Tag: WWE Night of Champions

WWE Night of Champions: Top takeaways include Roman Reigns still closing the show

The top WWE Night of Champions takeaways include a new World champ, a surprise Raw women’s title change, and turmoil within the Bloodline.

The 2023 edition of Night of Champions turned into a night of change, as two new champions were crowned and a family was torn apart.

Here are my takeaways from Saturday’s event.

Jimmy Uso says “Enough is ENOUGH!”

Guys, Jimmy Uso is in so much trouble.

Not only did he embarrass Roman Reigns, he did so by superkicking the Tribal Chief — not once but twice.

The superkicks were preceded by Jimmy and his brother Jey mistakenly superkicking Solo Sikoa during the tag team title match against Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens.

Reigns saw this and basically disowned his cousins as a result. That was enough for Jimmy Uso to kick the daylights out of him … twice.

Jey Uso witnessed his brother’s defiant act, and was once again asking, “Why you do that?” It was very reminiscent of the scene that played out back at the Royal Rumble, when Zayn hit Reigns in the back with a steel chair.

Speaking of Zayn, he and Owens took advantage of the Bloodline family strife to pick up the win and retain their titles.

Obviously, this makes things pretty complicated within the Bloodline. As much as Jimmy Uso seemed dead set on leaving the group, Jey Uso still seems very reluctant. Will Sikoa have feelings about this? Will he begin to defy the Head of the Table?

Regardless, it will be very interesting to see how this plays out.

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Seth Rollins is your new World Heavyweight Champion

Yes, Seth Rollins and AJ Styles were vying for a consolation prize known as the World Heavyweight Championship. But at least the fans could look forward to watching them do what they do best: Tear the house down.

On Saturday afternoon, they did just that.

Great match aside, though, it is hard for me to be fully invested in what happens with this title. I am happy that Rollins won and is the first champion of this particular chapter in the title’s lineage, but it feels hollow in some ways when you know it is not the top prize. To make a sports comparison, it felt like Rollins won the NFC East. No, not the NFC. The NFC East. The champion of the NFC gets to challenge for the ultimate prize two weeks later. The champion of the NFC East, or any of the NFL’s divisions, do not.

This feels more like a division title because it is nice, and you get a hat and a t-shirt (or in this case a nice-looking belt), but everyone knows there’s more to accomplish. Unfortunately for Rollins, he will have to work extremely hard to make me — and many others — feel differently.

Roman Reigns STILL closes the show

In case you needed any more evidence as to who the real world champion in WWE is, look no further than Night of Champions, when the World Heavyweight title match opened the show, but the “Undisputed” champion still ended the show … in a tag team title match, no less.

Cody Rhodes passed out, but doesn’t tap out

The story coming into the match was that Cody Rhodes was going to face Brock Lesnar with a broken arm, which sounds wild but it kind of fits Rhodes given he wrestled with a torn bicep last year.

As far as we know, this is just a storyline injury, and it played into the finish Saturday when Rhodes passed out from the pain while Lesnar had a kimura on the broken arm.

Rhodes gave it his all — he even hit the Cross Rhodes three times — but the pain eventually became too much to bear, and instead of tapping out, Rhodes passed out.

For what this was, it was well done. Passing out instead of tapping probably won’t have the same impact for Rhodes as it did for Steve Austin back in 1997, but I really liked that WWE went back to that particular well in this story.

Also, because Lesnar won, we’re going to get a third match in this rivalry, and I can honestly say that I am looking forward to it.

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Asuka dethrones Bianca Belair

In a bit of a surprise outcome, Asuka defeated Bianca Belair Saturday to become the new Raw Women’s Champion. Belair’s historic reign ends at 416 days.

I am not totally surprised that Bianca lost the title at this point, but I am surprised that it came after a pretty lackluster story.

The match itself was pretty good considering the fans in Saudi Arabia didn’t seem to be all that interested in this match — or any other women’s match for that matter, which is an entirely different discussion.

I thought the finish was pretty unique with Asuka spitting the mist on her hand so she could just smear the mist on Belair’s face instead of spitting it, which she missed earlier in the match.

Belair sold it like her eyes were melting out of her head, which allowed Asuka to kick her in the head twice to become the new champion.

It will be interesting to see where this narrative goes, as it feels like an unfinished story, and Belair is entitled to a rematch.

