WWE’s much-anticipated pay-per-view event Night of Champions aired last night and it lived up to expectations.
Night of Champions is one of WWE events in which all the champions defend their titles. Leading up to this moment, there have been different rivalries and storylines that have largely entertained the WWE Universe.
Notable among them is WWE Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch’s clash with the returning Sasha Banks, Randy Orton’s fracas with WWE Champion Kofi Kingston, and the showdown between Braun Strowman and WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins.
Below are the brief reviews and results of the matches:
AJ Styles Vs Cedric Alexander (United States Championship Match): Cedric Alexander, relatively fresh in the WWE, was looking to prove himself in what he was hoping would be his biggest win yet over current United States Champion AJ Styles. The young talent displayed his in-ring prowess but AJ Styles is not called The Phenomenal One for nothing as his experience was enough to silence the young blood for good.
Result: AJ Styles defeats Cedric Alexander via pinfall to retain the title
Brawn Strowman and Seth Rollins Vs Dolph Ziggler and Bobby Roode (Raw Tag Team Championship Match): There have been obvious tension between tag team partners Brawn Strowman and Seth Rollins owing to their main event WWE Universal Championship match later in the night, but Strowman had said that he was prepared to focus on their temporary partnership so that they could win because he liked being partners with Rollins.
Strowman’s strength was on display in the early goings but Rollins was subdued by the teamwork of Ziggler and Rood, giving Roode the opportunity to pin the champion and become the new Raw Tag Team Champions.
Result: Dolph Ziggler and Bobby Roode defeat Brawn Strowman and Seth Rollins to claim the Raw Tag Team Championship.
Charlotte Flair Vs Bayley (Smackdown Women’s Championship Match): Luck hasn’t been on Charlotte Flair lately and the daughter of WWE Legend and Hall of Famer, Ric Flair, dominated the match, showing aggressiveness and determination. WWE Smackdown Women’s Champion Bayley, who can usually hold her own with pretty much any woman in the WWE didn’t really get a chance to show her wrestling abilities as the onslaught from her opponent was too much for her to handle, resulting in an unexpectedly quick defeat for her.
Result: Charlotte Flair defeats Bayley to become new Smackdown Women’s Champion.
The New Day Vs The Revival (Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match): The Revival as a team has gotten to where they are as a result of their teamwork and understanding of each other, coupled with their ability to quickly seize opportunities. These would come in handy as they faced the pancake-serving duo of The New Day.
Though they fought with spirit, The New Day failed to come out on top of their rivals, whose intellect and partnership once again made them conquerors.
Result: The Revival defeats The New Day, claiming the Smackdown Tag Team Championship title.
Nikki Cross and Alexa Bliss Vs Mandy Rose and Sonia DeVille (Raw Women’s Tag Team Championship Match): It appears that the friendship between Nikki Cross and Alexa Bliss is genuine after all and the pair squared off against the self-titled team of ‘Fire and Desire’. Bliss, in particular, drew attention for her Harley Quinn costume.
A distraction from R-Truth and Camella got in the way but normalcy was restored and the match continued in earnest. Cross stole the show with her vicious competitiveness, paving the way for a deserved win for her and her friend.
Result: Nikki Cross and Alexa Bliss defeat Sonia DeVille and Mandy Rose, retaining the Raw Women’s Tag Team title.
Shinsuke Nakamura Vs The Miz (Intercontinental Championship Match): Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura was accompanied by the controversial Sami Zayn, who turned out to be a thorn in The Miz’s flesh as he kept interfering in the match, distracting him. Zayn’s antics paid off as the champion successfully defended his title, leaving the Miz lying in a pool of his own defeat.
Result: Shinsuke Nakamura defeats The Miz to continue his championship reign.
Becky Lynch Vs Sasha Banks (Raw Women’s Championship Match): ‘The Man’ promised before the match that she would emerge the winner and that wasn’t surprising as she has never lacked for confidence and the tenacity to back up the hype surrounding her. Her journey as champion has never been short of controversies and challenges but Lynch has forged on, becoming stronger with each opponent faced.
Sasha Banks wasn’t just any opponent however and was very impressive, showing a side of her never seen before. Becky Lynch kept fighting back as the former took her to her physical limits. The fight spilled over to the arena, outside the ring as the two female competitors knocked each other over the place.
In the end, it was Lynch who bested her rival. Using a steel chair, she performed a submission move on Banks, seemingly injuring her arm and the match had to be stopped by intervening Officials.
Result: Becky Lynch retains Raw Women’s Championship title via match having to be stopped due to Banks’ inability to continue.
Kofi Kingston Vs Randy Orton (WWE Championship Match): This beef has been on for the past few months. Kofi Kingston, eager to show that he deserved his current status, looked to defeat ‘The Viper’, Randy Orton, who has claimed that the black-skinned champion was a fluke who owed his title to his generosity.
Orton’s superior physical strength was on display as the match started. He inflicted punishment on Kingston repeatedly but the champion fought his way back as The Viper kept striking. Orton had a near fall but Kofi’s leg on the rope saved him. The match went on and both men showed determination. The bout ended with Kofi Kingston dishing a superb turning kick to the side of Orton’s head, standing tall with a big win over The Viper.
Result: Kofi Kingston retains the title by defeating Randy Orton
Roman Reigns Vs Rowan: Several weeks after he found out that the big bearded Rowan was behind the recent attacks on him, ‘The Big Dog’, Roman Reigns came with vengeance in mind and managed to survive the vicious beating at the hands of his opponent, giving as much as he could in return.
Rowan’s immense size gave him an upper hand but Reigns’ endurance and perseverance kept him fighting. Just when it seemed The Big Dog was about to turn the tide in his favor, Rowan’s former tag team partner, Harper, interfered and since the match was a no disqualification, it was all legal. Rowan getting help from his pal was the deciding factor as he reigned supreme over The Big Dog.
Result: Rowan defeats Roman Reigns.
Seth Rollins Vs Braun Strowman (WWE Universal Championship Match): The main of the night saw the gigantic Strowman take control as the match commenced. Rollins, who is known for overcoming almost impossible odds, battled his far bigger opponent with everything he could. Strowman, never one to be outperformed, continued to give the current champion a beat down but the latter never slowed down in his relentless attitude.
Strowman surprisingly kicked out of 3 stomps from Rollins and it looked like things were going to go his way. Rollins gave his all and got another chance to hit yet another stomp and this time, it was the last as Strowman couldn’t get his shoulder up before the third count.
Result: Seth Rollins defeats Braun Strowman to keep championship run alive.
As Seth Rollins made his way to exit the entrance, still basking in the spectacular victory, an unwanted visitor showed up. The lights went dark and Bray Wyatt unleashed a ‘Sister Abigail’ on the victor.
Obviously, this sets up the next major rivalry in the WWE.
