WWE Night of Champions live results: Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther vs. Sami Zayn

WWE returns to Saudi Arabia for today’s Night of Champions with three title matches, two tournament finals and a steel cage match.

The headliner will see undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes defend against Gunther and Sami Zayn in a three-way. This will be the third time Rhodes and Gunther have squared off for the title with Zayn affecting the last match after he was special guest referee.

The show will feature the finals of both the King of the Ring and Queen of the Ring tournaments. On the men’s side, Oba Femi takes on former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Jey Uso while on the women’s side, reigning WWE Women’s Champion Liv Morgan goes one-on-one with former champion IYO SKY.

In a steel cage match, Seth Rollins faces Bron Breakker in their trilogy match. Breakker defeated Rollins at Backlash while Rollins evened the score on Raw earlier this month.

WWE Women’s United States Champion Tiffany Stratton will defend against past rival Jade Cargill who ended Stratton’s lengthy Women’s title reign nearly a year ago.

The men’s United States title will also be on the line as Trick Williams defends against Ricky Saints.

Our live coverage kicks off at 11 am Eastern.

**********

PreShow.

The pre show was hosted by Big E, Peter Rosenberg and Joe Tessitore. They were not live in Saudi Arabia, but they did kick to various segments from folks who were at the arena.

Byron Saxton did a live interview backstage with Tiffany Stratton, where she said she would play to Jade Cargill’s strengths and her weaknesses. Also, Rosenberg said that Jey Uso beating Oba Femi would be as big for Jey’s career as Brock Lesnar beating The Undertaker at WrestleMania 30. 

Jackie Redmond did pre-taped interviews with Jey Uso and Liv Morgan. 

When covering the main event with Cody Rhodes, Sami Zayn & Gunther, the commentators continue to play up that Gunther has never beaten Cody Rhodes. 

After an interview with Bron Breakker in the gym, the pre-show panel ran down the top ten steel cages matches of all time. Brock Lesnar versus Roman Reigns from the Greatest Royal Rumble (the first Saudi show) topped the list. 

Danhausen interrupted Michael Cole to say he would win King of the Ring by beating, among others “S-G-T Slaughter” and “The Bushwackers.” 

Byron Saxton interviewed Paul Levesque. Kingdom Arena is sold out to the tune of 18,000+, and Levesque promised a loud crowd “as always.” Levesque put over the hospitality of their hosts in Saudi Arabia. 

Rosenberg predicted that two titles would change hands, but he didn’t know which ones.

Night of Champions

Live from Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

Michael Cole & Corey Graves were on commentary.

Jey Uso v. Oba Femi in the King of the Ring Finals

Well, Levesque promised a live crowd, and boy were they loud for the entrances of Uso and Femi. Also, it looked like they really packed them into the arena, and every seat was well lit. 

This is for the 25th King of the Ring, according to Michael Cole. 

Uso tried to avoid Femi’s power early on. He ducked to the floor to avoid a charge. Femi followed him out and hit him with an axe handle. Uso sent Femi into the ringpost, then hit a pair of topes. Uso went for a third, but Femi cut that off with a forearm. 

Back in the ring, Femi crushed Uso with a shoulder breaker. Femi whipped Uso into the corner. Uso escaped a chokeslam and hit a superkick to Femi’s midsection (which according to Cole was injured on the topes from Uso). Uso escaped the sit-out powerbomb, then hit another superkick. Uso came off the top and hit a splash, but Femi just grabbed him by the throat and chokeslammed him for a near fall. 

Femi charged, but Uso hit a superkick, then followed up with a pair of superkicks and a pair of spears to Femi’s injured ribs. Uso then came off the top with a splash, then followed up with another splash, but Femi kicked out. 

Uso then locked in a sleeper hold and body scissors. Femi powered up and out of the hold. Uso caught Femi with a superkick, but Oba came back with a pair of back elbows and a toss. Femi then hit the Fall from Grace (his sit-out powerbomb), and long live the king! 