Zoey Stark helps Trish Stratus pick up a win

On paper, Trish Stratus going against Becky Lynch is a dream match. In reality, it was kind of … meh. I don’t take joy in saying that because I believe Stratus and Lynch are capable of better.

But the biggest takeaway coming out of the match, for me, was Zoey Stark helping Stratus pick up the victory. Stark was stationed under the ring and put a swift hurting on Lynch while the referee wasn’t looking, which allowed Stratus to hit the Stratusfaction for the 1-2-3.

The match was a little underwhelming, but at the very least we got a new wrinkle in a story that sorely needed one. Pairing Stark up with Stratus is a positive on multiple fronts. First, it gives Stark the proverbial rub of being associated with a WWE Hall of Famer in Stratus. Stratus may not be in her prime, but there is still some cache to her name.

Second, it gives Lynch someone to beat up on when Stratus is not around. There’s definitely something to be said for that.

WWE Night of Champions 2023 results: Jimmy Uso makes fateful decision that helps KO, Sami retain

See the dramatic events that led to further Bloodline drama as Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn retained the tag titles at WWE Night of Champions.

The third of tonight’s three main events (ahem) starts with Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa making their way to the ring. Michel Cole notes again that Reigns is at 1,000 days as Universal Champion, the fifth-longest reign in WWE history. He’ll pass Pedro Morales in just four weeks.

Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn receive a tremendous response when they walk out, no surprise there. Paul Heyman does his own ring intros for the challengers, then Sami takes the mic to do his spin on introducing the champs.

The crowd is electric right off the bat as the bell finally rings, with KO quickly giving the people what they want and tagging out to Zayn to face Reigns. He laughs off the chants and tags in Solo before yelling, “I should have never let you in” from out near the announce table.

Solo tries for an early Samoan Spike, but Sami sticks and moves for a bit until the Street Champ can finally get a bead on him again. Owens has no such qualms about going head to head with Solo once he tags in, though he takes the worst of their initial exchanges.

Zayn tags himself in when Owens runs the ropes on his side, but KO’s standing senton brings Reigns into the fray for a moment, distracting Sami for Solo to run him over. That gives Sikoa a chance to run through a bit of an offensive flurry on Zayn while simultaneously slowing the pace.

That provides a great opportunity for Reigns to tag back in, bashing Zayn in the corner and then stepping on Sami along the ropes. Sami is tossed to the floor in enemy territory, with the ref preventing KO from helping his partner and friend.

Sami tries trading right hands with Roman but fares poorly in that endeavor. Solo tags back in, stopping Zayn from crawling to his corner and delivering a big Samoan drop.

Zayn is finally able to battle back next to the announce table, but Solo intercept his next effort to tag out. He ends up being placed on the top rope, which works out OK as he launches into a tornado DDT. Both he and Solo are down, but can he finally get to Owens for a tag? Yes he does, with KO unloading on Reigns until he’s knocked to the floor, and a clothesline finds him there too.

Back in the ring, Owens connects on a superkick but has to stop his Cannonball attempt to deal with Solo on the apron, leaving him exposed for a Reigns clothesline. KO rebounds quickly for a frog splash, leaving Paul Heyman concerned as he watches his Tribal Chief kick out.

Roman’s response comes in the form of a Superman punch, though Owens survives by kicking out at two. Reigns manages to come right back from a Stunner with a huge spear, leaving both men down and slowed on the mat.

Tags are made on both sides, with Zayn evading Solo and dumping him to the floor. Sami takes flight with a tope con hilo, landing square on Solo but also taking a beat to recover himself.

A Blue Thunder Bomb in the ring sees Sami covering, but Solo kicks out at two. A Samoan Spike attempt is answered with an exploder. The Helluva Kick is next, forcing Reigns to dive in and keep the match alive. He rains down right hands on Zayn as the referee tells him to leave the ring.

Zayn cares not and fights on, but his step away from a spear sees the ref take the impact from the Tribal Chief. Sami seizes the moment to hit a Superman punch, but Reigns comes right back with one of his own. Roman turns right into a spear from KO, and they brawl out to the announce table before Reigns is slung into the steel steps.

Owens clears both announce tables of their monitors, dragging Roman over before Jimmy and Jey Uso arrive for superkicks. The Usos bury Owens under the announce table, and Sami is alone to eat superkicks in the ring. Alas, he steps aside at the wrong moment for the Usos, who blast Solo just as Reigns revives to see it.

