The writers of The Wrestling Estate break down Saturday’s WWE Night of Champions, airing live from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Photo: WWE
In this edition of The Wrestling Estate roundtable, we share our predictions for WWE Night of Champions 2023, which airs live from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia beginning at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT on Peacock.
Most Anticipated Match?
Steven Jackson
Definitely Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar. I want this to be a war to settle the score!
Curt Lemon
This is a “must-skip” show for me. I had to look up the card to even find out what is happening. It feels like WWE has lost ALL momentum since WrestleMania. In the 5-6 months prior to Mania things were the best they’ve been in the company in years but since their biggest show of the year…it’s completely uninteresting to me. Wonder what changed?
Russ Good
I’m looking forward to the Tag Team Championship match, but I feel like WWE has all but bullied me into feeling that way. I’m sure Cody Rhodes and Brock Lesnar will be a blast, but I just don’t care anymore. Gunther is gonna destroy Mustafa Ali. The best-built of the three women’s matches – a low bar to clear – doesn’t feature a title or a pair of full-time wrestlers. And while I’m interested in the consolation tournament final, a tournament does not make a story.
Since the Bloodline story thread is going to run until SummerSlam at the very least, I’m looking forward to seeing what direction things go. And that’s not to say the continuing narrative isn’t good, it’s just not as interesting to me as it was.
Jack Goodwillie
Cody vs. Brock is a legitimate main event collision and that kind of match is one that will always capture my attention. Likewise, Roman Reigns looking to stack gold against his old enemies is also a compelling twist on the Bloodline storyline. However, I will go ahead and say the World Heavyweight Championship match.
It sounds crazy, but I think people are sleeping on that match. It’s Seth Rollins and AJ Styles. I think with Styles having been out as long as he has, he has a “y’all must’ve forgot” moment, and for some reason the Saudi shows always seem to having incredible action, with exceptions of course.
Still, as much as I will defend WWE to a fault, billing this show as a Triple Main Event is a total clown show. What the hell is a triple main event? What the hell is a double main event? If there’s three main events, there is none, but I don’t think that’s a crazy take either. Juan appropriately roasted WWE for that on Twitter earlier this week.
I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention my cautious optimism for Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus. I think this feud runs until SummerSlam, and as such, I think Trish is very live for a victory here. WWE (and pro wrestling in general) is a big show business. The weekly television has been uninspired, but we can always count on both WWE and AEW to deliver when the lights are on because that’s just what these companies do.
John Corrigan
On paper, Roman and Solo against Owens and Sami is intriguing. Perhaps Solo snaps on Reigns? Maybe Reigns snaps on Solo? Will the Tag Team Champions do the job?
Should Roman Reigns be Defending?
Steven Jackson
The world title scene is a bit of a mess at the moment so I feel it’s not helped that Roman isn’t defending the title. It says to me that there’s no viable challengers for Roman to face, which isn’t good.
Curt Lemon
As I said earlier, everything and everyone has lost steam. Is Sami as over as he was before WrestleMania? Is Roman? Does anyone care? Since I haven’t been watching I can’t say based on crowd reactions, but on social media at least, my inner circle has moved on completely and no one is discussing any of this.
Russ Good
I’m fine with our Tribal Chief taking the weekend off from his devastating schedule of title defenses – that’s 28 in nearly a thousand days, for those keeping score. The big number is what’s most important to WWE, and having him defend in a thrown-together match would elicit the same nothing reaction as just not defending the Undisputed Championship at all.
A celebration in which he forces the Usos and Solo Sikoa to proclaim “HE the ONE”, or, worse, making them wear numbered shirts making 1000 with Roman Reigns the #1, is at least consistent with Roman’s fragile ego. The tag match allows the only story that matters to WWE to keep moving forward, and highlights some of the hottest talent on the roster. Nothing wrong with that.
Jack Goodwillie
One would think that. No, the Undisputed Champion doesn’t need to defend the belt on every show, but he should at an event called “Night of Champions.” I think an added wrinkle to the storyline could have been Reigns having to make a mandatory title defense WHILE attempting to do what the Usos could not do, which is beat Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens.
Alas, Reigns and Solo Sikoa will challenge for tag team gold in Jeddah.
John Corrigan
The Undisputed Champion doesn’t need to defend the belt on every show, even pay-per-views. That’s what makes title defenses special. The formula worked for Bruno and Hulk back in the day, and it’s working for the “Tribal Chief” now.
What is Next for Cody Rhodes?
Steven Jackson
Honest answer. I don’t know. I expect Cody will challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship, but it doesn’t feel right after losing out to Roman Reigns at WM. Time will tell though.
Curt Lemon
Hopefully something. I truly hope they are not dragging out his title win for the sake of dragging it out. The one thing that drove me nuts was the entire Daniel Bryan situation in 2013-2014, where WWE clearly tried doing THEIR plan and didn’t listen to the audience at all. When they were finally forced to listen to the crowd, they acted as though it was their master plan all along, which it was not. They’re not as brilliant as they like people to think.
