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WWE Night of Champions is going down today (Sat., May 27, 2023) from the Jeddah Super Dome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia starting at 12 pm ET, live on Peacock (in the U.S.) and WWE Network (everywhere else).
CagesideSeats.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, match-by-match coverage of Night of Champions below, beginning with the first match of the evening and right on through to the main event.
Kick your off your shoes, relax, and enjoy all the action with your favorite pro wrestling website. And remember to keep refreshing! Note: To get in on the conversation on this show, visit our open thread here.
WWE NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS QUICK RESULTS
- Tag Team Championship: Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn (c) def. Roman Reigns & Solo Sikoa
- Brock Lesnar def. Cody Rhodes
- SmackDown Women’s Championship: Rhea Ripley (c) def. Natalya
- Raw Women’s Championship: Asuka def. Bianca Belair (c)
- Intercontinental Championship: GUNTHER (c) def. Mustafa Ali
- Trish Stratus def. Becky Lynch
- World Heavyweight Championship Tournament Final: Seth Rollins def. AJ Styles
WWE NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS LIVE BLOG & MATCH COVERAGE
No lyrics today, y’all.
As always you know I like to take some time on these Saudi shows to spotlight the intolerance of the regime towards queer folks like myself, but this time I’m taking a little bit of a left turn, and not least because elements of our own government here in the United States have become almost as hostile, to the point where people like me are being advised to avoid traveling to entire states.
No, this time I want to spotlight the tragic end to the life of Eden Knight, who committed suicide earlier this year after being forced to detransition and return to her family in Saudi Arabia. I’ve written a lot of different things trying to come up with some meaningful commentary, some way to wrap this back around, but really it comes down to this— the final indignity of being denied your identity in death, being eulogized and memorialized and laid to rest only as the person you never were by the people who should know you and love you best, your family, is one of the most heartrending things I can imagine.
And you simply cannot separate the oppressive actions of a regime that hates us from the culture that it creates, the culture that would deny us the identities that we fought the world to embrace, that emboldens parents who would rather have a dead son than have a daughter, vibrant and full of life, all because of the accident of her birth.
As always, I refuse to sit back and leave my colleagues here at Cageside Seats, who have played such a huge part in making me feel comfortable to be out and proud as the woman I am (and who have no problem with calling WWE’s Saudi deal out for exactly what it is), high and dry, so I’m liveblogging the show.
On with the show!
The main show kicks off with a hype reel for tonight’s show, focused on the “triple main event” and the notion of what makes a champion, with narration from Triple H.
AJ Styles vs. Seth Rollins (WWE World Heavyweight Championship Tournament Finals)
Rollins taking his time to conduct the crowd, Styles rushes him with a dropkick, lariat to the floor, plancha, nobody home but he lands on the apron. A running knee takes AJ off the apron, back inside, Blackout denied but a kick to the neck connects and gets Seth a two count!
Styles with shoulder blocks in the corner, snapmare sets up a knee drop, up and over, chops in the corner and Rollins is in a bad way. Seth puts AJ into the turnbuckles and has to take a breather, trading punches, Styles suplexes him hard into the turnbuckles!
Striking away, sliding forearm connects and the Phenomenal One is in control. Corner lariat, back suplex facebuster after a little back and forth, only two! Styles Clash reversed, Styles hits the moonsault inverted DDT... SO CLOSE!
Roll through, buckle bomb connects, Rollins up top, frog splash for a nearfall!
Seth lands an elbow, trying Death Blow, AJ reverses to Ushigoroshi... NOT ENOUGH! Up in the turnbuckles, setting up an avalanche Styles Clash but Seth reverses with a Frankensteiner!
Back suplex lift sets Styles up in the turnbuckles, mounted punches, inverted headlock... INVERTED SUPERPLEX ROLLED INTO PAROXYSM CAN’T DO IT! Back up top, nobody home on the Phoenix Splash, AJ with a boot out of the corner, tornado DDT blocked, headbutt staggers Styles on the apron!
