411’s WWE Night of Champions 2015 Preview

Introduction

This year’s WWE Night of Champions, features Seth Rollins in two big title matches, as he defends the United States Championship against John Cena and the WWE World Championship against Sting. In other action, we could see the beginning of the “Divas Revolution” if Charlotte were to beat Nikki Bella for the WWE Divas Championship. Could the Dudley Boyz get yet another WWE Tag Team Title reign by defeating New Day? There’s certainly a lot of intrigue for this show, which will air live at 8ET/5P on PPV and the WWE Network. I don’t think you need to read some long spiel from me this month. Let’s go ahead and find out what the 411 staff think could happen on the show instead.

The Staff

Mike Hammerlock, Wrestling Zone 8-Ball

Kevin Pantoja, WWE NXT Reporter, Wrestling Video Reviewer

Michael Weyer, Shining a Spotlight

Mike Chin, The Magnificent Seven

Chris Lemchi, Wrestling 2 the MAX Podcast

Paul Leazar, Wrestling 2 the MAX Podcast “Sometimes fourth co-host”

Gary Vaughan, Wrestling 2 the MAX Podcast

Sean Garmer, Wrestling 2 the MAX Podcast, WWE PPV Roundtable Organizer, Games Top 5 Organizer, Host of Co-operative Multiplayer Live Podcast, Quizmaster on Four Player Co-op

Cosmic Wasteland vs. Neville & Lucha Dragons
Pre-Show Kickoff Six Man Tag Team Match

Mike Hammerlock: Neville is becoming Mr. Pre-Show. Makes for a watchable kickoff match, but it’s waste of his talent. He could be adding some wow factor to the main card. Speaking of wasted talent, Stardust continues to scuffle along. Forming a group called the Cosmic Wasteland with the Ascension is kind of ironic in that none of them are headed anywhere. For the record, they fought this exact same match on a recent edition of Superstars. The faces won and I’m not sure why we’re supposed to care that they’re still fighting. Despite having more air time than all other wrestling promotions combined, the WWE remains unable to build a lower card feud. Anyway, this match ends with a Red Arrow.

Winner: Lucha Dragons and Neville

Kevin Pantoja: Remember when Neville was one of the coolest things going in wrestling during his excellent NXT Title run last year? He could still be that but main roster creative has decided that he is the new Evan Bourne. The guy with the really cool high flying finisher and NOTHING more. He and Stardust are two of my favorite performers but, outside of the Stephen Amell appearance last month, they’ve been pre-show mainstays. I love the idea of the Cosmic Wasteland as super villain Stardust could use some henchmen and it gives the Ascension something to do. I really want them to win here, but I’ve picked a fair amount of heels and don’t think there are major plans for the Cosmic Wasteland.

Winner: Lucha Dragons and Neville

Michael Weyer: Poor Neville, stuck in pre-card limbo. A shame as it looks like a fun fast paced match but won’t have the time to really get going, too bad as all these guys deserve a lot more so I’ll give it to the Lucha guys but geez, what a waste of good workers here.

Winners: Lucha Dragons and Neville.

Mike Chin: This one could go either way, but if the Cosmic Wasteland stable is to have any legs, then they have more to gain from picking up the fall here to get some momentum going.

Winner: Stardust and The Ascension

Paul Leazar: I really like all of these guys, but the WWE has given us no real reason to make us think The Cosmic Wasteland are any threat whatsoever to anybody. A week after forming, the WWE fed the Ascension to Ambrose & Reigns. So why should I think they stand any chance against these guys? Neville pins somebody from The Ascension, and we keep chugging along with this.

Winner: Lucha Dragons and Neville

Chris Lemchi: Guess since King Barrett is off doing a movie, looks like someone else has to take his normal pre show match spot. Not much to say about this one. I’m guessing since Stardust and the Ascension look like they are going to be a permanent pairing, they should win here. Hopefully after this, they can finally give Neville something substantial to do.

Winner: Cosmic Wasteland

Gary Vaughan: This match should be a fun one to watch. I’m intrigued by Cosmic Wasteland and how they will do as a group. In the end though, Neville will pin Stardust after a fly around the ring type of match.

Winner: Neville & Lucha Dragons

Sean Garmer: You really wouldn’t even know that this has been a thing if you don’t watch SmackDown, because until this week I really don’t remember seeing much of this contingent on RAW. Neville works right now as a pre-show match guy because he’s guaranteed to get you excited about what he does in the ring. Put that together with the also exciting Lucha Dragons and that’s a match made to get people pumped for the rest of the card. The match I’m sure will be fine, but the faces should probably win here.