Roman berates Jimmy, who has enough and superkicks Reigns … much to the dismay of an incredulous Jey. “I’m doing what you should have done a long time ago,” Jimmy yells to Jey before blasting Roman with another superkick.

The Usos finally head slowly toward the ramp as Solo revives. KO hits him with a Stunner, followed by a Helluva Kick. A new ref arrives, late, but it’s enough to count the three so the champs retain.

Click here for full WWE Night of Champions results from Saudi Arabia.

WWE Night of Champions 2023 results: Cody Rhodes guts it out before passing out against Brock Lesnar

Guts weren’t enough. See how Cody Rhodes gave it his all but ultimately couldn’t defeat Brock Lesnar at WWE Night of Champions.

The announcers put over the idea that it’s almost impossible to deal with Brock Lesnar with two good arms, much less with one that’s possibly broken. He still has a bit of a scar on his forehead from his previous clashes with Cody Rhodes, who enters to the typical “Whoa!” during his entrance theme but notably keeps his left arm down even then when he would usually raise both arms overhead.

Once the bell rings, Rhodes is evasive as his enemy laughs. Cody ducks out of the ring and sees if he can lure the Beast Incarnate out to chase him, and he’s able to draw Lesnar back into the ring. It’s not long, though, before Rhodes is tossed with a suplex for the first time.

There’s a second suplex, and Rhodes is clutching his arm in pain. A third follows, but Cody is able to turn things around using his apparently titanium-laced cast as a weapon repeatedly. He even comes off the top rope with a double axhandle for two.

A Disaster Kick and a Cody Cutter both find the target, and Rhodes covers again for two. Now it’s Cross Rhodes, not once but twice. Maybe there’s a third … but no, as Lesnar counters into a kimura, naturally on the left arm.

Rhodes tries to pivot to get Lesnar’s shoulders down like he did at Backlash, but Brock sees it coming this time. Lesnar sits up a bit to increase the pressure on the hold, and Rhodes appears trapped. He’s fading in the hold, but he answers the ref and the match continues. Somehow, Cody reaches the ropes to break the hold, and Brock looks gassed as well, or perhaps just in utter disbelief.

Lesnar goes for the F-5, but Rhodes counters with another Cross Rhodes and earns another near fall. He wails away with the cast again, but Lesnar picks him up and delivers an F-5. It takes a moment for him to cover, and that might have cost him as Rhodes kicks out at two.

A frustrated Lesnar tries for the kimura again, and this time it appears Cody is out cold. The ref calls for the bell, but Lesnar won’t let go of the hold. He finally relinquishes his grip as the announcers praise Cody for his guts.

Click here for full WWE Night of Champions results from Saudi Arabia.

WWE Night of Champions 2023 results: Seth Rollins prevails, wins World Heavyweight Championship

See how the match to crown the inaugural World Heavyweight Champion went down at WWE Night of Champions 2023.

AJ Styles comes to the ring without The O.C., the announcer explaining that he left them in the U.S. because he figured if he was going to be champion, he needed to stand on his own two feet. As he does at home, Seth Rollins enters to a massive singalong of his theme song. The announcers mention that it’s the first time in four years that Styles is having a singles match with gold on the line, which seems nuts.

Once the bell rings, Rollins encourages the fans to start singing again, which draws a smirk from Styles. AJ gets off to a fast start, catching Seth off guard, but Rollins quickly composes himself and regains the center of the ring.

They run the ropes to a stalemate, but Rollins hits a Sling Blade and follows with a running knee off the apron when Styles ducks out to the floor. Seth’s attempt at a quick cover is good only for one.

AJ lifts Seth up and drives him back into a corner, then snap mares him back out and drops a knee. Kicks to the back come next, with Styles staying in control with a chinlock. Rollins battles to his feet but gets lit up by corner chops.

In the corner again, Styles gets forced headfirst into the turnbuckle before being hurled across the ring to the opposite buckles. A chop almost knocks AJ off the top rope to the floor, but Seth grabs him and forces him to wriggle away.

The two men trade strikes until Styles is able to explode backward and suplex Rollins into the turnbuckles. AJ’s trademark barrage of mixed strikes sets up a sliding forearm, and he’s soon getting his first near fall of the bout.

A back flip into a reverse DDT by Styles forces Rollins to kick out again at two. Seth responds with a buckle bomb, then has to jump a long way from the top to hit a splash that gets him a two count.