Jockeying for position over a suplex in the ropes, Seth ends up on the apron, Styles gets it... BRAINBUSTER ON THE APRON! Blocking a Phenomenal Forearm at the launchpad, back to the floor, Rollins with a dive but he lands funny on his knee and rolls over clutching it!
Back inside, AJ catches the leg and rolls into Calf Killer! Wrenching it in, Seth crawling, he rolls over but Styles stays with him and Rollins screams agony! Reaching, crawling, Seth gets the break and follows with a desperation lariat for some breathing room!
Back on their feet and trading forearms, AJ with headbutts, Seth gets an enzuigiri and ducks the Pele, superkick cuts Styles down! Stomp to the hand, underhooks, reversed, AJ draws him up but Rollins counters with kicks! Pele kick connects this time, Styles hits a Pedigree of his own... STILL NO!
To the apron, Phenomenal Forearm... SETH CUTS HIM OUT OF MIDAIR WITH A SUPERKICK BUT THE KNEE GIVES OUT WHEN HE TRIES TO FOLLOW IT UP! Seth puts it together enough for a Pedigree...
Seth Rollins wins by pinfall with Blackout, becoming your new WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
Triple H comes to the ring to present Seth with the title belt.
A hype reel for Money in the Bank follows.
We see Cody Rhodes being fitted with a cast in the trainer’s room.
Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus
Lynch pastes Stratus with a slap and lights on her with punches! Smashing her into the turnbuckles, kicks to the midsection, beating the hell out of Trish and sending her to the floor. Baseball slide dodged, Stratus throws her into the steel steps a couple times and sends her back inside.
Punt kick to the ribs, choking Becky in the ropes, kicks in the corner. Trish gets behind her, hanging sleeper hold until referee Danilo Anfibio warns her off and she goes right back to it! Big slap from Lynch gets a tornado DDT from Stratus for two!
Trish staying on her, pointing at the “Thank you Trish” graphic on the back of her gear, and a Camel Clutch follows. Fishhooking Lynch’s mouth, slamming her to the mat, Becky with an upkick and right hands! Whip reversed, Lou Thesz Press from Stratus into punches!
One-handed neckbreaker is a little loose but it gets Trish a nearfall! Stratus taunting the crowd, chops into the corner, Lynch blocks and they start trading punches! Whip reversed, flying lariat from Becky! Springboard kick in the corner sets up an exploder suplex!
Strike rush in the ropes, clubbing blows, diving leg drop across the back of the neck... NOPE! To the floor, Trish puts her into the post with a headscissors and throws her back inside! Spinebuster for two, corner lariat, setting Lynch up top, Diamond Dust connects and Lynch drops a leg off the top... NOPE!
Manhandle reversed, Stratus wants a Sharpshooter but Becky reverses! To the apron, forearm connects, Trish trips up, Lynch reverses the headscissors and walks her down into a Boston Crab! Stratus crawls for the ropes and forces the break!
Becky around the corner, Trish kicks her down! Looking for the nearfall but Lynch comes back in... CHICK KICK FOR TWO! Becky gets Dis-Arm-Her but Stratus grabs a handful of hair to break the hold! Folding schoolboy gets Becky two, Manhandle Slam connects but she’s too close to the ropes and Trish gets the break!
Zoey Stark is hiding under the ring for some reason, Z360 on Lynch, back inside...
Trish Stratus wins by pinfall with Stratusfaction.
Zoey stands tall with Trish on the ramp.
GUNTHER (c) vs. Mustafa Ali (WWE Intercontinental Championship)
Collar and elbow, GUNTHER backs him into a corner, he ducks the chop and throws one of his own back! Go-behind, hamstring kicks, the Ring General catches one, Gojira Clutch, reversed, off the ropes, single-leg dropkicks stagger GUNTHER! Stamping Mustafa to the mat, laying chops in and goading the challenger in the aftermath!