Match Result: Oba Femi pinned Jey Uso to win the King of the Ring tournament (7:59).

After the match, Byron Saxton interviewed the new king. Jey Uso underestimated him, and now Femi has been upgraded from “the ruler” to “the king.” 

— Danhausen came out to the address the live crowd. He was going to talk about what he was going to do with a large sum of “human monies” he’d just received,  but was interrupted by Liv Morgan. Morgan demanded the money that Danhausen took from the Judgment Day on Raw a few weeks ago. But Danhausen had no idea what she was talking bout. Morgan slapped Danhausen, so Danhausen cursed her. 

Liv Morgan v. Iyo Sky in the Queen of the Ring Finals

The crowd was solidly behind Sky. Sky missed a charge in the corner, but she backdropped Morgan to the apron. Sky tried for a sunset flip powerbomb to the floor, but Morgan blocked it. On the floor, Sky came off the barricade with a crossbody and celebrated with some young fans in the front row. Morgan responded by sending Sky headfirst into the ringpost.

Back in the ring, Morgan stomped away at Sky. Morgan hit a running knee in the corner on Sky, then wore her down with a hanging choke. Morgan gave Sky the Three Amigos, then followed up with a enzuigiri for a near fall. 

Sky escaped a chinlock with a snap mare. Morgan and Sky exchanged kicks and forearms, with Sky gaining the advantage. Morgan charged into a boot from Sky, but avoided a dropkick. Morgan went for a Boston Crab, but leaned too far back, and Sky rolled through and gave Morgan a double stomp. 

Sky dumped Morgan to the mat with a flapjack. Sky came off the top with a missile dropkick. Sky hit Morgan with a meteora in the corner for a near fall. Morgan escaped a double underhook and hit a backstabber, and Sky rolled out to the floor. 

Morgan went for a dive, but Sky cut her off with a forearm. Sky hit a beautiful Asai Moonsault. Back in the ring, Sky dropped Morgan with a double underhook into a backbreaker for a near fall. Sky went to the top for the moonsault, but with her back to Morgan, Morgan was able to shove Sky off. Sky landed on the ring stairs, jamming her knee. 

Morgan was a shark who smelled blood in the water, and went right after the injured knee. She locked in a half crab. Sky tried to get to the ropes, but Morgan dragged her back into the middle of the ring. Sky escaped and exchanged “Boo!/Yay!” punches, but Morgan kicked her in the knee. Morgan hit a codebreaker out of what looked like an attempted Oblivion for a near fall. 

Morgan went for Oblivion, but Sky ducked it and Morgan got caught up in the ropes. Sky went for a dive off the middle ropes, but missed and jammed her knee again. Morgan and Sky battled up to the top, and Sky hit a Spanish Fly off the top rope, then came off the top with the moonsault. Long live the queen! 

Match Result: Iyo Sky defeated Liv Morgan to become the Queen of the Ring (14:58). 

Great match.

After the match, Nick Aldis presented Sky with her crown. Byron Saxton interviewed Sky in the ring, who made it clear that she would be challenging Liv Morgan again at Summerslam.

This ended the portion of the show available on ESPN.

Seth Rollins v. Bron Breakker in a Steel Cage Match

The winner can be decided by pinfall, submission, or escaping the cage. As Breakker made his way to the ring, the announcers pointed out how Breakker was all along, with the rest of the Vision members either injured or unable to travel. So Breakker is all alone and has something to prove.

Seth Rollins entered first, and  tossed a bunch of weapons into the cage before the match started: kendo sticks, steel chairs and a couple of tables. Breakker decided to grab some weapons of his own: more chairs, more kendo sticks, and an aluminum trash can. 

In the ring, each man sat in a chair and stared the other down before the bell. The bell rang, and the bound out of their seats and exchanged punches. Breakker tried to slingshot Rollins into the cage, but he caught himself and came off the cage with a springboard crossbody. Breakker dumped Rollins with a trifecta  of German suplexes. 