Russ Good
Short-term, I see Cody getting involved in another short rivalry with someone else who qualifies for the Money in the Bank match, as we lead up to the next premium live event.
Long-term? Cody wins the briefcase, and the stage is set for a rematch with our Tribal Chief, the Head of the Table, at SummerSlam. By then, the cracks in the Bloodline should have developed into full-on canyons, allowing Rhodes to “finish the story” by way of a months-too-late epilogue.
Jack Goodwillie
Money in the Bank (I hope)!
If not, a third Brock Lesnar match could be on the horizon, but I think it’s in WWE’s best interest to hammer Cody over here. Brock can’t challenge Reigns for the Undisputed Championship anyway, and I do think this storyline has been a net-positive for Cody in spite WWE cutting their nose to spite their face at WrestleMania 39.
But… we can’t keep dwelling on that as fans. We have to move on, and the best thing Cody can do going forward is build a bridge back to Reigns in time for when WrestleMania comes to Rocky’s town next April.
John Corrigan
I have no idea. He should’ve dethroned Reigns at WrestleMania. History didn’t wait to prove that was the wrong call made.
Who Wins: Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, or Reigns and Sikoa?
Steven Jackson
It’d better be Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens or else I RIOT!
Curt Lemon
Keep it on Sami and Kevin, Roman doesn’t need any more titles and I can’t imagine they are doing the standard WWE angle where Solo turns on Roman this early, but who knows. The well is pretty dry right now as they try to make everyone wait until WrestleMania 40 for Cody’s rematch.
Russ Good
As much as the idea of Roman making his next TV appearance with six belts around him appeals to me (he would obviously demand Solo allow him to carry them all), I don’t think that’s where we’re headed. For all the real-life drama around Sami Zayn’s first Saudi show, it seems appropriate that he and Kevin Owens retain.
The brave move is to have our Tribal Chief eat the pin, or at least be responsible for the loss. Roman showed, if not fear, then at least a healthy amount of respect for Sikoa, and having Reigns’ actions somehow have consequences for the first time in years would be a great step towards his family realizing that maybe he’s not the Head of the Table he claims to be.
Jack Goodwillie
No, Sami and Kevin should not lose the belts this soon, but I have a weird feeling that Reigns pulls a Thanos and adds a couple stones to his infinity gauntlet, giving him even more power and influence over The Usos. Sami and Kevin winning the belts was one of my favorite moments in the last two or three years. I would know, as I was there. But I can’t shake the feeling of Reigns turning over the apple cart on Saturday afternoon.
John Corrigan
Sami and Kevin will squeak out a win over Solo, after Reigns makes a mistake. Or maybe Heyman trips him up by accident. Either way, Sami and Kevin shouldn’t lose the belts so soon.
Who Wins: AJ Styles or Seth Rollins?
Steven Jackson
Seth “Freakin” Rollins.
Curt Lemon
I’d like AJ to get a run as a serious main eventer for a while. A good run, not like when he held the belt but was regularly in the middle of the card. Styles has been one of the most consistent performers for the last 20 years and a win here could put him back at the top of the card. Or we can just have Seth win it and do his bad Macho Man act. Difference between these two for me is that AJ feels like he is being himself and Seth feels like he is trying to portray what a wrestler should be. AJ Styles all day.
Russ Good
A.J. Styles leaves Night of Champions as WWE’s newest title holder. I’m not just saying that to be contrarian, either! Rumors of Seth Rollins’ impending move into acting have been gaining traction recently. Between what Vince McMahon might see as a lack of commitment and A.J. ‘s recent return and what he’s meant to the company in the past, maybe it’s the phenomenal one that ends up with the belt.
Rollins, of course, deserves to be rewarded for what he has done over the past several years. I won’t be mad at either outcome for this match. I just think it’s going to be yet another example of Seth having lousy luck and worse timing when it comes to opportunities.
As an aside, wouldn’t it be great if Roman Reigns came out to openly mock the winner? Or somehow inserts himself into the match for the new title, especially if he and Solo win the Undisputed Tag Team Championships? Hey, a man can dream.
Jack Goodwillie
I am going with “The Phenomenal One,” “The Face That Runs the Place,” AJ Styles.
I told Russ offline that when they announced the new World Heavyweight Championship, it felt like a belt tailor made for Seth Rollins. He deserves it. The company asked a lot of him this past year, and having a shiny new belt to rule Raw with sounds like a decent reward, if not something of a consolation prize.
However, there is value in the chase, and AJ Styles is not a man to be slept on. I think he and Seth put on one of the best WWE-style matches of the year with AJ ultimately going over, winning the belt and taking the O.C. with him to Raw where he will eventually put Rollins over and move onto faction wars with one of the many groups Raw has.
John Corrigan
This is a tough call because Styles just returned from injury and Rollins finally has momentum after wrestling Logan Paul and filming a Marvel movie. Of course, both men would make a fine champ these days, and the belt really doesn’t mean anything in the first place. So, I’ll go with Rollins just because he’s due after redefining himself over the past year or so.
