Detailed Results
Appropriately enough, Night of Champions kicks off with gold on the line as Kevin Owens would get his first shot at the Intercontinental Championship as “The Prizefighter” would challenge Ryback for the prestigious championship. Early on in the match, Kevin Owens would take Ryback to the ring apron, sending the Intercontinental Champion shoulder-first into the steel ring post as Owens sets his sights on neutralizing the power game of “The Big Guy”. Later on in the match, Ryback would go for Shell Shocked on Kevin Owens, but the injured shoulder would play a role and Owens would counter, sending the champion shoulder-first into the steel ring post again. Somehow, Ryback was able to muster the strength to lift Kevin Owens up for Shell Shocked again, but with the referee behind Ryback, Owens would take advantage, raking the eyes of “The Big Guy” to get out of Shell Shocked and rolling up Ryback, scoring the three-count to become the new Intercontinental Champion, earning his first championship on the main roster!
In a rivalry straight out of a daytime soap opera, the love rectangle between Dolph Ziggler, Lana, Rusev, & Summer Rae would culminate in a one-on-one match at Night of Champions as “The Show Off” and Lana’s boyfriend Dolph Ziggler would face “The Bulgarian Brute” Rusev, with his girlfriend Summer Rae in his corner with Summer wearing the earrings that Dolph Ziggler gifted her on SmackDown. During a grueling match, Rusev would blast Dolph Ziggler with a big kick, but when Dolph kicks out, Rusev throws a fit in the ring and the wasted time by Rusev would allow Dolph to take advantage, scoring with a big super kick. Shortly after this, Summer Rae would get on the ring apron and would inadvertently fall into the ring in an attempt to distract the referee. This would lead to the referee ejecting Summer Rae from ringside and, much like her boyfriend, Summer would throw a fit on the apron, throwing her shoes with one of the shoes inadvertently striking Rusev and Dolph would take advantage, hitting the Zig Zag and pinning Rusev as a shocked Summer looks on. After the match, Rusev storms to the back without Summer Rae and Dolph kisses the hand of Summer before heading to the back as well.
Then it was time for a historic championship match as, for the first time in a decade, The Dudley Boyz would challenge for the WWE Tag Team Titles as the most decorated tag team in WWE history would challenge The New Day’s Big E & Kofi Kingston, with Xavier Woods in their corner, for the WWE Tag Team Titles. During the match, The Dudley Boyz would hit the 3-D on Kofi Kingston, all but ensuring the victory, but that is when Xavier Woods would attack Bubba Ray as the match ends by disqualification, keeping the WWE Tag Team Titles with The New Day. After the match, The New Day would make sure to keep The Dudley Boyz down before bringing a table of their own into the ring, setting up the table, but as a clueless Xavier Woods plays to the crowd, The Dudley Boyz send Big E & Kofi Kingston out of the ring and, when Xavier turns around, he is met with a 3-D right through the table courtesy of The Dudley Boyz!
After interference from Team Bella cost Charlotte the biggest moment of her career on RAW, the rematch would take place at Night of Champions as PCB’s Charlotte, with Paige & Becky Lynch in her corner, would challenge the longest reigning Divas Champion of all-time, Nikki Bella, with Team Bella members Brie Bella & Alicia Fox in her corner, and, this time, if Nikki Bella is disqualified or counted out, she will lose the Divas Championship! Early on in the match, Charlotte would tweak her left knee and, for the majority of the match, Nikki Bella would target the injury. However, Charlotte would somehow manage to overcome the pain, catching Nikki with a Spear before locking in the Figure-Eight on Nikki Bella, making Nikki tap out to end Nikki’s historic title reign at 301 days as Charlotte becomes the new Divas Champion! After the match, the new Divas Champion would be joined in the ring by her PCB teammates Paige & Becky Lynch, as well as Charlotte’s Hall of Famer father Ric Flair as father and daughter share an emotional moment in the ring.
With their partner still a mystery to the world, Dean Ambrose & Roman Reigns would go to war against The Wyatt Family in a 6-Man Tag Match as Ambrose, Reigns, and a partner of their choosing would try to topple Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper, and the dominant mastodon known as Braun Strowman. Ambrose & Reigns’ mystery partner was then revealed to be a former rival of Bray Wyatt as none other than six-time former World Champion “Y2J” Chris Jericho joins forces with Ambrose & Reigns to combat The Wyatt Family! During the match, it would take two Superman Punches from Roman Reigns and a clothesline from Dean Ambrose to take Braun Strowman off of his feet. Roman then takes Strowman down with the Spear before Chris Jericho tags himself into the match, failing to put Strowman away with the Lionsault before the freakish Strowman would actually battle back! Strowman would hit a huge slam on Jericho before lifting Jericho up in his modified Triangle Choke and, while the veteran tried his best to stay in the match, even the former World Champion was no match for the strength of Strowman as Strowman chokes Jericho out, earning the win for The Wyatt Family. After the match, Dean Ambrose & Roman Reigns would try to console Chris Jericho following the loss, but Jericho did not want the pity of Ambrose & Reigns as “Y2J” shoves his way past Ambrose on his way out of the ring as Jericho walks to the back.