On commentary, Cole claimed this was the first steel cage match in Saudi Arabia, then corrected himself. I only bring this up because the first one (Brock/Roman in 2018) was apparently the best one ever, according to the preshow panel. 

Breakker gave Rollins a side suplex into a steel chair. Rollins tried some chops, but Breakker lawn-darted him into the steel cage. Rollins tried for a rolling forearm, but Breakker came back with a jumping knee. Breakker tried for a rana, but Rollins countered that with a powerslam and both guys were down. 

Breakker and Rollins exchanged punches, with Rollins getting the better of it. Rollins hit a series of clotheslines to finally take Breakker off his feet. Rollins then wore out Breakker with a kendo stick. Rollins tossed Breakker into the cage a few times. 

Breakker was caught between the ropes and the cage, and Rollins took advantage by sending him headfirst into the cage several times. Rollins set up a table in the corner. Breakker went for  spear, but Rollins caught him with a kick and a clothesline. Rollins tossed chairs and Breakker to knock him down. Rollins tried to bury Breakker in a pile of chairs and went to the top. But Breakker cut Rollins off. Rollins shoved Breakker down, but Breakker ran right back up to the top and gave Rollins a top rope Frankensteiner into the pile of chairs for a near fall. 

Rollins was worn down. Breakker came off the top rope with a clothesline for a near fall. Breakker called Rollins a “crazy old man.” Breakker told Rollins he was gonna die and wedged his head between a chair. Breakker took a swing with a chair, but Rollins got out of the way. Rollins hit a pair of superkicks, then superkicked a chair into Breakker’s head. Rollins charged, but Breakker killed him with a spear for a near fall. 

Breakker set up a table. Rollins was struggling to get up. Breakker set Rollins up on the table. Breakker climbed to the top rope, looked down, and decided to climb to the top of the cage. Rollins quickly followed. Breakker and Rollins exchanged “Boo!/Yay!” punches on the top of the cage. Rollins raked Breakker’s eyes, then superplexed Breakker from the top of the cage. Somewhere in there, Breakker was busted open. 

Rollins went for the stomp again, but charged into a clothesline. Breakker ran through Rollins with a spear. He went for the cover, but Rollins kicked out at two. 

Breakker made his way to the door, but Rollins grabbed his foot to keep him in the ring. Rollins dragged Breakker back and locked in a choke. They were hanging out the open door, so Breakker slammed the door into Rollins head. Breakker missed a spear in the corner (going through a table), and Rollins hit the stomp and Pedigree for a near fall. 

Rollins set up for the stomp again, but Breakker put his hand up and Rollins stopped in his tracks. Breakker tried to get back to his feet, but Rollins came off the middle rope for a stomp, and got the pinfall. 

Match Result: Seth Rollins pinned Bron Breakker (19:03). 

So Rollins spent most of the match looking beatable, Bron looked unstoppable, and then Bron lost anyway? Cole tried to make it sound like Bron won despite losing. No, he just lost.

Ricky Saints v. Trick Williams (w/ Lil Yachty) for the WWE United States Championship

Saints tried to jump Williams before the bell, but Williams came back quickly and stomped on Saints in the corner. Saints avoided the Trick Shot and ducked down to the floor to regroup. 

On the floor, Saints grabbed Yachty’s kendo stick from him. With the ref’s back turned, Saints smacked the ring stairs with the kendo stick and dropped down. So when the ref turned around, he saw Saints down and selling that he was hit with the kendo stick, and the ref ejected Lil Yachty. 

He flew all the way to Saudi Arabia for like two minutes of work. 

Saints took control with a flying clothesline on the floor. Back in the ring, Williams battled back with chops, but Saints cut him off with a clothesline. Saints did an old school ropewalk, then dumped Williams to the mat with a back suplex. 

Saints got a near fall with a sunset flip. Saints hit a forearm for another near fall. Saints was on offense but it wasn’t very exciting, and the crowd wasn’t into it. Williams reversed a suplex attempt. Williams hit a pair of leg lariats and a flapjack. With Williams on offense, the crowd started to get a little more into the match. Williams backhanded Saints, then yanked Saints off the mat and into a uranage for a near fall. 

