WWE will present Night of Champions this Saturday on Peacock and Netflix from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with a 1:00 PM Eastern start time for the PPV. Here is our take on what will happen on Saturday.
WWE Undisputed Championship Match: John Cena vs. CM Punk
Dave: While every part of my being would love to see John Cena lose the title and go away, I don't see it happening. I think SummerSlam will be the venue for that (at least I hope so). Cena will do something nefarious and leave with the Title, setting me up for more promos that make me want to stop watching wrestling, Jack.
Mike: Cena's run has not been fun but I'm hoping we'll see a spark of the old Punk vs. Cena in-ring chemistry. I don't see a title change here.
Richard: I hope they build off the promo from last week where Cena showed emotion and a pulse (and a good memory of the Pipe Bomb) leading into Saturday night. Am I excited for this match? Not really because of the matches that John Cena has had since Wrestlemania, whether they involved third party interference of John kicking someone in the groin or hitting them with a title belt. Will we see a new champion? I think there might be a better chance of a cash in than a Punk victory. If Punk wins the title, I think it happens at a higher profile show. Maybe we get a DQ so Cena has to defend twice at SummerSlam?
King of the Ring Finals: Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes
Dave: The only good end for Cena's run with the Title is for Cody to avenge his loss. With that in mind, he needs to go over here. I hope that they resist the urge to have Randy turn heel. He has been great in his current character and I want him to stay a face.
Mike: This should be a lot of fun, but Cody challenging Cena makes a lot more sense than Orton vs. Cena again.
Richard: Whoever wins this match faces the winner of Cena and Punk (unless they realize that the brand specific argument doesn't really work when a Raw wrestler is facing a Smackdown wrestler for the Smackdown title on this show). Of the options from the final four, I think this is the best match they could have done. With their history, they can tell a story of Cody trying to show the teacher that the student has passed him. While it would be nice to see a different challenger for the title at SummerSlam if it is Cena, it should be a good match in New Jersey either way. I think Cody should win, but Orton's drive for 1-5 might be enough to get him the victory.
Queen of the Ring Finals: Asuka vs. Jade Cargill
Dave: This one can legitimately go either way. As Rich says below, there are cool matchups for both women. I will flip a coin and go with Jade winning, but I am not super confident.
Mike: My feeling is this is where Jade gets a major win, so we can set up Jade challenging at Summerslam with Naomi running interference.
Richard: If Asuka wins, she faces Iyo Sky at SummerSlam and if Jade wins, she faces Tiffany Stratton (unless Nia wins the Last Woman Standing Match on Friday). I think the better SummerSlam match is for the Raw title, but if they want to get cute, they can add Naomi into the mix since she still has issues with Jade (and then they can ignore the 'When in Doubt . . . Triple Threat it Out' and go straight to a Four Way and add Nia [or Tiffany if Nia wins Friday night]). I will be interested to see how Jade does in a longer-ish match against someone like Asuka. If Jade is going to win the match, I hope she has her best match in WWE because if she gets more of a 'banana peel' victory, it doesn't help this division one bit. Right now, I say it is 53% Jade winning, but we are waiting for some precincts to submit their picks.
Men's United States Championship Match: Jacob Fatu versus Solo Sikoa
Dave: Jacob is a monster and it's way too soon to even think about having him lose the Title. He has to leave with it. But Solo also needs a strong showing here since he hasn't been booked strongly for a while now. They should have these guys tear down the house Solo can attack after the match.
Mike: This is the biggest moment for Solo in some time, but I don't see a title change here unless this is going to be where they debut Hikuleo and have him assist Solo.
Richard: I will speak for Bob as well, but WE LOVE JACOB FATU and I hope this is a showcase for him where he dominates Solo. However, we know that will not happen. I expect Mateo to get involved in this match in some way. Since he is not in a match on the show, what if they do have someone to have Jacob's back and it is Jey? This way the building can 'YEET'. Fatu needs to win and Solo can go back to his House of Torture Cosplaying.
Rhea Ripley vs. Raquel Rodriguez in a Street Fight
Dave: This should be a lot of fun as the two have had good bouts in the past. Rhea needs to go over here, obviously.
Mike: I am with Dave. My feeling is that Rhea gets the big win after a power move and some tables get smashed.
Richard: I was surprised that this match was added to the PPV and I expected it to be on Raw instead. This is a great chance for Raquel to elevate herself while Liv is out with her injury and be a more dominant force in Judgment Day. I don't think they need to have Roxanne get involved in the match, but her presence at ringside could boost the idea of Perez and Rodriguez defending the titles and then expanding the feud once Rhea finds a partner. I think Raquel should win this one since a loss doesn't hurt Rhea at all.
Sami Zayn vs. Karrion Kross
Dave: Sami needed to be on the show and also will win this one, as he should.
Mike: This should be a really interesting moment for Karrion Kross. As we discussed on WDNNSNS this week, the expectation is that Kross' deal is up in August, so he needs a big moment. This could be it. Whether he puts over Kross or wins, it needs to be a big match for Kross. If it's me, I'd have him go over so Sami has someone to chase, but we'll see.
Richard: They found a way to get Sami on a PPV in Saudi Arabia and they found a way to get Karrion Kross into the actual arena seating area for a match. They have been trying to have Kross get into people's heads but it hasn't really worked. Will this be the time that he succeeds? I don't see Sami losing in this venue, but you never know.
If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!