In his first of two back-to-back title defenses, it was time for the United States Championship to be defended as, after interference from Jon Stewart allowed Seth Rollins to become the first Superstar in history to hold the WWE World Heavyweight and the United States Championship at the same time at SummerSlam, Night of Champions would feature the rematch as John Cena would look to right a wrong as Cena challenges Seth Rollins for the United States Championship. At the end of a grueling back-and-forth match, it was John Cena hitting the leg drop off of the top rope and following it up with the Attitude Adjustment, pinning Seth Rollins to pick up the win and win the United States Title for the fifth time in his career! After the match, Seth Rollins would grab his WWE World Heavyweight Title belt with the intent of walking out on his second scheduled title defense of the night, but John Cena was having none of it as the new United States Champion would stop Rollins in the entranceway and, after Rollins tries to shove his way past Cena, Cena responds with the Attitude Adjustment to Rollins on the arena floor! Cena then rolls Rollins back into the ring, handing the WWE World Heavyweight Title belt to the referee before walking to the back.
With Seth Rollins struggling to even get to his feet, it was then time for the main event as “The Icon” Sting would make his entrance as, for the first time in his legendary career, Sting would challenge the weakened Seth Rollins for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. As soon as the match begins, Sting hits the Stinger Splash on Seth Rollins, following it up by locking Rollins in the Scorpion Deathlock, but Rollins is quick to get to the ropes to break the hold. Later on in the match, Rollins would try to get himself disqualified by using a monitor on the outside, but Sting would keep Rollins from escaping that easily. Rollins then tries to escape through the crowd, but Sting catches the champion as both men battle on top of the announce table before Rollins shoves Sting off of the table and “The Icon” goes crashing through the Spanish announce table! Rollins then starts to take his title belt and walk out on the match, but the champion decides to deliver more punishment to Sting as Rollins slams Sting on the remains of the Spanish announce table before bringing “The Icon” back into the ring. Later on in the grueling match, Seth Rollins would score with his turnbuckle powerbomb to Sting in the corner, but that is when the problems would begin for “The Icon” as it was evident that something was wrong with the legend once the referee calls for WWE’s ringside physician. With the referee keeping Seth Rollins back, the doctor would check on “The Icon” and, at Sting’s insistence, the doctor decides that Sting is well enough to continue the match as the doctor exits the ring, allowing the match to resume.
As soon as he is permitted to continue the match, Sting would lock in the Scorpion Deathlock on Rollins, but the champion was able to make it to the ropes again. Rollins then goes for the Pedigree, but Sting is able to counter into the Scorpion Deathlock again. This time, Rollins was able to counter the Scorpion Deathlock into a roll-up, keeping “The Icon” down for the three-count to successfully retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Rollins’ celebration was short-lived, however, as “Mr. Money-in-the-Bank” Sheamus comes out, ordering a referee to follow him to the ring as Sheamus ducks a shot with the title belt from Seth Rollins, blasting the champion with the Brogue Kick! Sheamus then grabs the Money-in-the-Bank briefcase, all but ready to cash in and win the title when flames unexpectedly erupt from the stage, marking the return of “The Devil’s Favorite Demon” Kane! No longer sporting a suit and tie, “The Big Red Machine” makes his way to the ring with his mask back on his face as Sheamus exits the ring. Kane then sets his sights on the man he once sought to protect as a member of The Authority as “The Devil’s Favorite Demon” remembers how he was treated by the WWE World Heavyweight Champion as Kane picks Seth Rollins up and drives the champion down with a chokeslam! This brings Sheamus back into the ring with his briefcase as Sheamus orders Kane to chokeslam Rollins a second time, but Kane instead grabs Sheamus by the throat, dropping “Mr. Money-in-the-Bank” with a chokeslam! Kane then puts the finishing touches on the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, spiking Seth Rollins with the Tombstone Piledriver in the middle of the ring! Kane then stands over the fallen champion, having returned to his demonic roots and exacted some revenge on Seth Rollins.
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