Boot up in the corner, scoop and a slam, double leg into a Boston Crab and GUNTHER sits all the way down! Shifting gears to an STF, Ali gets to the apron for a springboard but the Ring General blasts him to the floor with a boot and throws him into the post!
Drawing him up, arm wringer sets up a chop! Ali ducks a followup, laying chops of his own in, forearms, into the ropes, clubbing blows, shoved into the corner, Mustafa blasts him with a roundhouse from the apron, rolling thunder neckbreaker takes the champion off his feet!
Ali up top but GUNTHER chops him down! Climbing to join him, underhooks, wrenching the Ice Pick in, Ali with headbutts, sunset flip powerbomb connects! Mustafa skins the cat to get up top, perches... GUNTHER KICKS OUT OF THE 450 SPLASH!
Big lariats for a nearfall, GUNTHER getting mad, Ali grabs his leg and the champion kicks at his back to try and get him fired up, telling him he doesn’t belong! Trading slaps, superkick from the challenger opens the door, springboard tornado DDT connects!
Mustafa back up top, nobody home on the 450, roll through, shotgun dropkick from the Ring General! He hoists Ali up...
GUNTHER wins by pinfall with a Tenryu Powerbomb, retaining the WWE Intercontinental Championship.
We see Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn chatting backstage.
Sami says this title reign is so much more than they expected, and even if it ended tonight— Kevin asks him why it would end tonight, and Zayn says they have to at least acknowledge that Roman Reigns finds a way. Kev says he’s sick of hearing about Roman because today isn’t his day and he didn’t come all the way to lose these titles.
Today, Solo and Roman lose.
We get a hype reel for WWE’s visit to a local children’s hospital in conjunction with Make-A-Wish.
Asuka vs. Bianca Belair (c) (WWE Raw Women’s Championship)
Brawling early, each woman raining punches down, shoulder block from Belair! Handspring over her, leapfrog, back roll countered by a dropkick! Wrist-clutch stomps to the jaw, arm wringer but Bianca lands a forearm and a charging shoulder block!
Hip toss, Busaiku Knee, handspring kick sends the Empress to the floor! Pulling the EST out after her, using her braid to whip her into the steps! Back inside, cross armbar, Belair reverses into a folding press but Asuka kicks her arm on the break! Choking her in the ropes, another folding press for two.
Suplex reversed into a small package, only two, neckbreaker drop follows but Bianca kicks out! Stomps into an armbar, wrenching at Belair’s shoulder but the champion gets fired up and back to vertical with elbows, scoop, float over, pulling the braid for a mat slam!
Blocking punches and throwing her own, off the ropes, blockbuster on the rebound and both women are down and out! Bianca to her feet, shoulder blocks, dropkick, arm wringer into a vertical suplex and she’s fired up! Shoulder block into the corner, mounted punches, catching Asuka with a backbreaker!
Handspring moonsault for chest kicks, solebutt in the corner, Asuka up top but Bianca cuts her off. Climbing up with her, jockeying for position, the Empress with a missile dropkick, cover for two! Armbar takedown, Fujiwara locked in and the EST is struggling!
She floats over, gutwrench, Asuka slips out and Bianca plants her with a spinebuster for two! Handspring countered into the Asuka Lock, Belair rolls through into a pin! Glam Slam reversed into a victory roll, reversed, backslide, buzzsaw roundhouse kick takes Bianca down for another nearfall!
Through the ropes, hanging onto Belair’s braid, pulling her to the floor, she won’t go into the steps and she puts Asuka into them instead! Fighting over who gets to go back in the ring, brawling on the floor as referee Jessika Carr counts and they roll back in at seven!
Stampeding the challenger into the ropes, mounted punches until Carr literally shoves her away! Shoulder thrusts, again Jessika warning her off and physically getting in her way as Asuka spits the mist, missing the champion entirely!