Winner: Neville & Lucha Dragons (After Red Arrow)

Dolph Ziggler vs. Rusev w/ Summer Rae
Singles Match

Mike Hammerlock: I really like both these guys, but I hate this feud. It’s a heatless love rectangle. And why is Lana in denim? Instead of becoming a doe-eyed ingenue she’d have been so much better as a tigress off the leash. Summer Rae does her mean girl thing, but it doesn’t really fit here. She hasn’t stirred things up in any interesting way and I doubt the good folks in Creative could provide a coherent explanation of her motivations. On the upside, there is some real tension once you go beyond the kayfabe. Whoever loses this feud is in trouble. This is a one-way trip the undercard. Ziggler has been here many times in the past and persevered. That’s a big part of why he’s so over with WWE crowds. They appreciate that he’s been forced to swim through an ocean of feces. Meanwhile Rusev looks like he’s on a Kozlovian decline. No longer invincible, his job at the moment would seem to be giving a push to mid-card faces. Rusev will hit Dolph with his full arsenal, Dolph will dig deep for the win.

Winner: Dolph Ziggler

Kevin Pantoja: Can someone please explain to me how Rusev is the heel in this feud? He’s come off as the more sympathetic character while Dolph Ziggler has been a total tool. Regardless, he has been booked as the face and I have to think he should win out soon but I’m not going to pick that. Rusev has still only been pinned by two people, John Cena and Cesaro. Not only that, but, while he’s no longer dominant after the horrible Cena feud, Rusev has never been more entertaining. Along with Sasha Banks, New Day and Seth Rollins, there is nobody I look forward to seeing more each week than Rusev. He’s been the only redeeming thing about this rivalry and he should win here.

Winner: Rusev

Michael Weyer: I’m losing interest in this feud despite the talent of both guys. The characters make little sense, Rusev is coming off more likeable, Lana is being wasted, it just doesn’t seem to go anywhere. It’s a good match and they can work it well but it really doesn’t promise anything special so I hope for a Rusev win to put this to bed and get both guys moving on to end this damn thing already.

Winner: Rusev

Mike Chin: A part of me wants to cheer for two solid upper mid-card talents getting a prolonged program with one another, and having more, creatively, at issue than simply trading wins and losses. That said, this Summer Rae/Lana nonsense has been a far cry from inspired, and I’m worried that at least one of these guys is going to leave this program damaged. Here’s hoping the victor gets a push and moves on to a better story.

Winner: Dolph Ziggler

Paul Leazar: Both of these guys are quality workers, and put on a good match outside of the finish at Summerslam. I think we can get something really good here to, with Dolph getting the victory here after some sort of shenanigans with ladies, and then we can hopefully put this feud to bed. It’s had the time to be something, and a whole lot has been working against it. Move the guys on to something else already!

Winner: Dolph Ziggler

Chris Lemchi: This feud feels like it’s been going on for about an eternity. It’s a safe bet we were going to get the Mixed Tag here until Lana’s wrist injury happened, so we’re getting another singles between the two. The story for this feud has been ridiculous and all over the place. Remember last year when Rusev was a monster heel? Remember all the momentum Dolph had after Survivor Series?? Both gone and wasted in this feud. Even worse, neither man has any chemistry with the girl they are paired with. Honestly they never should have split Lana and Rusev up in the first place. That being said, what should happen here is Ziggler should win, and they do a double turn having Summer & Dolph as a heel pair. Then they put Lana and Rusev back together similar to Macho and Liz

Winner: Ziggler

Gary Vaughan: Is anyone else finding themselves bored with this feud? Nonetheless, I think Ziggler will win this match. I will go as far to say Summer Rae will aid Ziggler in his victory and this will begin the double turn for both these guys.

Winner: Dolph Ziggler

Sean Garmer: I know everyone is going to say this feels like it has gone on forever, but it isn’t WWE’s fault that Lana got injured and now Summer Rae has had to carry the female part of the feud on her own. Yeah some of this stuff hasn’t been the greatest, but I give WWE credit for not just abandoning this and continuing on and trying to make it work. We should get more prolonged feuds like this, not everything has to have three PPV matches or less and then be done. Rusev has actually been able to evolve his character throughout this and comes off as a likeable person. If the rumors are correct and they want to turn him face, WWE have done a good job of subtly pointing him in that direction. I don’t really know that it matters who wins this match really.

Winner: Dolph Ziggler (Via Zig Zag after an inadvertent Summer Rae distraction)

Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns & TBA vs. Wyatt Family
Six Man Tag Team Match

Mike Hammerlock: One of the big enticements for this event is who the mystery guest is going to be. We don’t know and maybe it will be someone cool. A week ago we were hearing Baron Corbin. That seems not so likely at the moment. Currently Chris Jericho (hooray) and Kane (boo) are churning in the rumor mill. I hope it’s not Kane if for no other reason than Glenn Jacobs deserves better. He’s been a loyal soldier and it would be a shame to have his surprise inclusion in a big match greeted with a mixture of apathy and disapproval. The outcome of the match likely revolves around the mystery wrestler. If it’s someone major (e.g. a stunning return for Daniel Bryan, which I sincerely doubt is in the cards), then Luke Harper is eating the pin in this match. If it’s someone versed in fighting and losing, like Jericho or Cesaro, then Braun Strowman probably squeezes his way to victory. I’m guessing the mystery guest only gets Ambrose and Reigns to competitive, not quite to victorious. Strowman needs to deliver in his first big match.