Saints came off the second rope with a clothesline, then followed up with a Cross Rhodes for a near fall. This is the quietest the crowd has been all night. A handful started chanting for Saints, but it died out quickly. 

Williams hit a pump kick, but Saints came back with a forearm. Williams caught Saints with a hangman’s neckbreaker for a near fall. 

Saints avoided a Trick Shot and caught Williams with a tornado DDT. Saints came off the top awkwardly with an elbow for a near fall. Saints countered another uranage and hit a knee. Williams ducked a clothesline and hit the Trick Shot out of nowhere and got the pinfall. 

Match Result: Trick Williams pinned Ricky Saints to retain the US Title (10:41). 

This was mid. 

After they match, Saints tried to attack Williams, but Yachty came back with the kendo stick. Williams leveled Saints with a backhand, and then Yachty gave Saints the Temu version of the People’s Elbow.

This felt like a burial for Saints.

— Roman Reigns will be at Raw, live from Atlantic City, with a special start time of 6pm this Monday. Michael Cole openly wondered who Oba Femi would choose to face at SummerSlam. I thought Femi made that clear in his promo last week. 

Jade Cargill v. Tiffany Stratton for the WWE Women’s United States Championship 

Stratton had a neat little spot early where she caught Cargill out of the corner with a sunset flip for a near fall. Stratton tried for a dive on the floor, but Cargill caught her, then bounced her off the ropes and into a high knee. 

Back in the ring, Cargill missed a charge in the corner. Cargill caught Stratton with a sit-out powerbomb for a near fall. Cargill floored Stratton with a forearm. Literally. It sent her to the floor. 

Cargill did pushups in the ring to crickets from the crowd. Cargill caught Stratton with a spinning Boss Man Slam for a near fall. Cargill ran into a back elbow from Stratton. Stratton hit a dropkick. Cargill went for Jaded, but Stratton rolled through and hit a dropkick for a near fall. 

Stratton caught Cargill with a rolling senton. She went for the Prettiest Moonsault Ever, but Cargill got her knees up. And then my Hulu randomly shut off! When I got back to the match, Michin was shoving Stratton off the top rope  and into a chokeslam from Cargill fora  near fall. 

Chelsea Green emerged from under the ring and took out B-Fab and Michin. Cargill dragged Green into the ring (Green was holding the U.S. Title belt). While the ref was dealing with Green, Cargill went for the belt… but Charlotte Flair somehow snuck into the ringside area (and I don’t know how she managed that since she was wearing the most obnoxious outfit ever), and got the belt first. Flair waffled Cargill with the belt, and Stratton hit the Prettiest Moonsault Ever. 

Match Result: Tiffany Stratton defeated Jade Cargill by pinfall to retain the Women’s U.S. Championship. 

The crowd wasn’t much into this match either.

Sami Zayn v. Gunther v. Cody Rhodes for the WWE Undisputed Championship 

Zayn got a tremendous babyface reaction from the crowd. This is Zayn’s 10th shot at a World Title, and this is also Gunther’s third shot at Cody’s title, who Gunther has never beaten.

The crowd is now alive for this match, waving their cell phones and cheering on Sami. 

Gunther dumped Zayn before the bell. Zayn came back and dumped Gunther. Rhodes and Zayn did a great wrestling exchange with Gunther on the floor. Rhodes hit that drop-down uppercut to stun Zayn. 

Gunther caught Zayn running the ropes, pulled him to the floor and sending him into the ring steps. Back in the ring, Gunther worked over Rhodes. Zayn jumped Gunther from behind, but Gunther dumped him to the floor again. 

Gunther drew boos from the crowd, then dropped Rhodes with a chop for a near fall. Zayn got back into the ring and jumped into a chop from Gunther. Gunther dumped Zayn with a back suplex. Rhodes caught Gunther with a Cody Cutter. Rhodes caught Gunther with a powerslam, then hit Zayn with a Side Effect for a near fall. 

