Zayn per usual from the get-go in this matchup, heavily cheering him during his entrance and making him truly feel like “the last real good guy”. The 3 men battled back and forth pretty evenly during the opening moments of the match, all showing moments of momentum and life. Cody was the first to really gain a true head of steam, dropping Gunther with a powerslam before following up with a sideslam on Sami for a 2 count. Cody continued offense on Gunther till he fought back and looked for the powerbomb, Cody fought out and looked for Cross Rhodes, Gunther countered out and this time successfully dropped the champ with a powerbomb, but Sami broke up the pinfall attempt. Sami continued the momentum and followed up with a Blue Thunder Bomb on Cody, but he kicked out at 2. Later with Sami on the outside, Cody ducked a clothesline attempt from Gunther and countered it into Cross Rhodes, but Sami pulled the referee to the outside as he went for the count to save the matchup. Sami dropped Cody with a brainbuster, but Gunther broke up the pinfall before hitting Sami with a powerbomb and going for a second one. Sami countered it into a sunset flip for a near fall. Sami nailed Gunther with a Helluva Kick as he was getting back to his feet, but this time it was Cody who pulled the referee out of the ring as he went for the pinfall indicating fair play for what Sami pulled earlier. Sami and Cody went at it on the outside before Sami attempted a package piledriver to Cody on the announce table. Cody countered it though and sent Sami flying through the other table with a back body drop. Gunther capitalized on the dazed competitors and drove Cody through the other announce table with a powerbomb before dragging him back into the ring and applying his patented Sleeper hold. Cody began to fade, but before his hand could hit the mat on the referee’s check, Sami grabbed his arm to keep it from falling. Gunther pulled Sami back in and began to brutalize him with chops, but Sami caught him with another Helluva Kick out of nowhere, yet Gunther still kicked out at 2. Cody recovered and hit a double stacked Cross Rhodes on both opponents, but Gunther caught the worst of it as Sami quickly recovered and caught Cody off guard with a roll-up for the pin and win to become the NEW Undisputed WWE Champion.
This was a shocking moment and a really cool one for a very deserving wrestler in Sami Zayn. This man is an indy darling who grinded for 15 years on the independent wrestling scene all over the world and then another 10 within the WWE sphere to finally get to this point and win the biggest prize in the sport he’s chased his whole adult life. Even if he’s the whiny crybaby heel right now and it happened in shocking roll-up pin fashion, this was a surprising injection in WWE’s programming that they were probably in need of and pulling the trigger in Saudi Arabia so he could get the reaction and reception he did following the win was really cool to see as well. Sami deserved this, no matter how long the reign ends up being. Which with it happening now for shock value rather than at Mania with a built-up story behind it I predict won’t be all that long, but I kind of hope I’m wrong. I am a big Gunther fan, and I like Cody quite a bit as well, but this was probably the right call on the night. I just didn’t know if WWE was going to have the balls to actually pull the trigger and do it or not. Now I hope they let the story play out for at least a little while though.
Match Ratings: 1-10 scale (.25 applicable)
King of the Ring Finals: Oba Femi vs Jey Uso- 7.25/10
Queen of the Ring Finals: Iyo Sky vs Liv Morgan- 8/10
Steel Cage match: Seth Rollins vs Bron Breakker- 9.25/10
United States Championship match: Trick Williams (c) vs Ricky Saints- 7/10
Women’s United States Championship match: Tiffany Stratton (c) vs Jade Cargill- 7/10
Undisputed WWE Championship match: Cody Rhodes (c) vs Sami Zayn vs Gunther- 9/10
That’ll do it for this one though folks! Make sure to like the page on social media or come back to the website often to see my latest content over pro wrestling, horror films (new & classic), newly released movies, and more released weekly! Thanks for spending some time with me today and until next time, be good to one another!