Winner: The Wyatt Family

Kevin Pantoja: The Shield vs. The Wyatt Family was really cool. This diet, watered down version of the feud…not so much. The outcome of the match would seemingly come down to who the mystery partner is. If it’s someone disappointing, which I think it will be, the Wyatts win. If it’s a big deal, the faces win. Since I believe it will be someone we don’t really care for, I pick the Wyatts to win. They came out of Battleground looking good, while the faces went over at SummerSlam. I’m going to go with the Wyatt Family here, via Braun Strowman looking like a beast, before things finally end at Hell in a Cell with the faces going over there.

Winner: The Wyatt Family

Michael Weyer: It’s up in the air who the mystery partner is but I lean to the old standard of wrestling: The mystery partner team always wins and even against a newly strong Wyatt group, I see that continuing as the new Shield get the win here and hopefully pay off with the partner to make it matter.

Winners: Reigns, Ambrose and TBD

Mike Chin: This is, in many ways, the most interesting match on the card. The outcome is going to depend in large part on who the mystery partner turns out to be. If the Baron Corbin rumors prove true, there’s a goodly chance that this match will mark his explosive debut and the faces pick up the duke. If the other leading candidate, Erick Rowan, gets the nod, then I’d argue he’s about equally likely to eat the pin as he is to turn on Ambrose and Reigns and rejoin the Wyatts–in either case giving his old running buddies the win. And then there’s the intrigue that this could be another NXT star graduating to the main roster, or perhaps a returning star.

Ultimately, I’m going to assume WWE will continue to lean into the Braun Stowman push and that, one way or another, The Wyatts get the win.

Winner: The Wyatt Family

Paul Leazar: Jesus, The Wyatt Family needs this win… badly. If the WWE has them take the loss here, what’s the whole point of getting these guys back together? If you wanna turn Dean or Reigns heel, fine. But please WWE, do right by The Wyatt Family for once here. They really, really need this. As for who the mystery guy is, I’m really wanting it to be anybody but Baron Corbin. He’s not at all ready for the main roster. I’m actually fine with them using Jimmy Uso here. He’s got experience with The Wyatt’s, and the family thing is useful if the rumors about a Reigns heel turn are true.

Winner: The Wyatt Family

Chris Lemchi: Lot of rumors floating around about who’s going to be the third man on Team Shield. I’ve seen reports of Kane, Jericho, Baron Corbin, and even Savio Vega! Kidding on that last one. In all seriousness, ideally with how they built up the intrigue of who’s going to be the mystery man, it should be someone who’d get a big reaction. A guy like Kane would be met with apathy, and debuting Corbin like this would be a gamble. Plus it doesn’t fit with his lone wolf gimmick in NXT. My pick for the third man is a former world champion, technically a former Wyatt Family member, and someone who’s doctor have cleared him for a while. That man is none other than Daniel Bryan. As for the winner of the match, despite picking the returning Bryan, I have the Wyatt Family going over here. Reigns and Ambrose went over Wyatt and Harper at SummerSlam, and I see this feud ending at(and possibly in) Hell in a Cell, so the Wyatt win here to set up the blowoff at the next show

Winner: Wyatt Family

Gary Vaughan: Who is the mystery man helping Ambrose and Reigns? I will say RVD returns to help defeat the Wyatts in a very stiff match. I look for Braun Strowman to once again be the deciding factor, leading the Wyatts to victory. Plus, I think the Wyatts really need this win.

Winner: Wyatt Family

Sean Garmer: If WWE doesn’t go with the heel turn for Reigns here, I actually think Kane makes a lot of sense here. Before Kane was taken out, Ambrose would rail on Kane about how he had lost his essence and become The Authority’s lapdog. Where’s the Demon that would wreck the place wondered Ambrose? Ambrose could recruit Demon Kane to return, who he himself has previous history with the Wyatts and could match Strowman in a strength situation. Paul’s right, if they are going to do the Reigns heel turn, then Jimmy Uso being clobbered by blood makes a lot of sense. Though, the first feud will be against Ambrose and not Jimmy Uso, so the Uso would kinda be an extra piece here that won’t matter in the end. I think that heel turn stuff is just rumors. This match should be good and hopefully they just brawl in places. Wyatt Family need to win or this feud means absolutely nothing.

Winner: Wyatt Family (Via Sister Abigail to Ambrose)

(Champion) Seth Rollins vs. John Cena
United States Championship Match

Mike Hammerlock: The challenge for these two will be to give us something different from and at least as good as their multiple previous encounters. This will be their 10th singles meeting, though they’ve fought each on the non-televised house circuit 47 times during the last year, with Cena winning every single match. In the televised matches Cena holds a less lopsided 6-3 edge. At this point Seth probably lights a match just before Cena farts. Rollins was spectacular at SummerSlam. His level that night was elite. Cena did all sorts of good stuff and Rollins made it seem ordinary. This will be another quality match. Could even be an epic. It should be the curtain jerker given that Rollins works again in the finale. As cool as it would be, I doubt Rollins gets the Daniel Bryan WrestleMania XXX treatment. I suspect he loses here and Cena goes back to holding open challenges.