Rhodes caught Gunther and Zayn with a double Cody Cutter. Rhodes ducked a clothesline from Gunther and hit Zayn with a dive on the floor. Rhodes escaped a powerbomb and went for a Cross Rhodes, but Gunther escaped that and hit the powerbomb. Zayn broke up the pin attempt, and Gunther dumped Zayn to the floor again. 

On the floor, Zayn sent Gunther into the steel steps. Back in the ring Rhodes hit Zayn with a series of jabs, but Zayn hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall. The desperation on Zayn face as he held Cody down really helped add to the drama. 

Zayn set up for the Helluva Kick, but Gunther grabbed Zayn and crotched him against the ringpost. Gunther went after Rhodes with chops. Gunther set up Rhodes for a short-arm clothesline, but Rhodes countered into the Cross Rhodes. He went for the pinfall, but Zayn pulled the ref out of the ring to prevent the three count! 

Rhodes and Zayn then squared off, exchanging forearms and punches. Rhodes missed a Disaster Kick, and Zayn hit a brainbuster. He went for the cover, but Gunther came off the top with a splash. Gunther powerbombed Zayn, then powerbombed Rhodes onto Zayn. Gunther went for another powerbomb on Zayn, but Zayn flipped him into a Code Red for a near fall. 

Zayn climbed to the top and dove at Gunther. Gunther went for a kick in the corner, but Zayn ducked and Gunther got caught up in the ropes. Zayn saw this as his chance and hit the Helluva Kick, but this time it was Rhodes who pulled the ref out of the ring to stop the count! 

Okay this is awesome stuff. 

Zayn and Rhodes brawled on the floor. Rhodes cleared the American announce table, and Zayn cleared the Arabic announce table. Zayn tried for a package piledriver on the table, but Rhodes escaped and backdropped Zayn through the other announce desk. 

Gunther recovered and grabbed Rhodes. Gunther powerbombed Rhodes onto the Arabic announce table, which didn’t not break. So Gunther immediately grabbed Rhodes and powerbombed him a second time to break the table! 

Back in the ring, Gunther locked Rhodes in the sleeper and added a body scissors. Rhodes fought out of and it and dropped back to break the hold, but Gunther went right back to the hold. Cole was knocked off of the audio and you could only hear Graves. Rhodes was out, and the ref went to check Rhodes’ arm… but Zayn got in the ring and prevented Rhodes’ arm from hitting the mat.

Gunther pulled up Zayn and hit him with chops. Zayn came back and hit Gunther with an exploder in the corner and the Helluva Kick, but Gunther kicked out at two! 

This is amazing drama. 

Rhodes was out on the floor, and Zayn was frustrated while Gunther was out. Also, Graves apparently gave his headset to Cole, so now Cole is alone on commentary. Gunther leveled Zayn with a clothesline. Rhodes went for the Cross Rhodes on Sami, but Sami reversed it and hit Rhodes with his own move. Zayn went for the Helluva Kick, but Gunther caught Zayn with the Sleeper. Zayn reversed, but then Rhodes grabbed Zayn and gave both Zayn and Gunther the Cross Rhodes. Rhodes went for the Cross Rhodes on Zayn, but Zayn countered with a cradle and Oh. My. God. 

Match Result: Sami Zayn won the WWE Undisputed Championship, pinning Cody Rhodes (18:42)

To say the crowd lost it would be an understatement. 

The ref presented the tearful Sami Zayn with his first World Championship. Sami celebrated and held up the championship, and then the crowd really lost it. Zayn jumped into the crowd with his championship belt to celebrate. 

“Ten years I’ve been in WWE! They’d said I would never do it. I would never win it [a World Championship] …well here it is!” Sami’s last words to close the show.  

Sami Zayn’s facials were everything in this match. Gunther playing the killer at just the right time in all the key spots was amazing. If someone had said at WrestleMania the story that started with the gingerbread man was going to end three months later with Sami Zayn as World Champion, no one would have believed them. 

This was an absolutely fantastic way to end the show.