Pay Per View Preview – WWE Night of Champions 2015

Dolph Ziggler vs Rusev w/Summer Rae

Here we have two young and talented wrestlers capable of putting on a pretty good Pay Per View-quality wrestling match. Except none of that is going to matter because this feud is all about the soap opera shenanigans. After accusations flew back and forth about Dolph Ziggler’s potential infidelity (and the sudden disappearance of Lana due to an injury suffered while training), this week on Raw things took another turn as Ziggler hand-delivered a gift of some very nice jewelry for Summer Rae, causing a distracted Rusev to lose his match to Cesaro (who has no match for Night of Champions, which is a shame). Was Ziggler simply playing mind games, or is there really something going on between him and Rusev’s “Hot Summer”? Here’s a hint: he’s Dolph Ziggler. His entire career has revolved around having many, many different girlfriends. He and Summer Rae are totally up to something, and it will probably cost Rusev another victory here.

http://www.wwe.com/shows/nightofchampions/2015/27916170-27916170 Source: WWE.com

Ryback vs Kevin Owens – WWE Intercontinental Title Match

Kevin Owens has said many controversial things since he debuted in WWE, but on Raw this week he clearly crossed the line with the Intercontinental Champion, Ryback. By mocking the source of Ryback’s inspiration, The Secret, Owens earned himself Ryback’s ire, but also a title match, which was probably his goal all along. Owens’ previous attempts to irritate a champion into giving him a title shot didn’t end up working out so well against John Cena, but he seems confident heading into Night of Champions that Ryback will be no challenge for him. Despite his appearance, the secret is out on Owens: he’s a really good wrestler who finds extra motivation when there’s a prize to be fought for. Ryback may be really strong, but this could be Owens’ best chance to walk away with his first title since leaving NXT, and the odds are good he’ll be successful.

http://www.wwe.com/shows/nightofchampions/2015/ryback-kevin-owens-27892646 Source WWE.com

Seth Rollins vs John Cena – WWE United States Title Match

This would be Cena’s rematch for the US Title, which you may recall he lost at SummerSlam due to the interference of Jon Stewart, retired host of The Daily Show. But Stewart was only concerned with whether or not Cena won the WWE World Heavyweight Title, not the US Title, so it’s unlikely that there will be any former late night comedians rescuing Rollins from a loss this time. This is a situation that Rollins should have foreseen, given that everyone knows that every title is defended at Night of Champions, but he still seemed surprised by the revelation that there was nothing The Authority could do to prevent this match. As important as Cena has made the US Title seem the last few months, Rollins’ chief concern is likely the WWE Title, and it would seem likely that he’d be willing to sacrifice the United States title if it meant he could face Sting in the main event having expended a minimal amount of effort to get away from Cena. It also seems very unlikely that Cena will make it easy on Rollins, and ultimately, Cena should regain his championship.

http://www.wwe.com/shows/nightofchampions/2015/seth-rollins-john-cena-united-states-championship-27892611 Source: WWE.com

The New Day vs The Dudley Boyz – WWE Tag Team Title Match

As excited as we all are to see The Dudley Boyz back in WWE, this match seems almost like it’s happening too quickly. At the same time, who could deny the most decorated tag team in professional wrestling their shot at the titles? The Dudleys go into this match as clear favorites, and if you don’t know why, we wrote a little primer for fans who might not remember them. However, New Day has a clear numerical advantage with the presence of Xavier Woods and his trombone at ringside, who seems a sure bet to be a factor in the outcome of this match. The time isn’t right yet for a Dudley title victory, anyway. After all, this isn’t even a Tables match, and you know the Dudley Boys work best when they can use wood. Look for The New Day to pull out some chicanery and hold onto the tag titles, at least for now.

http://www.wwe.com/shows/nightofchampions/2015/the-new-day-versus-the-dudley-boyz-27937355 Source: WWE.com

Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, and ??? vs The Wyatt Family

Just over a year ago, two-thirds of the participants in this match had a legitimate Match of the Year contender at Elimination Chamber 2014, so expectations could be high for this match. We’ve yet to see Braun Strowman compete in a match against legitimate competition, and we still don’t know who the sixth man in this match could be. With rumors flying, The Wyatt Family has been taking steps to actively discourage anyone from associating with Reigns and Ambrose, but the former Shield members swear that they have a partner who isn’t afraid to stand up to the new Face of Fear. Will it be someone from the existing roster of Superstars? An NXT graduate? Or will Reigns put out the call to his extended family and bring in someone…electrifying? We’re just saying, you might be sorry if you miss the reveal, which will not happen until the Pay Per View. It’s hard to pick a winner here, and by all rights, they should probably brawl into the crowd in a ridiculous no contest and have some sort of “No Holds Barred” match at the next Pay Per View, but if someone’s going to win here, it’s usually a safe bet to pick the team with the mystery partner.

http://www.wwe.com/shows/nightofchampions/2015/roman-reigns-dean-ambrose-wyatt-family-27893263 Source: WWE.com

Nikki Bella vs Charlotte – WWE Divas Title Match

On Raw, WWE made the silliest possible decision they could have, as Nikki Bella not only broke the record for longest-reigning Divas Champion, but did so by winning a match with one of the dumbest finishes possible. In case you missed it, an attempted Twin Magic switch by the Bellas accidentally led to Charlotte getting a pinfall and the title, only to have it overturned by Stephanie McMahon due to the wrong Bella getting pinned. A rematch just six days later at Night of Champions almost feels irrelevant, now that Charlotte has already failed at her stated goal of denying Nikki the record. If there was never any intention of letting Charlotte win on Raw, they should have never had that match in the first place. But here we are, with Charlotte seeking a victory that would probably seem much less special if it happens. The relatively good news is that there’s a good chance that, rather than giving Charlotte a now-meaningless win, a jealous Paige (who once again lost to Sasha Banks on Raw) might cost Charlotte the victory, signalling the end of at least one of the Diva teams and a chance for more interesting story lines to go along with the incredible wrestling talent now on the main roster.

http://www.wwe.com/shows/nightofchampions/2015/nikki-bella-charlotte-27892647 Source: WWE.com

Seth Rollins vs Sting – WWE World Heavyweight Title Match

The major issue with Sting challenging for the biggest prize in the industry is that all complimentary statements about Sting must end with the phrase “for a 56-year-old guy”. Certainly, face paint and t-shirts can hide a lot of things, but Sting’s advanced age, combined with the limited dates on his contract, make a WWE World Heavyweight title reign one of the more unlikely outcomes of this match. Rollins being worn out from an earlier match with Cena will help make it look more credible that Sting can go toe-to-toe with one of the most talented young wrestlers of this generation, but in the end, there’s almost no way Rollins doesn’t walk out of this match with the title still in his possession. Whether he makes it out of the Pay Per View as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, given that Sheamus is waiting in the wings for any opportunity to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase, is another story all together.

http://www.wwe.com/shows/nightofchampions/2015/seth-rollins-sting-27860041 Source: WWE.com