Winner: John Cena

Kevin Pantoja: Similar to their match at SummerSlam, I can’t really get excited for this. They’ve faced off far too many times for me to care. Despite that, I do think their SummerSlam match was their best outing, mainly because of Seth Rollins. John Cena has been great at times in 2015, but Seth was on a different level on that night. I don’t expect them to match that here, since Seth has to save some energy for the main event. I sense they open things, which would be an interesting place to find Cena. I said it during the Rusev feud and again during the Owens feud, but I’m going to keep picking John Cena to win on these PPVs until he losing a program. It hasn’t failed me yet.

Winner: John Cena

Michael Weyer: It should be a good battle as they can work it pretty damn well but come on, the pick is so obvious. I’m not thrilled either but Cena does still have the fan heat and who knows, may be able to put someone else over as the US champ down the line so moving one belt off Rollins makes sense and it has to be this one.

Winner and NEW US Champion: John Cena

Mike Chin: The Cena win both allows the US Open Challenge to resume, and justifies WWE putting Cena in another world title match in the months ahead. I’m going to predict a marginal curveball in Rollins losing without putting up much of a fight, so he can save himself for his world title defense.

Winner: John Cena

Paul Leazar: I’m glad the WWE backed Seth to win both belts, truly I am, but there was still no reason to be in that situation to begin with in my opinion. So, why not hotshot back to Cena, and keep the open challenge going? Great way to keep people busy, and it makes RAW that much better with Cena doing this. Seth has bigger fish to fry, and it’s not with the US Title.

Winner and NEW WWE United States Champion: John Cena

Chris Lemchi: This will probably be the longest match of the night to cause more drama for the main event. I can’t see them giving Cena the belt back, especially just only a month after losing it. This match is really just the set up for the main event. Rollins and Cena have decent chemistry, so it should be a good match. Rollins retain due to some shenanigans and they continue the story of “Will Seth make it out with both belts” for the main event.

Winner: Seth Rollins

Gary Vaughan: Rollins and Cena should put on a great match. To set in motion a long night for Seth, I think Cena will get the upper hand and win back the US title. This will cause Rollins grief early in the night, while setting the stage for a Sting victory in the main event within the audience’s minds.

Winner: John Cena

Sean Garmer: Who would have ever thought that there would be people clamoring for a title belt to go back to John Cena in 2015. The US Open Challenge was on some weeks, the best part of Monday Night RAW. With ratings going down and Monday Night Football just beginning, WWE is going to want something they can put on the show that will help boost that a bit. This will probably be closer to the beginning of the card and be long so as to build anticipation for the Sting match later on in the show.

Winner AND NEW WWE UNITED STATES CHAMPION: John Cena (Via Second AA)

(Champion) Ryback vs. Kevin Owens
Intercontinental Championship Match

Mike Hammerlock: We’re about to find out how good Kevin Owens is. If he can pull a really good match out of Ryback, then – win or lose – Owens is going to have disciples in every arena he goes. As for Ryback, his first title run has been a little flat, which is somewhat caused by bad timing. The WWE, U.S. and tag belts are all having strong runs. Ryback’s pedestrian reign as IC champ pales in comparison. He’s the 4th most exciting champ on the card. Got a feeling they’ll give him the win here to see if this can spark the crowd for Ryback. If not, this is surely round one of this fight and Owens can ascend at a later meeting. It is likely that Big Show and Miz get involved here, making for a muddled finish and setting up a four-way match at Hell in a Cell. Main thing is Ryback probably retains the belt.

Winner: Ryback

Kevin Pantoja: It’s cool that Seth Rollins holds both titles right now but Kevin Owens absolutely should be the US Champion right now. His match against Cesaro at SummerSlam could have actually meant something. Instead, he’s gone from must see TV to another guy that’s kind of just there. I don’t mind Ryback and I think he was a solid choice for IC Champion but between his injury and the awful program with Miz and Big Show, his reign has been incredibly forgettable. He absolutely should win the IC Title here to make up for not winning the US Title. Unfortunately, I don’t have faith in the WWE’s faith in Kevin Owens. I think Ryback retains here and if the match manages to exceed expectations, maybe Owens wins a rematch.

Winner: Ryback

Michael Weyer: Ryback’s reign has been a mess with injuries and just not winning anyone over. Owens is far more capable and needs a push again after the aborted US title run. I know some are lacking faith but I think WWE is smart enough to get Owens over here, a new powerful champion who’s more confident and lasting than Ryback to spark the IC belt up a bit more and hopefully reassert Owens’ standing in the company for the future.

Winner and NEW IC Champion: Kevin Owens

Mike Chin: In Kevin Owens, WWE has a rare commodity–a protected talent who, despite jobbing to John Cena, has gotten the best of everyone else. The Intercontinental Championship seems like a healthy, comfortable spot to slot Owens until he’s ready for another run closer to the top of the card.

Winner: Kevin Owens

Paul Leazar: I think there is a better story to be had here if KO wins the championship here. Ryback’s character is based on overcoming the odds, so have KO cheat to win the championship, and have Ryback chase for him a bit. It could make for some wonderful storytelling, and hopefully, do wonders for both guys in the meantime.

