Early Match Card Predictions for WWE Night of Champions 2023 After Backlash

On the heels of an explosive Backlash premium live event that featured one of the most electric crowds in WWE history in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the company will return to the international stage on May 27 with Night of Champions, live from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia with Night of Champions.

Roman Reigns will defend his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, the first World Heavyweight Champion will be crowned and other prominent titles will be up for grabs.

What might that card look like and which match-ups will set the tone for Triple H's creative efforts entering the summer months? Find out with these early predictions for the upcoming extravaganza.

Match Card Predictions

On the heels of WWE Backlash, the predicted matches for the May 27 premium live event from Jeddah Super Dome are as follows:

• Undisputed WWE Universal Championship Match: Bobby Lashley vs. Roman Reigns
• World Heavyweight Championship Tournament Finale: Seth Rollins vs. AJ Styles
• Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar
• Raw Women's Championship Match: Becky Lynch vs. Rhea Ripley*
• SmackDown Women's Championship Match: Bianca Belair vs. Iyo Sky vs. Dakota Kai vs. Bayley*
• Intercontinental Championship Match: Matt Riddle vs. Gunther
• United States Championship Match: Edge vs. Austin Theory 

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens have not traditionally competed on the Saudi Arabia cards and are not currently advertised alongside the other champions, according to WWE.com.

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*Assuming a championship swap occurs between Raw and SmackDown, with each brand's current titleholder drafted to the opposing show.

Roman Reigns Defends the WWE Universal Championship

The video package for the Night of Champions premium live event made it very clear that Roman Reigns will be defending the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship in Jeddah. The question is, against who?

The most obvious candidate is the newly drafted Bobby Lashley, whom The Tribal Chief has not competed against in a singles match since July 23, 2018. It is a fresh match and one that should pique interest in the event and what is Reigns' first championship defense since WrestleMania 39.

Furthermore, depending on what the long-term creative plans are for the blue brand over the summer, it gives that show a feud between two top stars that have not been overexposed that it can turn to until Triple H and his staff know exactly in which direction they want to go with the top star in the company.

Especially as The Bloodline seemingly crumbles around him.

Lashley is tried and true in the main event scene and has repeatedly produced strong showings in that role. A heavyweight clash, with both men throwing everything they have at each other, would be a ton of fun.

That both are better today than they were five years ago makes that match even more appealing.

Crowning the World Heavyweight Champion

When looking at the field of 12 competitors announced Saturday for the World Heavyweight Championship Tournament between Raw and SmackDown, it became fairly clear relatively quickly that there are a number of potential stories at play featuring top talent.

Cody Rhodes would appear to be the favorite to win the entire thing and run at the top of Raw with the title, but the flukish nature of his victory over Brock Lesnar at Backlash, combined with the real likelihood that The Beast will be working in Jeddah, suggests there is unfinished business there.

Do no be surprised to see The Beast cost The American Nightmare the opportunity to wear gold.

That opens the door for Seth Rollins, who has waited too damn long for a shot to be world champion again. As over as he ever has been right now, it is time to go all-in with him. On the SmackDown side, there are any number of Superstars that could easily be the choice to represent that brand, all but one of whom has a rich history with The Visionary.

It is AJ Styles, fresh off his return from a broken ankle, that makes the most sense given how strongly he and The OC have been presented two weeks into their stint on SmackDown.

Rollins vs. Styles happened twice in 2022 but had not occurred since the pandemic days of WWE in the Thunderdome, an era mostly forgotten by fans. A match between two of the best in the world, with a prize like the World Heavyweight Championship at stake, is exactly what a card the magnitude of Night of Champions needs.

Rollins winning and celebrating among a crowd likely to sing his song at the top of their lungs would make for a magical moment while Styles would be firmly entrenched back in the main event, even with a loss.

It works and given booking trends, should not be counted out.