Top 10 Candidates for WWE's 'Mr. Night of Champions'
Shawn Michaels is "Mr. WrestleMania." Yielding his briefcase, Seth Rollins is currently "Mr. Money in the Bank."
As WWE's September pay-per-view approaches, I began to wonder who deserved the title of "Mr. Night Of Champions."
Dating back to 2007's Vengeance: Night of Champions, WWE has held seven annual NOC events. With the eighth installment just around the corner, are there any Superstars on the roster who have an especially impressive NOC resume? I decided to find out.
It can be hard to remain objective when ranking the best grapplers in the world. To force myself from automatically leaving guys like John Cena and Kofi Kingston off the list while placing guys like Dolph Ziggler and CM Punk at the top, I decided to stick to a strict scoring system.
For a victory in a major title match (WWE Championship or World Heavyweight Championship), the wrestler is awarded five points. For being in a major title match but failing to win, two points are awarded.*
For a victory in any other title match (ECW Championship, World and WWE Tag Team Championship, Intercontinental Championship or United States Championship), three points are awarded to the victor, while a single point is awarded to the loser.
For a non-title match taking place on a Night of Champions PPV, one point is given to the winner, and the loser gets one-half of a point.
In the event of a tie, the man with the most total matches is given the advantage. If that doesn't settle the difference, then I gave it to the man whose appearances are the most recent.
For the records, I didn't keep track of every single wrestler's stats. If they aren't currently on the WWE roster, then I didn't include them (with one straight-edge exception). Also, if I personally just don't care much for them and they aren't a major player (Santino Marella and Heath Slater, for example), then I didn't bother.
*In the one major title match in which the challenger won by disqualification (thereby not winning the championship), I awarded the man three points. This was when Rob Van Dam defeated Alberto Del Rio by disqualification in 2013 in a match for the World Heavyweight Championship. In the one major title match that ended in a draw (CM Punk vs. John Cena for the WWE Championship in 2012), I awarded both wrestlers 3.5 points.
Honorable Mentions
1 of 11
Although the following Superstars didn't qualify for the top 10, I decided to at least include them in the list, since I went to all of the trouble of calculating their scores. Here are numbers 11-29, including their total points:
11) Triple H (8)
12) Sheamus (7)
13) Alberto Del Rio (6)
14) Chris Jericho (6)
15) The Big Show (5)
16) Curtis Axel (4.5)
17) Cesaro (3.5)
18) Dean Ambrose (3)*
18) Rob Van Dam (3)*
18) Roman Reigns (3)*
18) Seth Rollins (3)*
22) Christian (3)
23) Jack Swagger (2.5)
24) Tyson Kidd (2)
25) Undertaker (2)*
25) Wade Barrett (2)*
27) Jey Uso (1.5)*
27) Jimmy Uso (1.5)*
29) Primo (1.5)
*Ties on this page represent wrestlers who have the same score, the same number of appearances and competed during the same years.
No. 10: CM Punk
2 of 11Total Points: 8
Win-Loss Record: 0-5-1
Championship Matches Won: 0
CM Punk is a perfect example of quantity over quality when it comes to his win-loss record at this annual event. He only squeaked by Triple H (who also had a total of eight points) because he appeared six times, whereas Triple H only appeared thrice.
Punk lost matches for the World Heavyweight Championship (Jeff Hardy, 2008) and the ECW Championship (Johnny Nitro, 2007). He lost three non-title matches as well: Big Show in 2009, Triple H in 2011 (this match did headline the PPV, with Triple H's job as COO on the line) and a handicap match against Curtis Axel and Paul Heyman in 2013.
Punk's best outcome was 2012, when he wrestled John Cena to a draw for the WWE Championship.
While it does seem like there's a quark in the system if the 10th spot goes to a man who never won a match, he did actually headline the show in 2009, 2011 and 2012.
Watch all of CM Punk's Night of Champions matches here.
No. 9: Dolph Ziggler
3 of 11Total Points: 8.5
Win-Loss Record: 2-3
Championship Matches Won: 2
The Showoff has one more accolade to add to his resume: cracking the top 10 on this list.
Although Ziggler has yet to compete for a major championship at NOC, he has won matches for both the Intercontinental Championship (against Kofi Kingston in 2010) and a Fatal 4-Way for the United States Championship (against Jack Swagger, Alex Riley and John Morrison in 2011).
So, how does Ziggler look for the 2014 edition of NOC? Well, he's currently on a two-year losing streak, dropping a non-title match to The Viper in 2012 and a United States Championship match to the Lunatic Fringe in 2013.
