John’s
Jargon
From
Professional Wrestling to Baseball and Everything In-Between
Night of
Champions Predictions
By John Napolitano
World Wrestling Entertainment is
currently in a state of disorder as the landscape is being remolded from the
action-packed adventures of the summer to the stale surroundings of autumn. The
Night of Champions Pay-Per-View, which takes place on September 21st,
has the potential to stymie the humdrum antics of the fall and electrify the
WWE Universe to its core. I contest that the entire tone of the upcoming fall
months will be indicative of the results of the Night of Champions Pay-Per-View
in Nashville, Tennessee.
I predict that the WWE Tag-Team
Title matchup will kickoff the show, as the current champions, the Usos, are exceptional
at invigorating a crowd and kicking off the night right when given the chance
to do so. Jimmy and Jey are squaring off against the newly turned heel team of
Stardust and Goldust. As much as I would like to see Stardust return to his
original identity as Cody Rhodes, I foresee the Rhodes brothers dethroning the
Usos for the tag-team titles and prolonging their bizarre gimmick. The Usos
have grown somewhat stale, and the fact that the team of Stardust and Goldust
has been given a pay-per-view program to begin with tells me that we will see
new champions on September 21st.
It seems logical that the United
States Championship match will be used as a decrescendo following the electric
opener, considering there is not much interest in the program as a whole.
Sheamus has served as ho-hum United States Champion ever since he earned the
strap in May. Unless there is a heel turn in store for the “Celtic Warrior,” I
do not see much reason in keeping the title on him. I predict that Cesaro will
defeat Sheamus in what will be an unexpectedly enjoyable match. Hopefully
Cesaro can restore prominence to the championship as we traverse into the fall
and winter months.
Nikki Bella, AJ Lee, and Paige should put on a
fairly competent 8-minute contest come Night of Champions. The Divas division
has certainly seen better days, but there is definitely a conscious effort to
entertain and story-tell, which is always welcomed. The outcome of this matchup
will be hard to predict but I would like to see Nikki Bella win the Divas
Championship and battle over the title with her sister Brie into the fall. The
angle between AJ Lee and Paige has become a little sour and I can only hope
that they pursue different directions following Night of Champions.
Mark Henry and Rusev will likely do
battle towards the middle of the event. Neither of these superstars are ring
generals by any stretch of the imagination, and I shutter to think of a bout
lasting longer than 5 minutes between these two behemoths. I do not see Mark
Henry as the man to snap Rusev’s undefeated streak. I predict that Rusev
squashes the “World’s Strongest Man” in order to gain the undeniable legitimacy
for which he is fighting. In my fantasy world, a face Ryback returns leading up
to Survivor Series and ends the reign of Rusev once and for all.
The rivalry between the
Intercontinental Champion, Dolph Ziggler, and The Miz is undoubtedly the
hottest mid-card rivalry in the WWE. The Miz has really shone through with the
utilization of his stunt double Damien “Mizdow,” whereas Dolph Ziggler has not
really been given the chance to run with the ball as champion. He comes across
as mild-mannered and almost monotonous, which is not normal for the “Show-off.”
I realize that we are still a week removed from Night of Champions and this
rivalry still has the potential to hit a homerun, but as of September11th, I
predict that Dolph Ziggler will retain his Intercontinental Championship in
order to preserve the title’s prestige.
It’s no secret that Chris Jericho is
preparing to depart from the WWE once again following Night of Champions.
Coincidentally, his opponent the “Apex Predator” Randy Orton is in dire need of
some momentum in order to maintain his top-tier status. Randy Orton will come
out as the victor against the legendary Chris Jericho in what will be a great
contest with the potential to surprise everyone, and be a highlight of the
card.
In my opinion, Seth Rollins versus
Roman Reigns will be the breakout match of the night. These two former
S.H.I.E.L.D. members will undoubtedly tear the house down in Nashville,
Tennessee, and do some great storytelling in the process. The crowd will surely
reach a ferocious frenzy when these two bulls lock horns. Because Roman Reigns
is on the roll of a lifetime, I predict he wins due to interference on the part
of the Authority. Hopefully, this will translate into a program with Triple H
at some point this fall.
Last but certainly not least, there
is the WWE World Heavyweight Championship matchup between Brock Lesnar and John
Cena. Cena was absolutely decimated during their last meeting at Summerslam and
claims that he is going into Night of Champions to not only win, but to “beat
Brock Lesnar’s ass.” I predict that unlike Summerslam, John Cena will generate
a majority of the offense throughout the bout, but Lesnar will pull out the
victory at the last minute and retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
What do you think of my predictions?
Do you agree? Do you disagree? Tweet me your thoughts and reactions
@HeelByDesign!
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