B/R Staff Predictions: WWE Night of Champions and AEW Double or Nothing Match Cards

Doc-Chris MuellerMay 26, 2023

We've got a busy weekend ahead of us as wrestling fans. Not only will we get WWE Night of Champions on Saturday, but AEW will hold its annual Double or Nothing event on Sunday.

Between the two shows, 16 matches have been booked so far, but there is a good chance AEW adds a handful for the Zero Hour pre-show.

As usual, we have predictions and questions related to matches on the cards. Before we get to the picks, here's our lineup of contributors:

Chris Mueller (CM) (@BR_Doctor)
Erik Beaston (EB) (@ErikBeaston)
Graham Matthews (GM) (@WrestleRant)
Jeff J (JJ) (@JeffJSays)
Kevin Berge (KB) (@KevinBerge)
Donald Wood (DW) (@RingRustRadio)
Artwork by Mel Coleman (@MelColemanArt)

Match Cards

1 of 8

Here is a look at the card for each show, starting with Night of Champions:

Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn vs. Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa (Undisputed Tag Team Championships)
Seth Rollins vs. AJ Styles (World Heavyweight Championship)
Gunther vs. Mustafa Ali (Intercontinental Championship)
Bianca Belair vs. Asuka (Raw Women's Championship)
Rhea Ripley vs. Natalya (SmackDown Women's Championship)
Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus

Here is the card for Double or Nothing:

MJF vs. Darby Allin vs. Sammy Guevara vs. Jack Perry (AEW World Championship)
Jamie Hayter vs. Toni Storm (AEW Women's Championship)
FTR vs. Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal (AEW Tag Team Championships)
Wardlow vs. Christian Cage (TNT Championship)
Jade Cargill vs. Taya Valkyrie (TBS Championship)
Blackjack Battle Royale (International Championship)
Blackpool Combat Club vs. The Elite (Anarchy in the Arena)
Ethan Page and The Gunns vs. The Hardy Party
Adam Cole vs. Chris Jericho (Unsanctioned match)

Kevin Berge

2 of 8

Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar

If you were booking this feud, would you have Rhodes win again or would you have Lesnar win to set up a third encounter?

After this week's injury angle, Rhodes cannot beat Lesnar. Triple H himself claimed that The American Nightmare's arm is broken. No matter how protected Rhodes may be, WWE has billed The Beast Incarnate as "the greatest combat sports star of all time."

If he cannot defeat Rhodes with a broken arm, that label lacks meaning. The injury angle will protect Rhodes and set up an epic final encounter in which The American Nightmare can cleanly defeat his rival in an unforgettable main-event clash.

Adam Cole vs. Chris Jericho

How would you book the finish if Cole was going to win?

Cole needs a definitive victory over a top name in AEW. He has a chance to become one of AEW's biggest babyface acts, possibly challenging MJF for the AEW World Championship soon.

To pull that off, he must be able to defeat The Wizard cleanly without interference. The Jericho Appreciation Society and friends of Cole should eliminate each other with at least five minutes left for a clean sequence that ends with a definitive The Boom to win.

Bonus

Which match will be the best of the weekend?

Anarchy in the Arena: The Elite vs. Blackpool Combat Club

Graham Matthews

3 of 8

Seth Rollins vs. AJ Styles

It seems like everyone expects Rollins to win. Make an argument for why Styles should win instead.

It's been nearly five years since Styles last held a world title in WWE, and he's seemingly closer to the end of his career than Rollins. This might be his last shot at a real run in the top title picture where he can go on to work with all of Raw's best players (and presumably bring the rest of The O.C. with him). Rollins can always stay in chase mode and win the belt down the road, so a surprise Styles win may be the more appealing option.

MJF vs. Darby Allin vs. Sammy Guevara vs. Jack Perry

Let's say MJF was going to lose the belt in this match. Which of the three opponents would make the most sense to win the world title?

Of the three challengers, Allin is the only acceptable candidate with Perry and Guevara not being remotely ready for a run with the world title. Allin already has the audience behind him, is a proven ratings draw, and would be a fun underdog champion.

Having already held the AEW TNT Championship three times, there isn't much more for him to do beyond winning the big one eventually.

Bonus

Which match will be the best of the weekend?