Winner and NEW WWE Intercontinental Champion: Kevin Owens

Chris Lemchi: From beating Cena to challenging and failing to win the US Title to now fighting Ryback for the IC title, Kevin Owens sure has had an interesting couple of months. Even though Ryback has had the belt since May, he hasn’t really done anything with it. I know he had that staph infection, but still this reign just feels empty. I’d love for Owens to win the belt and have a glorious run with it, but this feud is just really starting out, so my pick is Mr. Feed Me More, Ryback

Winner: Ryback

Gary Vaughan: Ryback has held the IC belt for a good bit now; which leads me to believe his title is in jeopardy. These two big men will have a solid battle. I expect Owens will win with his cheating ways, continuing the feud as the IC title changes hands.

Winner: Kevin Owens

Sean Garmer: RyBack’s injury did not help this title reign at all, then he was put into a stupid feud with Miz and Big Show. This made the title feel like it didn’t matter compared to how John Cena was booked with the US Title. I feel like the story is for RyBack to chase Owens. Owens is the perfect heel for RyBack and I hope we get to see more of these two. Owens should also be able to get something interesting out of RyBack as well. Welcome to your first Title as a member of the WWE main roster Mr. Owens. You deserve it.

Winner: Kevin Owens

(Champions) New Day vs. Dudley Boyz
WWE Tag Team Championship Match

Mike Hammerlock: I’ll be shocked if this isn’t match of the night. New Day is brilliant every time they’re on screen. Credit to the WWE for letting them be truly unique. They’re inventing an entirely new type of faction – smart, athletic, weird, nerdy, hip. The Dudleyz are the best kind of nostalgia act. Everybody’s thrilled to have them back in the WWE and they still have something to offer in the ring. Being a tag team really helps when it comes to aging gracefully. The crowd is going to be molten for this match, which is why the WWE is going to milk this rivalry. The X-factor is Xavier Woods and his outside-the-ring antics. He is the best agitator in the business. Don’t know if New Day will steal a victory here or retain via DQ, but there’s money in making Bubba Ray and D-Von wait.

Winner: New Day

Kevin Pantoja: There may not be a match that I’m more excited to see. The Dudley Boyz are the kind of veterans that I like to see return. They can still go and I don’t believe that they have problems putting anyone over. Also, I actually enjoy them unlike the New Age Outlaws and their return in 2014. Meanwhile, New Day has been the most enjoyable thing about the WWE in recent months, only getting more entertaining by the week. Every single time I think they can’t top themselves, they do and I love it. The Dudley Boyz just returned and New Day just won the straps so that means the WWE would probably pull the trigger here. I think that’s a bad call though as New Day should retain via shenanigans and make the Dudleys wait.

Winner: New Day

Michael Weyer: This is tricky. On the one hand, the Dudleys have been hot on their return, the fans going wild and the idea of them as the champs once more is really making sense. On the other hand, the New Day are just fun as hell and also nicely over, really getting going and having them drop the belts this soon doesn’t make sense. I see the Dudleys winning by DQ but New Day keeps the belts for a rematch and should be a good encounter nonetheless.

Winners: Dudley Boys by DQ, New Day retains

Mike Chin: In the long run, The New Day deserves a lengthy run atop the tag division. In the short term, I foresee WWE fully capitalizing on the Dudleys’ successful nostalgia run with one more championship reign.

Winner: The Dudley Boys

Paul Leazar: The Dudley Boys have been steamrolling the division, New Day are the best thing going in the WWE right now. As much as it pains me to say it, I think the Dudley Boys are going to keep the steamroll going. I don’t have a problem with it, in fact, I like the Dudley Boys a lot, but The New Day deserve the spotlight right now, and taking the belts off of them might hurt them a fair bit. We aren’t fair removed from The New Age Outlaws run with the titles, and I don’t think their run helped make The Uso’s look all that great when they lifted the titles off of them. Let’s hope the WWE can do right by that idea here with The Dudleys.

Winners and NEW WWE Tag Team Champions: The Dudley Boys

Chris Lemchi: Probably the match I’m looking forward to the most. I was happy to see the Dudleys return as while New Day has been a fun act, the tag division wasn’t really going anywhere. They’ve done a good job of reestablishing the Dudleys as a dominant force, and their segments with the New Day have been great. Seeing as the New Day just won the belts back at SummerSlam, I’d have them retain here. It would make more sense to have the Dudleys chase the titles longer than to win it on their first chance. Plus I could see them doing a six man tag down the road by adding Spike to the mix

Winner: New Day

Gary Vaughan: I’m excited to see what this match has to offer. These two tag teams will bring the heat, along with plenty of entertainment to go along with it. Expect the Dudleys to get several near falls, but the New Day will prevail.

Winner: New Day

Sean Garmer: This is a classic veteran tag team returning to take on the team that think they are the best thing ever, (although they are arguably the best thing WWE has right now on the whole roster.) You don’t start a campaign like “Save the Tables” and have it be a quick deal for the Dudleys. This is going to be one for the long haul, because it makes sense to have Dudleys chase for a while and secondly because these two are the best that the tag division has until The Usos are back at full strength. I see Xavier Woods making a difference in the victory for the champs.