Styles is able to counter into a neckbreaker for another near fall. He wants a Styles Clash off the second rope as well, but Rollins counters by flipping his foe back down to the canvas, taking him to the opposite corner for mounted punches.

After Styles briefly frees himself, Rollins hustles back up for an inverted superplex, holding on to drive AJ back down for another two. Cameras zoom in to show abrasions on Rollins’ lower back.

He heads up top again, pausing before trying a corkscrew splash that Styles avoids. AJ tries to come right back with a tornado DDT but ends up on the apron instead. The two men battle to try to suplex each other and Styles is able to yank Rollins out with him and slam him back first on the apron. Seth is sprawled out on the floor, but he recovers in the ring in time to catch Styles in the face on a Phenomenal Forearm attempt.

Rollins goes for and hits a suicide dive to the floor but sells damage to his left knee on the landing. Styles tries to capitalize, catching Rollins in the Calf Crusher. Seth looks like he’s in agony, hands behind his head at times, but he grabs AJ’s neck long enough to force a break.

Styles hits a right hand but is caught in return by a clothesline that leaves both men down. They rise at almost the same time and just start hammering each other with strikes, including a series of kicks by Rollins. An enzuigiri lands but a Pele kick doesn’t, giving Seth an opening for a superkick.

Rollins Stomps Styles’ hand and looks for a Pedigree; AJ can’t get the Styles Clash. So he hits a Pedigree instead and gets a very close near fall.

Another superkick crashes home, but Rollins’ knee buckles as he advances to try for a Stomp. Seth is at least able to counter a Calf Crusher attempt to hit a Pedigree, and the Stomp comes next to get the three count and make Rollins the first ever World Heavyweight Champion.

Click here for full WWE Night of Champions results from Saudi Arabia.

WWE Night of Champions 2023 results: Rollins, Asuka win gold, Bloodline drama continues

Keep up with all the action with the latest WWE Night of Champions results to start a busy weekend in pro wrestling.

WWE Night of Champions doesn’t have every title in the company at stake, but a number of them will be as a big chunk of the roster heads overseas to Saudi Arabia. In fact, on a seven-match card, championships are up for grabs in five of the bouts.

Though WWE has humorously (to us) promoted the show as having a “triple main event,” two of those three matches also have gold up for grabs. The match that has been the subject of the most discussion will see Seth Rollins and AJ Styles compete to become the inaugural holder of the new WWE World Heavyweight Championship. The winner will take their gold exclusively to Raw, at least for the time being.

That’s because Roman Reigns has set up shop on SmackDown, but he’ll be vying for another championship in Saudi Arabia as well. He and Solo Sikoa are looking to take the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship from Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, even though that pursuit has exacerbated the fissures in the Bloodline even more.

And the highest profile non-title match is part of this group of three as well. Cody Rhodes has suffered several vicious attacks at the hands of Brock Lesnar, including one this week that left him with a left arm that Dr. Triple H says was broken (wink, wink). He’s determined to fight Lesnar anyway, even though tangling with the Beast Incarnate can be foolhardy enough with all one’s limbs functioning.

Because the show is overseas, it means an early start time for fans in the U.S.: afternoon on the east coast and late morning in the west. Join us back here starting at 1 p.m. ET for the latest WWE Night of Champions results, updated as they happen all day long.

WWE Night of Champions 2023 results:

(click any match with a link for full details)

  • Seth Rollins def. AJ Styles by pinfall in the tournament final to become the inaugural World Heavyweight Champion, and has the belt handed to him by Triple H after his victory
  • Cody Rhodes is shown getting checked on by a doctor, with a wrap or brace of some sort on his left forearm
  • Trish Stratus def. Becky Lynch by pinfall after Zoey Stark emerged from under the ring to assist
  • Gunther def. Mustafa Ali by pinfall to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship
  • Sami Zayn tells Kevin Owens how crazy it is that they’re there and that even if it ended tonight … KO asks why it would end tonight, because he’s sick of hearing about Roman Reigns’ 1000-day reign and vows that Roman and Solo Sikoa will lose tonight
  • Asuka def. Bianca Belair by pinfall after raking Bianca’s eyes with mist on her fingers to become the new WWE Raw Women’s Champion
  • Rhea Ripley def. Natalya by pinfall to retain the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship, with help from Dominik Mysterio as a ringside distraction
  • Rollins tells Byron Saxton that he will be on Raw on Monday and every Monday moving forward, just with World Heavyweight Championship things on his mind
  • Brock Lesnar def. Cody Rhodes by submission as Cody passes out while in a kimura on his injured left arm
  • Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn def. Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa by pinfall to retain the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship, after The Usos, who initially arrive to beat up the champs, end up accidentally superkicking Solo and then intentionally (from Jimmy, anyway) superkicking Reigns

WWE Night of Champions 2023 time: When to tune in for Night of Champions

Don’t forget that WWE Night of Champions will air much earlier than most premium live events that are in the U.S.