Styles vs. Rollins (Cole vs. Jericho a close second)

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Donald Wood

4 of 8

Asuka vs. Bianca Belair

Is it finally time for Belair to drop the Raw women's title?

Whether people like Belair and her title reign or not, she is a true athlete bringing long-term legitimacy to the Raw Women's Championship. While Asuka is one of the most talented women in the company and deserves a top spot, the storyline has been lackluster at best.

Instead of taking an unexpected loss at Night of Champions, Belair should be positioned as a potential heel before taking a devastating defeat at SummerSlam that forces her to completely unravel as a character.

Wardlow vs. Christian Cage

If you were Tony Khan, how would you book this match? Lay out the match and the finish.

Wardlow is going up against one of the most underrated wrestlers of all time, and he should walk out victorious. There is no doubt that he lost momentum over the last several months, but letting Christian take the lead as the heel in the bout and pushing Wardlow into memorable spots that allow the fans to get involved would give him much of that momentum back.

Add in the fact that he could set up a match against an immensely popular Luchasaurus after he successfully defeats Christian, and Wardlow would have a long-term program that he could sink his teeth into as a character.

Bonus

Which match will be the best of the weekend?

The Elite vs. BCC

Erik Beaston

5 of 8

Natalya vs. Rhea Ripley

If WWE was going to take the belt off Ripley so it could be on SmackDown, is Natalya the right choice to win it from her?

If WWE would even contemplate taking the belt off Ripley, it would deserve the harsh criticism of 9,000 Twitter bots. It would totally be the wrong call to take the title off her for any reason, but if it decided it had to, putting it on Natalya without any real buildup would be a massive waste of an opportunity and a creative misstep.

Jamie Hayter vs. Toni Storm

What do you think of Toni as a heel? Would she be better off as a babyface again?

Storm is a fantastic babyface but she has really been able to show off more of her personality in the role of a villain. Could she stand to see more mic time?

Sure, but her body language and facial expressions have expanded to the point that we know she is a heel more than just going through the motions as an undefined babyface, which hurt her connection with fans in the first place and led to Hayter's ascent.

Bonus

Which match will be the best of the weekend?

Rollins vs. Styles

Mr. Jeff J

6 of 8

Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus

If Trish was going to stick around for a little while after this feud, who should she face next?

Raquel Gonzalez. I haven't seen Trish compete against a physically imposing competitor since Beth Phoenix. I think she could help elevate Raquel as a babyface by playing the "Thank You, Trish" heel role well. Raquel gets an awesome rub and Trish can work a different, fun style with a rising WWE star.

Jade Cargill vs. Taya Valkyrie

Offer an argument for why Jade should retain the TBS title on Sunday.

Who else is going to win it? AEW has done a poor job building Jade's credibility in the ring and as a character. Her undefeated streak is used as a crutch where character development and viable contenders can help her improve in the ring. Engaging storylines would've elevated Jade to another level.

I'm not sure Taya can take the TBS title to the next level with the poor legitimacy and build around the TBS title itself. AEW has pigeonholed itself into a corner booking-wise. The smart move would be to find a great wrestler who also connects with the crowd to defeat Jade. Is there another credible challenger on the roster other than Hikaru Shida, Nyla Rose or Britt Baker? It feels like the title is in a holding pattern until Kris Statlander returns, so we will see.

Bonus

Which match will be the best of the weekend?

Rollins vs. Styles

Chris Mueller

7 of 8

Reigns and Sikoa vs. Owens and Zayn

Do you think The Usos will be involved in this match?

Even though they were told to stay home, I see them getting involved and unintentionally costing Reigns and Sikoa the win. WWE is building tension in The Bloodline and this would be the perfect way to make The Tribal Chief so upset that he kicks them out of the family.

The Elite vs. BCC

With this being a four-on-four match that won't have tags, how would you pair up the members of each team?

I would have Moxley and Omega focus on each other. Danielson and Page make the most sense considering their history. That leaves The Young Bucks to work against Castagnoli and Yuta.

We will obviously see everyone fighting everyone else at different points, but those are the pairings that make the most sense to go off and do their own thing for a little while during the bout.

Bonus

Which match will be the best of the weekend?

Styles vs. Rollins