Winner AND STILL CHAMPIONS: New Day (Via Xavier Woods interference and a Roll-up by Kofi)

Nikki Bella w/ Team Bella vs. Charlotte w/ Team PCB
WWE Divas Championship Match

Mike Hammerlock: Will Nikki Bella become the new Honky Tonk Man? That’s the question here. There’s very little doubt Charlotte should beat her. The Divas Revolution won’t really be all that revolutionary with as long as a shrill, B- ring performer holds the belt. She doesn’t have ring classic skills like Charlotte and Sasha Banks. Right now, NXT champ Bayley > WWE champ Nikki. Bailey and Sasha are going to headline the next NXT Takeover event. Think about that. The E won’t even let the divas close out an episode of Smackdown. The storyline with Divas Revolution really has been when do the Bellas get out of the way of the NXT-trained ladies who can turn it into an action division? This is the moment where the guard should change. Yet what if it doesn’t? We might be getting swerved here. To a degree, it would bring heat to the divas division. It also would bring some heat on John Cena, as the perception would be he’s pulling strings for his girlfriend. Nikki retaining would be the modern equivalent of HTM retaining over Randy Savage. Everything is set up for it go the other way. Nikki pulled the tricky heel escape on Monday, but they’ve presented Charlotte as the superior talent. We think we know how this ends. Yet what if it’s only the beginning?

Winner: Nikki Bella

Kevin Pantoja: Honestly, if the WWE wants to prove that Nikki didn’t just break the record for the sake of breaking it, she kind of needs to retain here. If she doesn’t, it just seems like she made it to 296 days just because. Their match on Raw was going pretty well until the awful finish. Without shenanigans, I truly think they could have a really good PPV match. That being said, I kind of see some more shenanigans. Nikki retaining and AGAIN depriving the fans of seeing a new champion could bring massive heat. They’ve done a ton wrong with the “Divas Revolution” but I think that bringing a lot of heat to the angle could help. Give me a reason to want Charlotte as champion. Granted, as a fan of NXT, I already want her to win, but for the casual person who didn’t see NXT, there is no reason to really cheer for Charlotte. They barely tell you to boo the Bellas, who work as faces half of the time, and all they tell us about Charlotte is that she’s Ric Flair’s daughter. I think Nikki retains and loses the title until about the one year mark.

Winner: Nikki Bella

Michael Weyer: I know most are picking Nikki so she’d break the record but I really think WWE is intent on pushing this “Divas Revolution” and that means Charlotte. It’d be a tricky thing but I do believe they can pull it off as the two will have a hard-fighting but good match up and we know how great Charlotte can be at them. In the end, I really do think she pulls it off and finally gets this Revolution going and we know Ric will be going wild in celebration for it.

Winner and NEW Divas Champion: Charlotte

Mike Chink: The Divas division is at a crossroads, and this match will come down to a choice of fully committing to the so-called Diva’s Revolution and moving toward more serious booking for the women, or more firmly relegating women’s wrestling to the lower card. I’m giving WWE the benefit of the doubt on this pick, particularly now that Nikki Bella has already supplanted AJ Lee in the record books..

Winner: Charlotte

Paul Leazar: I don’t think there is much point to moving the title over to Charlotte after RAW. If they were going to switch the title, they should have done it there. Wanting to mention AJ Lee or not, it would have made The Bella’s feud with Charlotte that much more intense, and maybe have generated some more interest in this rematch. Now it’s just sorta there. Sure, these girls still need to go out there and put on one heck of a performance, because we still need people to care about The Diva’s Revolution, but the reason it worked in NXT was because there was a story going around the big match that made people care. That is something that we are still waiting to transition over to the main roster, and something that we could be waiting for for a long time to come. Nikki retains, and we go back to spinning the wheels for the Diva’s Revolution.

Winner and STILL WWE Diva’s Champion: Nikki Bella

Chris Lemchi: After the fiasco of a finish on Raw, Charlotte gets another shot to end Nikki Bella’s now 300+ championship reign. They added the stip that if Nikki loses the match in any fashion, she will lose the belt. As much as I would like to see the belt off Nikki, I don’t think it’s going to happen here. If Charlotte was going to win the belt, she should have won it on Raw last week. Now the record is already broken, whatever heat this match had is greatly diminished. I could actually see Paige costing Charlotte the match, turning heel and ending Team PCB. As much as I like Charlotte, besides being the daughter of Ric Flair, there’s not much to her character, so winning the title this soon wouldn’t help her. Now if this was Sasha, who tapped out the champion(where’s her title shot??), it’d be a different story

Winner: Nikki Bella

Gary Vaughan: We can only hope this match will be as good as the women’s matches over in NXT. Don’t hold your breath for that or for this match to be very long. Nikki has already beaten AJ Lee’s title reighn ‘record, which leads me to believe Charlotte will win the Divas title. This should also finally kill the divas group format as well.