Assuming he's defending the IC strap at this year's event, his history gives him about a 50 percent chance of retaining, having won the Fatal 4-Way in 2011 but coming up short against Rey Mysterio in 2009. Looking specifically at the stats provided by my own "study" of the event's history, another match with The Miz might not be good news for Ziggler: The Miz ranks three spots higher on the list than the master of the Zig-Zag.
Watch all of Dolph Ziggler's Night of Champions matches here.
No. 8: Mark Henry
4 of 11Total Points: 9
Win-Loss Record: 2-1
Championship Matches Won: 2
If he's involved in any title matches at NOC this year, it seems most likely that Mark Henry and Big Show would somehow be involved in a match for the WWE Tag Team Championship. That could prove an opportunity to make amends for his only loss at NOC, when he and Evan Bourne were the last team eliminated in the Tag Team Turmoil match for the straps, which was won by Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre.
But that's the only sore spot in his NOC past. And considering they eliminated The Usos in that match, it means that he's never competed at NOC without scoring at least one fall in his favor.
He even has a history with Big Show at the PPV, having defeating the World's Largest Athlete and Kane in a Triple Threat match for the ECW Championship in 2008. More recently, in 2011, he defeated Randy Orton in a match for the World Heavyweight Championship.
Having taken two years off from the event, how will the World's Strongest Man fare at Night of Champions in 2014?
Watch Mark Henry's Night of Champions matches here.
No. 7: Kane
5 of 11Total Points: 9
Win-Loss Record: 2-1
Championship Matches Won: 2
Kane just barely surpassed Mark Henry on the list. They have the same number of points, the same record and the same number of championship matches won. They've even competed for the same three titles at NOC: ECW Championship, WWE Tag Team Championship and the World Heavyweight Championship. It came down to the third tiebreaker, as Kane has the most recent match (2012 for Kane, 2011 for Mark Henry).
It's hard to tell if Kane will be competing at this year's NOC. If he does, he's riding a win streak of two, having defeated Undertaker in a No Holds Barred match for the World Heavyweight Championship in 2010 and as half of Team Hell No in 2012, when he defeated Kofi Kingston and R-Truth for the WWE Tag Team Championship.
His only loss came to Mark Henry in 2008 as part of the Triple Threat match (including Big Show) for the ECW Championship.*
Watch all of Kane's Night of Champions matches here.
*In the case of Mark Henry/Kane and CM Punk/Triple H, if I had decided the results of a match at NOC between the two would be the tiebreaker after most matches, Triple H would have been No. 10 and Mark Henry would have been No. 7.
No. 6: The Miz
6 of 11Total Points: 10
Win-Loss Record: 3-3
Championship Matches Won: 2
Despite the fact that he's taken several breaks from the wrestling industry to become the Hollywood star that he is today, The Miz has managed to be at every Night of Champions PPV ever since WWE completely dropped the Vengeance label.
In 2008 he teamed with Johnny Nitro and defeated Finlay and Hornswoggle for the WWE Tag Team Championship. In 2011 Awesome Truth lost to Air Boom (Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne) for the same straps.
He's never had any luck with the United States Championship, having lost to Daniel Bryan in 2010 and being one of five losers (along with MVP, Jack Swagger, Carlito and Primo) in 2009's Six-Pack Challenge match, which was won by Kingston.
But 2014's U.S. title match is already set, and if The Miz is competing for any gold at September's PPV, it will likely mean he's getting another shot at Ziggler's IC Title. He won his only IC title match at NOC in 2012, defeating the likes of Rey Mysterio, Cody Rhodes and Sin Cara in a Fatal 4-Way.
In 2013, he got the win in a non-title match over Fandango, putting him on a two-year win streak headed into this year's event.
Watch The Miz's Night of Champions matches here.
No. 5: Daniel Bryan
7 of 11Total Points: 11
Win-Loss Record: 3-0
Championship Matches Won: 3
Daniel Bryan is the only man on the list who remains undefeated at Night of Champions. Unfortunately, he won't be riding that momentum into this year's event. Let's just hope he's in good health for 2015's edition.
Each appearance at NOC has been better than the one before it for Brie Bella's husband. He won a United States Championship match against The Miz in 2010, defeated R-Truth and Kofi Kingston in a WWE Tag Team Championship match in 2012 as one-half of Team Hell No and defeated Randy Orton for the WWE Championship at last year's show.
