The WWE Night of Champions event in Saudi Arabia proved to be an exciting spectacle. It was undoubtedly one of the best PLE shows of WWE this year. The night saw Cody Rhodes and Jade Cargill win the King and Queen of the tournament, respectively, and the two will now have a title shot at SummerSlam.
Similarly, Sami Zayn got the better of Karrion Kross, while Solo Sikoa also won his first United States Championship by beating Jacob Fatu. Surprisingly, the show also featured the debut of Hikuleo in Bloodline 2.0. Tonga Loa, another Bloodline member who had been out since last year's Survivor Series: WarGames, also returned to cost Jacob Fatu his title.
The main event of the show saw John Cena retaining his WWE Undisputed Championship against CM Punk. The match was intense, especially as Seth Rollins appeared with Paul Heyman and his allies, attempting a cash-in on Cena's title. However, Rollins was unable to succeed after Cena took out the referee before the cash-in could begin.
Overall, Night of Champions was a decent event, but it left some questions for the fans. This article will therefore list four burning questions after WWE Night of Champions.
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#4. Why didn’t Randy Orton turn heel?
Randy Orton lost yet another final of the King of the Ring tournament at Night of Champions. Last year, he was defeated by Gunther, and this year, the loss came from his former protégé, Cody Rhodes. However, fans were surprised that The Viper didn't turn heel after losing the match to Rhodes.
During the bout, there was a moment when The Apex Predator was going for his iconic heel move, the Punt Kick, which he hasn't used recently.
However, he didn't do so. At last, he succumbed to a Cross Rhodes from The American Nightmare. The fans, however, wanted much more from his Cody Rhodes-Randy Orton rivalry, rather than just one match with both going in as faces. Orton and Cody share a deep past, and they should have another match, with Orton possibly being a heel.
If The Viper had turned on Rhodes after the victory, it would have set in motion a sensational storyline between the two, something fans have been wanting to see for a long time. The feud could have gone on until SummerSlam, but Orton didn't do anything and simply embraced Cody after the loss.
#3. Why didn't both Women's Champions from RAW and SmackDown have a match at NOC?
Since it was the Night of Champions, it was surprising that neither of the Women's Champions from both brands had a match. The Women's World Champion, IYO SKY, hasn't defended her title since WrestleMania 41, when she defended her gold against Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair. She doesn't even have a challenger on the red brand at the moment. While Liv Morgan is out due to injury, Ripley is involved in a feud with Raquel Rodriguez, and Bianca Belair is nowhere to be seen.
Similarly, WWE Women's Champion Tiffany Stratton also did not defend her title at Night of Champions. Instead, her title defense match took place on SmackDown the day before the PLE, where she faced her former friend, Nia Jax, in a Last Woman Standing match. The Buff Barbie won the contest, even after Naomi's failed cash-in attempt on her title.
However, the booking was unexpected, as this match could have taken place at Night of Champions since Tiffany is the Women's Champion, and the bout would have been well-received by the fans.
#2. What happened to Jimmy Uso?
The fans also wondered what had happened to Jimmy Uso and why he hadn't appeared for Jacob Fatu at Night of Champions. The Samoan Werewolf was cornered by JC Mateo, a returning Tonga Loa, and a debuting Hikuleo and Solo Sikoa. It was four against one, and the fans were expecting to see Jimmy come out for Fatu.
The previous night on SmackDown, Fatu came out to save Jimmy from Solo and JC Mateo after they tried to assault the OG Bloodline member. However, it was surprising to many fans that Uso did not come out to help Jacob Fatu, despite not being injured.
#1. Why didn’t Roman Reigns show up at Night of Champions?
A day before Night of Champions, it was reported that Roman Reigns might return to WWE soon, and preparations for his comeback have started. It was expected that the OTC would return at the PLE during John Cena and CM Punk's match, if Seth Rollins tried to attempt a cash-in.
While The Visionary did attempt to steal the gold from Cena and had his men do the needful, Roman Reigns was nowhere to be seen. It has been nearly two months since the OTC appeared in WWE. He was taken out by Seth Rollins and Bron Breakker on RAW after WrestleMania 41. Since then, he hasn't returned to the promotion to settle scores with his former ally, Seth Rollins.
It would have been a banger, had Reigns returned last night in Riyadh and taken out Seth Rollins and his men. That would have also brought Punk and Reigns together, and they could have challenged Rollins and his group for a match at SummerSlam. It now remains to be seen when Roman Reigns will finally return to WWE.
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