Backbreaker rack, reversed, flying armbar connects! Bianca posts to her feet, nearfall, deadlift powerbomb connects and both women are down and out! Asuka spits mist onto her hand, licking her fingers, backbreaker rack and she rubs the mist in her face!
Kick combination lands...
Asuka wins by pinfall with a buzzsaw roundhouse kick to the back of the neck, becoming your new WWE Raw Women’s Champion.
Natalya vs. Rhea Ripley (c) (WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship)
Ripley hot out the gates, sending Natalya to the floor, kicking her into the tables, smashing her face into the Arabic announce desk and then throwing her into the steel steps! Back inside, big headbutt, pumphandle...
Rhea Ripley wins by pinfall with Riptide, retaining the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship.
Backstage, Seth Rollns is interviewed.
He demands Byron Saxton put some stank on his introduction and Saxton obliges. He says it feels good and it’s been too long since he held a title, and tonight he’s walking out your World Heavyweight Champion and that feels good and right.
He says he’ll be on Raw this week and every single Monday moving forward, the only difference is the gold on his mind.
Brock Lesnar vs. “American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes
Circling, Rhodes keeping his distance, holding the injured arm further back, and he just rolls to the floor for a breather. Back inside, Lesnar stampedes him into the corner, shoulders to the midsection and a belly-to-belly suplex sends Cody flying!
Another suplex, more shoulder thrusts and another belly-to-belly and the Beast is fired up! Rhodes blasts Brock with a bunch of shots from the titanium cast on his left arm and sends Lesnar flying through the ropes! Suicide dive cast-first, double axhandle connects!
Back inside, another diving axhandle... SO CLOSE! Beautiful Disaster connects, Brock purple and huffing, Cody Cutter... NOT ENOUGH! Inverted headlock, Cross Rhodes connects but the injured arm is bugging him! Lying in wait, another inverted headlock and another Cross Rhodes!
Punching himself in the face, waiting for Lesnar, this time it’s reversed into the Kimura Lock! Wrenching it in, but Cody will not quit! Screaming agony, in a world of pain, he refuses to give up! Posting into a pin... NOPE! Brock screams for him to tag but Rhodes rolls through!
Lesnar rolls through further, the ropes mere inches from Cody’s hands, clawing at Brock’s back, the American Nightmare fading, referee Eddie Orengo grabs his wrist but he won’t give up! Reaching, desperate... RHODES GETS THE ROPES! Orengo checks on him, the Beast in disbelief, fireman’s carry but Cody slips out... CROSS RHODES CAN’T PUT LESNAR DOWN!
Both men on their hands and knees, Cody bashing his face in with the cast, fireman’s carry, Brock stumbles but doesn’t fall and the F-5 connects! Cover... THE GRANDSON OF A PLUMBER WILL NOT BE BEATEN! Back to the Kimura Lock, Rhodes trying to post, Brock rolls through and again Cody’s out...
Brock Lesnar wins by referee stoppage with the Kimura Lock.
Post-match, Lesnar refuses to break the hold for a long beat!
Sami Zayn gives himself and Kevin Owens a big introduction in Arabic for the crowd.
Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn (c) vs. the Bloodline (Roman Reigns & Solo Sikoa) (WWE Tag Team Championship)
Owens and Reigns to start, but the crowd wants Sami and Kev obliges. Squaring up with Roman, the crowd on their feet and chanting, Reigns jaws at him and tags Sikoa in. Roman goes to yell at Paul Heyman about how he should have never let Sami in.
Solo backs Zayn into the ropes and then we get a collar and elbow! Sami ducks a lariat, back to the lockup, into the corner with chops and punches! Elbow up, diving elbow off the second, right hands, whip reversed, Sikoa cuts him down with a back elbow!
