Sunday evening, World Wrestling
Entertainment will attempt to add to its impressive streak of
high-quality monthly events with its annual September offering, Night of
Champions.
Headlining the pay-per-view extravaganza is the main event between
WWE champion Randy Orton and No. 1 contender, Daniel Bryan.
Joining that much-anticipated bout are two matches featuring some of the most talented individuals on the roster.
In a two-on-one handicap elimination match, CM Punk will look to finally gain revenge for Paul
Heyman's
betrayal of him back at July's Money in the Bank. In order to do that,
he will have to go through intercontinental champion, and
Heyman client, Curtis Axel.
World heavyweight champion Alberto Del Rio will face the toughest
challenge of his current title reign when he meets the man once dubbed
"Mr. Pay-Per-View," Rob Van Dam.
With so many major matches meeting or exceeding expectations this
year, there is a great deal of hype surrounding the headlining bouts.
Which begs the question: Which matches on Sunday's card will live up to the hype?
Here is what you can expect to meet your expectations.
WWE Championship Match: Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton
Preview
On the June 24 edition of Raw, fans caught a glimpse of just how well
Bryan and Orton work together as they did battle in a No
Disqualification match. Bryan picked up the submission win there, using a
kendo stick to enhance the pain Orton already felt as he was trapped in the No Lock.
That victory, over one of the most protected stars in
WWE, legitimized Bryan as a main event
babyface and continued the build of one of the best rivalries of the year.
Since then, the feud between the two has taken a wild and crazy left turn.
Bryan defeated John
Cena for the
WWE title in an exceptional main event at
SummerSlam. Confetti fell from the rafters and fireworks exploded in celebration of the improbable win.
The "Voices" played and Orton rushed to the ring, ready to cash in
his Money in the Bank briefcase. Bryan egged him on, daring him to step
into the ring. Orton stopped and began heading back up the aisle.
That's when the unthinkable happened. Triple H, who was guest referee
for the Bryan-Cena match, spun the new champion around and dropped him
with a Pedigree. Orton returned to the ring, handed over the briefcase
and captured the
WWE title for himself three seconds later.
Since then, Orton and Triple H have held Bryan down and made his life
a living hell, all in the name of what is "best for business."
Sunday, Bryan has the opportunity to prove The Game and the
WWE
champion wrong when he tries to regain a title that was unjustly taken
from him a month ago. Will he be able to overcome the odds to realize
his dream or will the odds be to great?
Keep an eye out for The Shield, Triple H and The Big Show, all of whom could potentially appear during the match.
Why It Will Match the Hype
History dictates that, as mentioned above, champion and challenge
have outstanding chemistry with one another. The matches against each
other over the spring and early summer were outstanding and planted the
seeds for Sunday's main event.
There is no doubt that the match, which is Night of Champions'
greatest hope for a legitimate show-stealing performance, will deliver
from a ring-work standpoint.
Add to it the excitement and unpredictability that the potential
interference from any number of fringe players will add to the contest
and you have all the makings for a newsworthy pay-per-view main event.
World Heavyweight Championship Match: Rob Van Dam vs. Alberto Del Rio
Preview
Alberto Del Rio continues a stellar 2013 with another defense of his World Heavyweight Championship on
WWE pay-per-view.
At
SummerSlam,
Del Rio delivered a smart, underrated performance against Christian
that, on any other show, would have been the best of the night. After
defeating Captain Charisma, he appeared to be unstoppable.
Enter Ricardo Rodriguez, Del Rio's former personal ring announcer and friend.
A month earlier, the World champion brutally assaulted Rodriguez,
bringing an end to their longtime friendship and breaking out on his own
for the first time in his
WWE career.
Rodriguez would gain a measure of revenge by introducing his new
friend, a man he claimed would stand up to people like Del Rio: Rob Van
Dam.
Since returning at July's Money in the Bank pay-per-view, Van Dam has
been outstanding between the ropes. Matches with the likes of Randy
Orton, Chris Jericho and Del Rio have reaffirmed how special a performer
he is motivated.
Now, with the opportunity to win a title he has never worn throughout
his decorated career, expect the high-flying Van Dam to pull out all
stops on Sunday night.
And, in the process, avenge new confidant Rodriguez.
Why It Will Match the Hype
Like him or not, Alberto Del Rio has been one of the most
consistently great in-ring performers in 2013. Matches against The Big
Show, Jack Swagger, Dolph
Ziggler and Christian have showcased his ability to adapt his style to accommodate various types of performers.
He will have to reach deep into his bag of tricks for what promises
to be an extended, lengthy title defense against the often-times
unorthodox Van Dam.
RVD's combination of hard strikes and high-flying offense makes him
the type of performer who excels when fighting from underneath. His
exciting offensive arsenal lends itself well to the
babyface comeback.
Del Rio has showcased the ability to work well as a
babyface
or a heel throughout 2013, but he is usually at his best as the heel
who wears down his opposition, keeping them grounded and unable to
utilize his full skill set.
In short, non-title matches on Raw and
SmackDown, Van Dam and Del Rio have shown an ability to work well together.
If they can sure up their work and keep from getting too sloppy,
which should not be an issue given that more time is allotted for
matches to develop on pay-per-view, Del Rio will once again be looking
at a potential show-stealing performance.
In his first opportunity to win heavyweight gold on a
WWE pay-per-view since 2006's
ECW One Night Stand, Van Dam will re-establish himself as one of the sport's must-see performers.
WWE United States Championship Match: Dolph Ziggler vs. Dean Ambrose
Preview
After Triple H's shocking actions at
SummerSlam, which saw him flatten Daniel Bryan with a Pedigree and help Randy Orton win the
WWE title in a move he claims was "best for business," Dolph
Ziggler was one of the more vocal Superstars on the roster.
He spoke out against the
WWE's COO, saying he never really trusted him.
This earned
Ziggler
repeated beatings at the hands of The Shield, most notably U.S.
champion Dean Ambrose, who seemed to be hellbent on destroying the
Showoff.
Ziggler never gave up, continuing to fight until he was physically unable to do so.
After Friday night's
SmackDown, which saw him team with The
Usos
to take on Ambrose and Shield teammates Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns,
it appears as though Dolph will have the opportunity to stick it to his
boss, and Ambrose, by winning the United States Championship.
Why It Will Match the Hype
The moment a match between any two I
nternet favorites is announced, there is a certain level of hype surrounding the bout, regardless of the storyline or its background.
Ziggler vs. Ambrose is one of those matches.
Ziggler
is an outstanding professional wrestler who, like fine wine, has gotten
better with time. He goes out of his way to make others look good, and
that is something Ambrose can always use.
Ambrose may very well be the most unique in-ring performer on the
roster, thanks to a brawling style that sees him utilize open-palm
strikes as well as much more.
Ziggler, on the other hand, is seemingly at his best when he is taking a beating and making others look like world-beaters.
He is a master seller and a hell of a bumper who relishes in the opportunity to showcase his skills. A veteran of dozens of
WWE pay-per-view events,
Ziggler will do everything in his power to get the very best out of the highly talented yet still very raw Ambrose.
If these three matches can live up to the hype, can match the
expectations placed on them ahead of Sunday's show, Night of Champions
will continue one of the hottest pay-per-view streaks in
WWE history.
