WWE.com and Pat McAfee Show contributor Mark Kaboly gives his predictions for WWE Night of Champions, streaming live on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT on the ESPN App with an ESPN Unlimited plan in the United States and on Netflix internationally.
Undisputed WWE Championship Triple Threat Match
Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Gunther vs. Sami Zayn
If Cody Rhodes has been the face of the WWE for more than two years, Gunther hasn’t been far behind. The American Nightmare has held the Undisputed WWE Championship for 651 of the last 811 days, while Gunther’s immediate rise to the top has had him holding the Intercontinental or World Heavyweight Championship for nearly 1,000 days over the past four years. So, it’s fitting that the two finally cross paths after Gunther’s recent jump to SmackDown. What is surprising is that all of a sudden, unstable Sami Zayn, a guy who has never won a World Championship – inserted himself into the rivalry based on jealousy of his once good friend Rhodes. On the surface, Zayn doesn’t seem to be in the same class as Rhodes and Gunther and has to be looked at as a long shot of coming out of WWE Night of Champions with the upset. But you cannot underestimate Zayn, especially given his uneven behavior. Zayn will be a significant part of the outcome of this match, but it won’t benefit him. Zayn can’t have the title heading into SummerSlam, Gunther can’t lose to Cody, and Cody can’t head into the year’s second biggest PLE without the Undisputed WWE Championship.
Prediction: Cody Rhodes def. Sami Zayn and Gunther
King of the Ring Tournament Final
Oba Femi vs. Jey Uso
Dismissive. That’s the word that came to mind when Jey Uso interrupted Oba Femi during Raw on Monday. It’s obvious that Oba doesn’t view Jey as a threat despite him rolling to the final with a win over a bracket of Finn Bálor, LA Knight and Royce Keys in the first round before disposing of Je’Von Evans in the semifinals. Oba should have no problem running through Uce, considering his meteoric rise since joining the roster (except for a bad night against Brock Lesnar), but I wouldn’t rubber-stamp that quite yet. Oba’s main goal is not Jey Uso. It’s Roman Reigns, and he made that known on Raw. Jey Uso wants Cody at SummerSlam. Don’t overthink this. Yes, on paper Oba should have no problems with Jey Uso, but even though we don’t normally see shenanigans at a PLE, this one should have your radar locked in. Will Lesnar interfere with Oba Femi, leading to a SummerSlam main event? Will The Bloodline force a Femi loss that then leads to a SummerSlam main event with Roman Reigns? Either way, the deck might be stacked against Oba Femi.
Prediction: Jey Uso def. Oba Femi
Queen of the Ring Tournament Final
Liv Morgan (c) vs. IYO SKY
Liv Morgan having the opportunity to win the WWE Women’s Championship makes the Queen of the Ring Final intriguing. Morgan is one of the top women in the company, so you can understand why she wanted to be in the tournament. However, IYO SKY missed out on her WrestleMania moment a few months back and has taken a back seat in terms of being a title contender. It makes too much sense for SKY to win and face BFF and WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley at SummerSlam.
Prediction: IYO SKY defeats Liv Morgan
Steel Cage Match
Seth Rollins vs. Bron Breakker
Seth Rollins has one goal: to destroy what he created in The Vision. And to do that, he has to take out one of the most athletic and dynamic athletes on the roster, Bron Breakker, inside a Steel Cage. The stipulation is intriguing because it screams more than just a clean win by one or the other. The question is, who has more enemies? Who has more to gain from causing somebody to lose? Bronson Reed has been gone for some time, and being able to take out Breakker and take the point of The Vision solves everything.
Prediction: Seth Rollins def. Bron Breakker
United States Championship Match
Trick Williams (c) vs. Ricky Saints
Trick Williams has just scratched the surface of what he can do and will do in WWE. This feels more like the start of a showdown between the two rather than the conclusion, and for that to happen, Williams has to retain. Plus, Williams has lemon-peppered his way to championship status quite quickly, regardless of his somewhat boorish behavior with sidekick Lil Yachty. You can’t dismiss that there will be some wrongdoings by Williams, and especially by Lil Yachty, when they make the trip overseas.
Prediction: Trick Williams def. Ricky Saints
Women’s United States Championship Match
Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Jade Cargill
There is a history here that can’t be denied. Stratton defended her WWE Women’s Championship against Cargill at SummerSlam last year before Jade took the title from Tiffy Time. That was last year. That flame was reignited recently, with each costing the other their First-Round Match in the Queen of the Ring Tournament, so there’s plenty of bad blood.
Prediction: Tiffany Stratton def. Jade Cargill
