Views From The Turnbuckle: WWE Night Of Champions Review, Star Ratings And Analysis

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During my preview on Thursday, I wrote that while the Raws leading into Night of Champions were far from stellar, the show still had a chance to be very good. Wrestling wise, Night of Champions might have been the best WWE PPV of the year, with a really strong slate of matches up and down the card.

John Cena vs Brock Lesnar: *** (3 stars)

The match was really just a slightly more balanced version of their match at Summerslam. Brock dominated the match with the same basic moves, cutting Cena off at pretty much every point, with Cena occasionally throwing in a high-impact move. I don't think it worked nearly as well tonight as it did at Summerslam. At Summerslam we were surprised to see Cena so easily manhandled, but tonight it was kind of expected, rendering it less impressive. Brock is still a great monster, and few have ever been a more convincing bully, but the match just lacked the disbelief of their meeting at Summerslam.

The finish was just strange and unnecessary. It was mainly a way for WWE to have Cena not end up being the champion, but also making it seem like he was going to win. It is a tired and true practice in wrestling, but I just found the whole angle a little clustered. Why would Rollins decide to rush in mid-match and try and cash in? Wouldn't any rational person just wait until the match is over and then jump them from behind? It seemed like WWE just decided to jump over that logic pitfall so they could have Cena save face.

I would really prefer to see Rollins not get involved right now with Cena and Lesnar. His feud with Ambrose (and Reigns whenever he comes back) is so hot that I think it would over-saturate the feud by tossing in some beef with Cena and Lesnar right now.

The segment between Rollins and Ambrose was perfect. First, Rollins came out and did a great job getting hear from the crowd and mocking Reighns. Then, Dean showed up in a taxi (whose driver he neglected to pay) and got a great return pop. Then came the brawl; the trounce around the arena, the flying elbow onto security, the handcuffs, the madness, nobody has ever done a better impression of Steve Austin. Hail Ambrose!

Gold and Stardust vs The Usos: **3/4 (2.75 stars)

The show opener was a solid match that got the crowd going and pretty much did everything you would want out of an opening match. The Rhodes Brothers seemed kind of directionless when Cody first began to don the black and gold, but now that they are heels, things make a lot more sense. We all know Goldust would be able to pull off the creepy heel bit, but it's impressive how well Cody has taken to the new gimmick. The match was entertaining throughout the duration, and credit should go to the Usos. When the Usos first arrived on the main roster they were sloppy, and didn't have a great grasp on WWE wrestling. However, since then they have improved dramatically, and congrats to them for having a nice long title reign as a classic babyface tag team.

Cesaro vs Sheamus: ****1/4 (4.25 stars)

A sleeper hit that was excellent right from the get go. What you expected to get in this match is what you got, in probably the best way possible. Cesaro and Sheamus had a great WWE-style match, which emphasizes a lot of brawling mixed in with high-impact moves. Sheamus for his part, has become one of the best brawlers around, and the best pure brawler WWE has had in quite a while. Cesaro dug deep into his arsenal, connecting on a plethora of cool moves (god forbid the announcers call them out). I didn't really mind the finish either, I think that it might be time to accept the fact that Cesaro's role is to have awesome matches with a variety of talent, and he is never going to be this great champion that WWE occasionally teases he can be.

Dolph Ziggler vs The Miz: **1/2 (2.5 stars)

I'm really becoming invested in Hollywood Miz, and I think he may have more potential now then he ever has had in his career. He is a helpful reminder that we are SUPPOSED to dislike heels. Flip-flopping the Intercontinental Championship doesn't really bother me that much, it actually makes the belt more prominent, and it allows them to continue their promising feud. I don't know who Florida Georgia Line is, but it alarmed me that they were not from either Florida or Georgia.

Rusev vs Mark Henry: *3/4 (1.75 stars)

It is still sink or swim time for Rusev, and I don't think he accomplished a whole lot. Yes the crowd was pumped up for America (boy, does Mark Henry love America) but is there that much at a difference between beating Jack Swagger and beating Mark Henry? The next rumored step for Rusev is Cena, but that might end up back firing on WWE. There is a certain section of fans who will boo Cena no matter what, and will thus cheer for whoever he is facing. While facing Cena would certainly be a step up, he might enjoy the overwhelming heat that is currently making him relevant.

Chris Jericho vs Randy Orton: ****1/4 (4.25 stars)

Just like Sheamus and Cesaro, what we expected out of Orton and Jericho was what we ended up getting, in the best possible way. The match reminded me a lot of how matches are frequently booked in Japan. There might not be a huge storyline going into the show, but the company is just saying "Here are two really good stars, pay to watch them fight," and usually the match ends up being very good.

Orton was absolutely fantastic during this match, really reverting back to his 2007-2009 self. Orton's character has sometimes seemed lost, but when he is in a groove like he has been over the last few months, few are better. I would like to see them do a better job with Jericho whenever he comes back, but there is no doubt he can still have good/great matches.

AJ Lee vs Nikki Bella vs Paige: **3/4 (2.75 stars)

The match was a pretty solid outing for a Diva's match, even if it now appears that Nikki Bella is the Awesome Kong of the Diva's division. Also, what exactly was the point of all that crappy storytelling with the Bellas and Stephanie if it never even came into play tonight? Whatever, the match was solid and AJ and Paige seem to be improving their chemistry, so hopefully they can squeeze out a 3.5-4 star match soon.

Overall, Night of Champions was a pretty strong that show that consistently delivered in the ring. The booking decisions were occasionally questionable, and the commentary was mostly bad, but the in-ring action pretty much made up for it. One thing I would have liked to see was for WWE to change up their feuds a little bit and mix things up. The WWE leaving this PPV is a lot similar to the WWE that came into the show, which is usually a bad thing.