WWE will be back in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia this Saturday afternoon for Night of Champions. Although not all champions will defend their belts, the show will still be packed with star-studded matches that will bridge the gap to Money in the Bank in July.

WWE reintroduced the World Heavyweight Championship earlier this month, which will be exclusive to Raw while Roman Reigns’ Undisputed WWE Universal Championship remains on SmackDown. Resulting from a tournament on both brands, Seth Rollins and AJ Styles emerged as the finalists to compete for the title in the main event of Night of Champions.

Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn will also defend their tag team championship against Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa, with the Usos outside the picture as the other members of the Bloodline compete for gold. Additionally, Rhea Ripley puts her SmackDown Women’s Championship on the line against Natalya, and Cody Rhodes will try to fend off Brock Lesnar in a non-title match.

Kicking off early afternoon on the east coast and late morning on the west coast, Night of Champions from Saudia Arabia will start earlier than most WWE premium live events. Fans should tune into Peacock or the WWE Network early to follow the results live from Jeddah.

Here’s everything you need to know to watch this holiday weekend.

WWE Night of Champions 2023

  • Date: Saturday, May 27, 2023
  • Location: Jeddah Super Dome, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
  • Start time: 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT
  • How to watch: On Peacock in the U.S., and on WWE Network in the rest of the world

More Night of Champions resources:

WWE Night of Champions 2023: Predictions for every match in Saudi Arabia

Who will emerge triumphant in Jeddah? Our Vaughn Johnson takes a stab at picking all the winners in his WWE Night of Champions 2023 predictions.

Night of Champions (not to be confused with Clash of Champions or WCW’s Clash of the Champions) is usually a show some fans could skip. But WWE upped the ante in 2023 (mainly because it is taking place in Saudi Arabia) and decided to crown a new World Heavyweight Champion.

Yes, the title is a consolation for those unable to dethrone the Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns, but WWE will go out of its way to make it seem like this title is of equal importance Saturday despite the promotion’s own employees, including one who is vying for the title, having already disparaged its somewhat good name.

Who will leave Saudi Arabia with the new title? Will Cody Rhodes even make it to Night of Champions? Will the confusion surrounding the women’s titles be remotely cleared up?

Here are my predictions for the event:

Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar

I know, the world title should probably close out Night of Champions, but I feel like if WWE put Rhodes and Brock Lesnar after Bad Bunny in Puerto Rico, they’ll put them after Seth Rollins and AJ Styles.

If WWE is trying to get a third match out of this feud, which I imagine it will, then logically Rhodes would have to lose to set up the rubber match. WWE has already kind of given Rhodes the out of being less than 100%, so it wouldn’t completely extinguish what momentum the American Nightmare has left following WrestleMania.

With that said, this feud is not doing what WWE wants it to do, which is carry the main event scene while Reigns challenges for the tag titles for some strange reason. However, we’ll get one more between these two because Lesnar gets his win back to set up a third and decisive encounter in the future.

Winner: Brock Lesnar

WWE World Heavyweight Championship: Seth “Freakin’” Rollins vs. AJ Styles

I am a big fan of both Rollins and Styles, but as I wrote last week, crowning Rollins as the first world champion since 2013 is the only decision, in my book.

The new title is indeed a consolation, but no one should be awarded that consolation before Rollins. Not to mention, Styles has already called the title secondary in an interview with the New York Post, which I’m willing to bet WWE didn’t love hearing.

Winner: Seth “Freakin’” Rollins

Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship: Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens (c) vs. Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa

By virtue of WWE debuting a new world title, Reigns, in theory, should no longer be an “undisputed” champion. Right? I guess he is trying to rectify that by bringing the undisputed tag titles back to The Bloodline.

I honestly have no idea why this match is happening. I thought the whole point of bringing back the World Heavyweight Championship was so that there would be a world title in the company while Reigns wasn’t around. What’s the point of that title when Reigns is, in fact, around? Not only is he around, he is traveling across the world to challenge for … the tag titles?

