Top 10 matches in WWE Night Of Champions history

Night of ChampionsNight of Champions isn’t WrestleMania, SummerSlam or the Royal Rumble. This WWE pay-per-view does one thing that is very important throughout the year of pro wrestling. It’s a great transitional show after SummerSlam.This year’s “Biggest Party of the Summer” provided excellent entertainment and solid wrestling. There weren’t any complaints about the wrestling; it was the only endings of both main events that provided controversy. WWE is stacking the desk this year with Sting, John Cena, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens and much more. The WWE champion is set for two matches at Night of Champions. Rollins will take on Cena for the U.S. championship.That will reportedly end the show. Also, Rollins has to defend his WWE World Heavyweight championship against Sting. WWE fans are eagerly waiting in anticipation for Sting’s return to the ring. This is WWE’s way of building a great card for Night of Champions, which is necessary to buff up the WWE Network. The more subscribers they get for middle-of-the-road shows means more viewers for the giant PPV’s.In conclusion, WWE is doing the wise thing by centering the show around Rollins. He is the future of the company, which is evident by the booking since WrestleMania 31. In honor of Night of Champions, here’s the top-10 matches in its history:

#1 Randy Orton vs. Triple H vs. John Cena (2009)

John Cena vs. Randy Orton vs. Triple H – 2009

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Three legends like John Cena, Randy Orton and Triple H always entertain the WWE Universe. In this particular matchup, Orton was still in his mega-heel persona, while Triple H and Cena played the babyfaces. This was right before the point when WWE fans started not to like Cena, due to the repititive nature of his championship opportunities.

Orton was arguably at his best during this time, especially how the Legacy helped him during matches. It happened again near the end, as they got invovled enough for the match to go the Viper’s way. Many one-on-one matches may out-perform this one, but all three men performed admirably and Orton was the best heel in the company.

#2 Sheamus vs. Cesaro (2014)

This bout will surprise a lot of people, but social media exploeded in surprisement after their match last year at Night of Champions. Fresh off a parntership with Paul Heyman, Cesaro needed traction. As for Sheamus, he was the babyface that never lost. Most WWE fans were beginning to detest the Irishman.

So, both men wanted to knock the shoes off the WWE Universe. They succeded with a 13-minute match that took a lot of people by surprise. It won’t be the match everyone remebers for years to come, but two of the WWE’s best had a very-adequate match at last year’s event.

#3 Cody Rhodes vs. Ted DiBiase (2011)

There’s nothing like a rivalry between friends. During this era, Rhodes and DiBiase were with Randy Orton. The stable, Legacy, dominated the WWE. As seen above, DiBiase and Rhodes held the Tag-Team championships, while Orton owned the WWE championship. It was a spin-off of Evolution, which created its own success.

Legacy didn’t live up to the hype, but Orton did a great job teaching these two men the ropes. Like every good pair, it came to blows on-screen and it led to this match at Night of Champions in 2011. Rhodes used the masked gimmick, which created his slot in the WWE’s liking. DiBiase didn’t have the same future, but both men had great chemistry in this bout.

#4 Kane vs. the Undertaker (2010)

Has anyone used the Tombstone Piledriver and defeated the Undertaker? Kane did here at Night of Champions 2010. This story featured the Phenom possessed and was put in a vegetative state. As soon as Kane was revealed as the man behind this phenomena, it was only appropriate for the Brothers of Destruction to battle.

A match between these two behemoths wasn’t the best wrestling match as far as technical skill is concerned. However, the story these two men told was simply superb. Both are locks for the WWE Hall of Fame and this match just added to their legacy.

#5 Daniel Bryan vs. the Miz (2010)

This match featured the student and the teacher, at least that’s what the storyline was on-screen. Bryan was wrestling before the Miz even began in the WWE. Regardless, these two had a great feud that began in WWE NXT. Bryan was the rookie and Miz was his pro. Bryan returned to the WWE at SummerSlam the month before against the Nexus.