Winner: Charlotte

Sean Garmer: As the organizer, I get to read through the other panelists comments and see what they have to say before readers do. This is one of those matches that has a lot of different takes, which makes having a lot of staffers something interesting. I totally get everyone’s idea that it would make Nikki look worse if she just lost the belt here. However, Charlotte winning and truly starting the “Divas Revolution” would help energize this thing. I do like Mike Hammerlock’s idea the best because WWE got a lot of the internet hot and bothered on Monday night when Charlotte didn’t win there. Imagine the uproar that will happen if she gets screwed over again? Yeah, so many will be claiming the “Divas Revolution put out by the John Cena of the Divas division.” I think there’s also a lot of intrigue in Charlotte winning in a fair match and knowing that Nikki doesn’t have the champions advantage. I’m going to say that in a “Flair for the Gold” situation, Charlotte gets the belt. Let’s not act like WWE cares about if Nikki’s reign goes much longer after AJ’s record.

Winner AND NEW WWE DIVAS CHAMPION: Charlotte (After making Nikki Tap Out to the Figure Eight

(Champion) Seth Rollins vs. Sting
WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match

Mike Hammerlock: Lots of tension in this match. What’s worse, Sting starting his WWE singles career 0-2 or putting the WWE title on a 57 year-old man? Do you use a big victory over Sting to elevate Rollins to the next level or do you preserve Sting’s icon status so that you can milk it? If Cena beats a fresh Rollins early in the night, what does it say if Sting can’t beat a battered Rollins later in the night? Does Sheamus attempt a cash-in? He probably does, but I’m guessing that gets derailed. Seems odd to me that they’d have Rollins lose his belt here. They could, but the stakes seems all wrong. In fact, he’s set up to be a quasi-face, having to work twice as hard as everyone else. If I had my way, he’d be working three times as hard as everyone else at NOC. The arena loses its shit if Rollins joins Ambrose and Reigns for a Shield reunion. Anyway, I’m not sure that a heel dropping both his belts in the face of stacked odds counts as a story worth telling. Putting Rollins in this position should lead to everyone thinking Rollins is pretty damn good, or pretty damn sneaky, or both. Rollins also needs to beat Sting clean to set up friction with HHH.

Winner: Seth Rollins

Kevin Pantoja: I’m honestly pretty nervous about this match. You see, the only decision that makes sense to me is to have Seth Rollins win here. He just defeated John Cena to become the US and WWE Champion, so why drop the big belt to Sting here? Since him losing wouldn’t make sense, that is exactly why I’m worried that it will happen. Granted, Sting starting his career 0-2 isn’t the greatest, which just goes back to why he should have hone over Triple H at WrestleMania. I also realize that Sheamus is lingering but I really would rather not see him as WWE Champion. Anyway, I’m still looking forward to this because a guy that I fell in love with on the indies is going to wrestle Sting for the WWE Title. I never expected that. Consider me hopeful as I think Seth retains.

Winner: Seth Rollins

Michael Weyer: It’s not going to happen. I know, some support out there but it just won’t happen. There is no way WWE is going to follow WCW or TNA and put the World title on a 56-year old just because he’s an “Icon.” It should be a decent enough battle, a pretty good match overall even with Rollins giving his all and Sting answering him well but it just doesn’t make any sense to give Sting the belt, not after his previous losses. Nope, this is about putting Rollins over as Sting gets close but cheating helps Rollins retain and thus Sting will just have to find some other way to get ahead in WWE despite the fact that time has long past.

Winner and STILL WWE World Champion: Seth Rollins

Mike Chin: While WWE could give Sting a brief title run as something of a victory lap and thank you for finally making way there, this feels a lot more like a way of prolonging Rollins’ world title run and milking Sting’s legacy for a main event bout at a lower tier PPV.

Winner: Seth Rollins

Paul Leazar: I really, really hope that the WWE isn’t even thinking about putting the belt back on Sting for more than thirty seconds. If Seth Rollins is still meant to feud with Triple H at some point, beating Sting clean would help make Seth realize he is on that level on HHH, and can let the heel dickery run wild. If they want to add Sting’s name to the list of champions, that cash in from Sheamus better happen, and Triple H better cost Seth the championship somehow, someway. When it comes down to it though, I’m not ready for Seth to be beltless. For all that is sane WWE, let Seth Rollins walk out of Night of Champions with the WWE Championship.

Winner and STILL WWE World Heavyweight Champion: Seth Rollins

Chris Lemchi: So after Raw this week, Sting is technically 2-1 in the WWE, so at least he’s actually won something before his championship match. Personally, I wouldn’t have had Sting tap out Rollins on Raw, and would have saved that moment for the PPV. However, that doesn’t change what I think is going to happen. Cena and Seth will wrestle a long match, leaving Seth tired for Sting to capitalize on it and win the championship. Despite winning on Raw, he’s still has a losing PPV record, and I can’t him going 0-2 on big shows. Plus Sting as champion go potentially boost the Raw rating, at least for one night, then Sheamus could cash in. Nevertheless, I think Seth is losing one title at the show and it’ll be the world championship to Sting