There are so many confusing things going on in WWE at the moment, and this is high on the list.

So what does WWE do here? Do they find a way to keep the titles on Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens? How does that happen? Does WWE want to beat Solo Sikoa? We know they won’t beat Reigns. Is there a disqualification finish? It would be kind of wild to have Reigns’ fly across the world for a DQ finish, but it is an option.

Or …

WWE could have Reigns and Sikoa defeat Zayn and Owens and give Reigns two more titles for a total of four. Let’s not forget that the tag titles are two separate titles that have been unified, not one consolidated title, which is why Zayn and Owens still walk around with two belts.

If Reigns is in possession of four titles simultaneously, he’d only be halfway to looking like Ultimo Dragon in these streets.

Jokes aside, that would be absurd. Reigns has been on top of the world in dominant fashion going on three years. He’s been so dominant that WWE literally created a new title for when he is not around. But here is WWE, using up one of Reigns’ few appearances not to headline a big show or put someone else over, but to possibly win the tag titles from a team that won them in the main event of WrestleMania not even two months ago.

Because it would be bizarre to give Reigns two more titles, I feel like I have to go with the champs to somehow retain. WWE has defied logic countless times in the past, and I wouldn’t put it past the company to look logic in the eye with defiance yet again.

Winners: Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens

WWE Raw Women’s Championship: Bianca Belair (c) vs. Asuka

On paper, Bianca Belair and Asuka should be must-see TV, but it really hasn’t been and I’m not sure why. They are both extremely talented and are over with the fans. But to put it simply, the feeling I get from this feud is apathy — and I don’t take joy in saying that.

As far as a winner, I don’t see a reason to take the title off of Belair to put it on Asuka. I would not be opposed to Belair losing the title, but it should not come after a feud as lackluster as this one.

Winner: Bianca Belair

WWE Smackdown Women’s Championship: Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Natalya

Rhea Ripley’s title reign has also been kind of uneventful so far. WWE has a pair of potential megastars on its hands with Ripley and Belair, but has seemingly forgotten how to book them in the last few months. It’s really weird, to be honest, and I’m not sure what happened.

Even Ripley’s lone title defense wasn’t really about her as much as it was a moment for Zelina Vega in Puerto Rico and dedicating the match to her late father. Ripley was sort of a background player in that encounter despite winning.

I’d be willing to bet that Ripley and Natalya will both put on great performances in Saudi Arabia, but I wouldn’t be willing to bet if anyone would remotely care.

Winner: Rhea Ripley

Before we move on to the next match, I would like to take this time to implore WWE to have Belair and Ripley switch titles so they can stop walking around with the title of the show they used to be on. It makes ZERO sense why this hasn’t happened already.

OK, back to our regularly scheduled programming …

Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus

Once again, on paper, this should be a dream scenario. In reality, it’s merely  fine. However, I think this could be a candidate to steal the show on Saturday.

As far as a winner, I think it has to be Becky Lynch.

Winner: Becky Lynch

WWE Intercontinental Championship: Gunther (c) vs. Mustafa Ali

I mean, I think we all know how this one is going to go — Gunther retains.

However, where does Gunther go from here? You have to imagine folks like Drew McIntyre (whenever he returns) will go after the new world title. Maybe Shinsuke Nakamura? At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter that much as we’re just biding time for when Gunther finally drops the Intercontinental title and goes for the world title.

I don’t see that happening anytime soon. Until then, Gunther’s reign lives on.

Winner: Gunther

AJ Styles on WWE World Heavyweight title: How can you argue it’s not secondary?

AJ Styles thinks someone who holds the WWE World Heavyweight Championship will eventually have to defeat Roman Reigns to truly elevate it.

The level of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship is being questioned by more than just the fans.

In an interview with the New York Post, AJ Styles, who will participate in the World Heavyweight Championship Tournament final at WWE Night of Champions to crown the first holder of this title in a decade, addressed if he feels this belt is secondary to Roman Reigns’ Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

“Is it a secondary?” Styles said in a Zoom interview. “Well if the Raw championship is held by Roman, the SmackDown championship is held by Roman, then how can you argue that it’s not? We had to make a new championship because Roman holds them all.

“What happens if he decides to wrestle for the World Heavyweight championship? It is what it is and we got what we got. If we make the best of it, and if and when Roman does challenge [for it], we beat the brakes off of him, whomever it might be, then we’ll see what title’s secondary.”