Tag to Owens, hammering Solo with right hands, off the ropes, big uppercut cuts him off! Boot up, trading strikes, Sikoa clocks him with a headbutt and gets him in the corner. Trying to clear the apron, Roman ducks and KO hammers Sikoa, whipped across, blind tag sets up a drop toehold and a running senton!
Reigns runs in and cheap shots Owens, Sami chases him back to the floor and Sikoa drops him with a lariat! Roman in, taking his time and beating Sami up, arguing with referee Dan Engler over every nearfall, throwing Zayn to the floor to get beat up by Solo!
Sami getting back into it with right hands, Reigns cuts him off with a punch and tags Sikoa in to keep grinding him down. The heat segment rolls on, Sami up top, boots and a tornado DDT on Solo that gets him some breathing room! Owens climbs back up the apron... TAGS MADE!
Kev in hot with right hands, teeing off on the Tribal Chief and putting boots to him until he falls to the floor! Lariat on the floor, big senton, back inside with a superkick! Clearing Solo off the apron and Reigns is able to get back up and drop KO with a lariat!
Sidestep the Superman Punch, off the ropes... POP-UP POWERBOMB CAN’T KEEP ROMAN DOWN! Owens heading up top, frog splash... STILL NO! Kevin stalking, kick to the gut, Stunner blocked and Solo hangs him over the ropes! Superman Punch... NOT ENOUGH!
Roaring, a kick counters the spear, Stunner, Roman rebounds off the ropes... SPEAR AND BOTH MEN ARE DOWN AND OUT! Tags made, Sami in, blocking punches and throwing his own, whip reversed, springboard up and over, northern lariat sends Sikoa to the floor!
Fired up, off the ropes... TOPE CON GIRO! Back inside, Blue Thunder Driver... SO CLOSE! Lying in wait, Solo counters with a superkick, Zayn blocks the Samoan Spike with a boot, exploder suplex into the turnbuckles! Waiting... HELLUVA KICK! ROMAN BREAKS IT UP!
Mounted punches, referee Dan Engler warning him off, telling him he got his save and he has to get out! Looking for a spear, Sami sidesteps and Engler eats the brunt of it! Zayn cocks his own... SUPERMAN PUNCH TAKES ROMAN OFF HIS FEET! Zayn waits for him but Reigns cuts him down with a Superman Punch and blows a snot rocket on him!
OWENS SPEARS ROMAN AND BEATS HIM DOWN WITH PUNCHES! Rolling to the floor, smashing him into the announce desk, throwing him into the steel steps! He sets Roman up on the announce desk... THE USOS ARE HERE! They beat Owens down and tip the announce desk over on him! Superkicks for Sami, but he ducks the double and they blast Solo right as Roman wakes up and sees them!
Reigns slides in the ring to confront them! He piefaces Jimmy and Jey tries to back him down, saying they were just trying to help, but Roman isn’t listening! He piefaces Jey and tells him there ain’t no Day One anymore! JIMMY USO SUPERKICKS ROMAN! THE DIE IS CAST!
Jimmy tells Jey he’s doing what he should have done a long time ago and he superkicks Roman again! It’s just them now, and Roman’s not his brother and he’d never do him like that! Jey is shellshocked and tries to check on Reigns but Jimmy tells him they gotta go and takes him out of the ring!
Solo back on his feet, KO meets him with a Stunner, Helluva Kick connects but there’s no referee! Ryan Tran slides in at about the count of four and Solo doesn’t get up...
Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn win by pinfall with a Helluva Kick from Zayn on Solo Sikoa, retaining the WWE Tag Team Championship.
Jey Uso looks like he’s about to throw up on the ramp while Jimmy tries to comfort him and Roman comes to, hearing Sami’s music and the roar of the crowd and knowing that his Bloodline is finally truly falling apart.
Sami Zayn poses in the turnbuckles directly over a slumped down Roman, holding the titles high and sending a sulking Tribal Chief storming off.
That’s the show, folks.