After that match, Bryan went on to feud with Miz, who was mad that Bryan took his spot on John Cena’s team. The reason this is so high is due to its implications on Bryan’s career with the WWE. He won the U.S. title that night; his first championship in the WWE.

#6 CM Punk vs. Triple H (2011)

Near the end of the “Summer of Punk,” the former-WWE champion was at odds with Triple H. It was nearly-three months after the infamous “pipebomb” promo, in which Punk has choice words for the COO. To quote Punk, he said the company will get taken over by Vince McMahon’s idiot daughter and his doofus son-in-law. Right before Night of Champions in 2011, Punk and HHH broke kayfabe and began to verbally berate each other by using their real names. In pro wrestling, it gets serious when events like that take place.

It wasn’t a secret that Punk didn’t agree with HHH’s decisions. So, they fought at NOC. Both men performed well together in a great match. It helped CM Punk get over, even though he lost in the process. Kevin Nash, Triple H’s friend, interfered in the late stages of the match. That led to more priceless moments with CM Punk on the mic. He went on to defeat Alberto Dle Rio to capture the WWE title, which he didn’t lose until 2013.

#7 Johnny Nitro vs. CM Punk (2007)

In the original plans, this match was never supposed to happen. Two days before the event, Chris Benoit was found dead. Johnny Nitro’s original opponent at Vengeance: Night of Champions was Benoit. Due to those tragic events, CM Punk took the place of Benoit and the pair didn't skip a beat.

Nitro and Punk would trade shots throughout the match. Even though Punk was popular from his Ring of Honor work, this bout helped put Punk on the map. It helped Morrison just as much. He changed his name to John Morrison not soon after and went on to be the Shaman of Sexy and Friday Night Delight.

#8 Randy Orton vs. Dolph Ziggler (2012)

This is the first of two matches from the 2012 edition of Night of Champions that will appear on this list. Orton started his babyface run around this time and Dolph Ziggler had Vickie Guerrero in his corner. As one would assume, both men had brilliant chemistry and charisma.

Ziggler is a master of selling, while Orton was a seasoned veteran at this time. Their feud brought the WWE fans drama and excitement. This helped Ziggler thru a tough time in the WWE. He went from wrestling CM Punk for the WWE title to having a weak storyline with Orton. All that matters is that the match got a 9/10 stars from this analyst.

#9 6-Pack Challenge feat. Sheamus, Wade Barrett, Randy Orton, Edge, John Cena and Chris Jericho

Looking at these WWE stars suggets a Hall of Fame lineup. In 2010, Sheamus and Wade Barrett were at the top of WWE’s food chain. Edge, Randy Orton, John Cena and Chris Jericho just added loads to the bout. Sheamus suprisingly beat Cena by putting him thru a table, which launched his devlish-heel character.

Orton ended up eliminating three men on his way to winning his seventh WWE championship. There’s a reason why this match is in the two spot. The storyline turned into drama. All six-WWE stars brought something to the table, but it wasn’t enough to grant them the no.1 spot on this list.

#10 CM Punk vs. John Cena (2012)

This match pitted the WWE’s hottest superstar since Stone Cold Steve Austin and the man who stayed in the main event scene too long. CM Punk captured the hearts of WWE fans all around the world with his “pipebomb” promo. He went out on the WWE Raw ramp and spoke his mind. When Punk got to the arena that night, he was told to air his grievances. When he did, that set up his legacy in WWE for eternity.

Fast-forward over a year and Punk was now a full-fledged heel. He aligned himself with Paul Heyman. The microphone skill by both men surpassed each other on a nightly basis. Punk and Cena didn’t feud for nearly a year, but Cena wanted another shot at the WWE title. Punk complied and the two men battled in a 30-minute masterpiece. It’s no.1 on this list due to Punk and Cena’s chemistry, combined with the storyline present. Everything was perfect for this title match that should be considered as the best fight in Night of Champions history.

Edited by Staff Editor