The initial perception is WWE created this title because Reigns currently holds both the Raw and SmackDown titles and looks set to remain champion beyond 1,000 days. He shows no sign of losing any time soon, thus resulting in this title’s existence.

WWE can book Reigns to fight for the title, as Styles is right, though they risk booking themselves into a deeper corner than when the WWE and Universal titles were unified. That ruins the point of the World Heavyweight Championship’s return, so it’s hard to see WWE heading down this route.

It’s otherwise up to Styles and Seth Rollins, and others who follow, to make the title feel important. There were issues before WWE retired the World Heavyweight Championship in 2013, but with the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship often absent, this belt can become the more recognizable of the two for merely appearing frequently.

WWE Night of Champions 2023 betting odds: Seth Rollins heavy favorite for new world title

It’s hard to recall a time when Roman Reign wasn’t a favorite in a premium live event match, but he’s an underdog at WWE Night of Champions.

Two men will have a shot at becoming the first ever WWE World Heavyweight Champion (2023 version) at Night of Champions this Saturday, but it’s anything but a 50-50 tossup over which one is expected to earn that honor.

The consensus is that Seth Rollins is a heavy favorite to leave Jeddah, Saudi Arabia as the victor in his World Heavyweight Championship Tournament final against AJ Styles, and the betting odds from jurisdictions that allow such things bear that out. Betfair has Rollins at 1.25 at the time of this original post, or -400 in American style odds.

Another interesting takeaway is that Brock Lesnar is favored to get revenge for his Backlash defeat at the hands of Cody Rhodes. While not a favorite on the same level as Rollins, there’s a sense that Lesnar will win this go-round, necessitating a rubber match between the two stars — perhaps at SummerSlam in August.

This is the part where we remind everyone that we don’t actually endorse betting on WWE matches, as a bunch of people have knowledge of the outcomes ahead of time, and it seems silly to wager knowing that’s the case. However, we do find the betting lines for premium live events to be informative as a measuring stick for what the general public thinks will happen.

We expect more matches to be added to the card before the weekend, and will update this post if and when they do. For now, let’s take a look at the WWE Night of Champions betting lines for the bouts that have been announced, converted into U.S.-style odds.

(Last update: May 23, 2023, 11:20 a.m. ET)

WWE Night of Champions 2023 betting odds:

WWE World Heavyweight Championship Tournament final
  • Seth Rollins: -400
  • AJ Styles: +250
Singles match
  • Brock Lesnar: -225
  • Cody Rhodes: +150
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship match
  • Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn (c): -275
  • Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa: +165
WWE Intercontinental Championship match
  • Gunther (c): -715
  • Mustafa Ali: +400

WWE Raw Women’s Championship match

  • Bianca Belair (c): -715
  • Asuka: +333
WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship match
  • Rhea Ripley (c): -1425
  • Natalya: +550
Singles match
  • Becky Lynch: -500
  • Trish Stratus: +300

WWE Night of Champions 2023: Date, start time, how to watch

Here’s everything you need to know to watch WWE Night of Champions 2023 on the final weekend of May.

It doesn’t appear that every title will be defended on the show as was the case in past years, but WWE Night of Champions returns to the schedule this year as the first of the company’s Saudi Arabia events for 2023.

The biggest talking point is the crowning of the inaugural holder of the new version of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. The title will be defended exclusively on Raw (for now, anyway), though both Raw and SmackDown talent was included in a tournament to determine the first winner. Seth Rollins and AJ Styles emerged as the finalists, and their meeting in Jeddah should be a high point of the card.

There’s also plenty of other gold on the line throughout the night. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn will defend their tag team championship against the Bloodline — except their challengers will be Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa, not The Usos. Bianca Belair will see a familiar foe across the ring from her when she faces Asuka, while Gunther gets a bit of a surprise from Mustafa Ali.

One important note if you’re planning on watching Night of Champions: Because it’s in Saudi Arabia, it will air in the U.S. quite a bit earlier than most WWE premium live events. It will be early afternoon in the east coast and still morning on the west coast when the event kicks off.

Here’s everything you need to know to watch this holiday weekend.

WWE Night of Champions 2023

  • Date: Saturday, May 27, 2023
  • Location: Jeddah Super Dome, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
  • Start time: 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT
  • How to watch: On Peacock in the U.S., and on WWE Network in the rest of the world

Please click here for the Night of Champions match card, which will be updated with the latest until the day of the show.