Winner: Sting

Gary Vaughan: Sting and Rollins will put on a decent match. Sting is no spring chicken, so I say outside forces keep the WWE Championship off his waist. Look for Sheamus to tease a cash in of his breifcase, but nothing will come of it. Sadly, Sting will not hold his first WWE title this Sunday

Winner: Seth Rollins

Sean Garmer: I’m a big Sting fan and I’d love for him to have a little time with the “one major championship that has alluded him all these years.” I will say this though, HHH vs. Seth Rollins has to happen between now and WWE Fast Lane because Rock is pretty much a lock to face HHH one more time at WM 32. Yes, they could still do that match at Survivor Series or Royal Rumble. I think it is intriguing to have HHH cost Rollins the belt, have Sting leave NOC with the belt, perhaps Rollins beats up Sting and leaves the avenue open for Sheamus to cash-in and beat Sting for the belt on RAW. Then a furious Rollins demands a match with HHH and we get Rollins vs. HHH inside Hell in a Cell. A match that HHH has been the king of for a long time. It’s plausible that Sting walks out with the belt here, but it is hard for me to see Vince letting a WCW performer walk around with his WWE Championship. Sting doesn’t need it for validation or anything, he’s an Icon after all. This gives Rollins a huge win over a legend and he needs that.

Winner AND STILL CHAMPION: Seth Rollins

Overall Thoughts & PPV Interest Level (from 1 being the worst to 5 being the best)

Mike Hammerlock: My interest level for this PPV is a 3: On paper this could be a strong card. Rollins-Cena and New Day-Dudleyz should be high quality affairs. The Wyatts vs. ⅔ of the Shield (and a special guest) has the makings of a strong match. Ziggler and Rusev both can go in the ring even if their feud is befuddling. Ryback-Owens could surprise, though Big Show and Miz are going to pollute those waters. Sting brings spectacle even though he does not still got it. The divas match should be more than a two-minute filler match. It’s a solid card. I’d be more interested if the WWE wasn’t dreadful in between its big events. This card would be so much more intriguing if the WWE had no weekly programming. It makes you dread the inevitable Dusty finishes and the nonsensical storylines. However, if they let the matches play out to definitive conclusions, it could be a fun night. Night of Champions should be booked like a sports event with more or less straightforward wrestling matches. That’s what this event is supposed to be – prizefights. Hopefully it doesn’t turn into Night of Interference.

Kevin Pantoja: My interest level for this PPV is a 2: I’ve tried, but I really just cannot get too invested or interested in this thing. Every WWE Pay-Per-View this year has been average except for the Rumble, which was bad and WrestleMania, which was pretty good but not great. For this show, looking at the card, it looks solid but unspectacular. Most of the matches should be good, and it could be a solid three hour event, but I don’t have confidence that it will be anything more than that. Hopefully, I’m wrong.

Michael Weyer: My interest level for this PPV is a 2: Some stuff looks good like the tag bouts, the Divas and Rollins/Sting but the rest just looks forgettable. Despite all the titles, it doesn’t feel like it means anything, more a placeholder of a card despite all the promotion for the main event so it’s probably going to be a skippable show overall as fall moves in to try and shake things up more.

Mike Chin: My interest level for this PPV is a 3: This card features a number of unpredictable matches, and a few that could turn out to be quite good. That said, it feels as though we’re swapping Brock Lesnar for Sting in the spot of part-timer dropping in to headline a PPV–and that’s not a great swap. Here’s hoping the best for something interesting in the six-man tag and that Charlotte can win the Diva’s title and start to legitimize the Revolution gimmick.

Paul Leazar: My interest level for this PPV is a 3: I’m not overly sold on any of these matches, but where WWE lacks in storytelling these days, the wrestling always stands out on these PPV’s. So I’m pumped to see some good action, but I’m so very nervous about being bored by everything else. Except New Day. Can we just have 3 hours of New Day?

Chris Lemchi: My interest level for this show is a 2.5 Other than the intrigue of the mystery partner and the Rollins story, this show doesn’t have much going for it. I’m sure the tag and IC titles matches will be good, but overall it just feels like a set up show for the next PPV. With subpar ratings for Raw, here’s hoping that this show will prove me wrong and exceed expectations.

Gary Vaughan: My interest in this PPV is a 3 I believe this show will be good, but not great. This card is not as exciting as advertised. So, my reservations keep me from being enthusiastic by any means.

Sean Garmer: My interest in this PPV is a 3 There is certainly good wrestling to be had here and we will get some new champions on this night. I wonder if we will be more disappointed than elated by the nights end.

Well, that is all for this month everyone. Don’t forget to leave us your thoughts and predictions below in the comments and we will see you again in a month for WWE Hell in a Cell 2015.

Remember to join 411 for our LIVE PPV coverage, starting at 7:00pm ET Sunday night.

If you’d like to listen Gary, Paul, and I do a preview of WWE Night of Champions 2015, as well as discuss TNA staying on with Destination America, our thoughts on ROH All-Star Extravaganza VII and more. You can do so by clicking that button below on the latest episode of the Wrestling 2 the MAX Podcast. We will also have a W2M Special available on Monday morning right here on 411, reviewing WWE NOC & the aforementioned ROH show.