The logical next step would be the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Cross your fingers for next year, Daniel.
Watch Bryan's Night of Champions matches here.
No. 4: Cody Rhodes
8 of 11Total Points: 11
Win-Loss Record: 3-2
Championship Matches Won: 3
Tied for points with the man behind the Yes! movement, Cody Rhodes surpassed Daniel Bryan with total number of appearances to earn the fourth spot on the list.
The youngest son of The American Dream made five consecutive appearances at NOC from 2008 to 2012. He competed for the WWE Tag Team Championship the first three years (although, technically, the titles were called the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship in 2009) and the IC strap for the last two.
Partnering with fellow Legacy member Ted DiBiase in 2008 and 2009, they first defeated Hardcore Holly in a handicap match to win the gold and then lost to Jeri-Show the following year. In 2010, he teamed up with Drew McIntyre to win a Tag Team Turmoil match for the belts, outlasting other teams that included The Hart Dynasty, Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov, Evan Bourne and Mark Henry, as well as the current WWE Tag Team champions, The Usos.
In 2011 he returned to action with DiBiase, defeating him in a match for the Intercontinental Championship. The following year, he failed to take home that same belt, losing to The Miz alongside Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara in a Fatal 4-Way.
This year, could we see Cody competing at NOC for the WWE Tag Team Championship for the fourth time? If we determine odds the same way as broadcasters in the professional wrestling world, he has a 66 percent chance of winning such a match (given his previous attempts).
Watch all of Cody Rhodes' Night of Champions matches here.
No. 3: Kofi Kingston
9 of 11Total Points: 12
Win-Loss Record: 3-3
Championship Matches Won: 3
Like The Miz, Kofi Kingston has competed at NOC every year since 2008. The two have actually competed against each other at the event twice, with Kingston coming out on top both times. That includes the Six-Pack Challenge that Kofi won in 2009 for the United States Championship (other losers include MVP, Carlito, Jack Swagger and Primo) and when Air Boom defeated Awesome Truth for the WWE Tag Team Championship in 2011.
Kingston would try for the tag titles again the following year, losing with partner (and opponent from the previous year) R-Truth against Team Hell No.
Kingston's three other NOC appearances were all in matches for the Intercontinental Championship. He defeated Y2J in 2008, lost to Dolph Ziggler in 2009 and lost to Curtis Axel in 2013.
However, unless the WWE makes the IC title match something like a Six-Pack Challenge, or a current champion injures himself and another Battle Royal is put together, I don't see Kingston even making the PPV this year, must less competing for a belt.
Watch all of Kofi Kingston's Night of Champions matches here.
No. 2: Randy Orton
10 of 11Total Points: 17
Win-Loss Record: 3-3
Championship Matches Won: 2
Orton competed for the WWE Championship at Night of Champions four times. Both of the times he won the match, it was impressive. He defeated John Cena and Triple H in a Triple Threat match in 2009 and followed that up in 2010 by winning a Six-Pack Challenge featuring John Cena, Edge, Chris Jericho, Sheamus and Wade Barrett. He lost his first and last attempts, losing to Daniel Bryan in 2013 and being one of five losers (alongside Mick Foley, Bobby Lashley and King Booker) when Cena won in 2007.
He also lost a World Heavyweight Championship match to Mark Henry in 2011 and defeated Dolph Ziggler in a non-title match in 2012.
With the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match already booked as Cena vs. Lesnar, it looks like Orton will be involved in a non-title match, as the story plays out involving The Viper, Corporate Kane and all three member of The Shield.
To put it bluntly, it will be a low-key year at Night of Champions for a man who is generally one of the headliners.
To see Randy Orton's Night of Champions matches, click here.
No. 1: John Cena
11 of 11Total Points: 19.5
Win-Loss Record: 2-3-1
Championship Matches Won: 2
John Cena is the only Superstar to have competed for the WWE Championship every time he had a match at Night of Champions. Both Cena and Orton won two WWE Championship matches at NOC and both lost three matches for either the WWE or World Heavyweight Championship.
The difference between the first and second spot came in Cena being awarded more points for a draw in a WWE Championship match than Orton did for a victory in a non-title match.
At the inaugural event, Vengeance: Night of Champions, Cena defeated the likes of Mick Foley, Randy Orton, King Booker and Bobby Lashley in a Five-Pack Challenge. Four years later, he would defeat Alberto Del Rio.
In 2012, he recorded the only draw in NOC history when he faced CM Punk in the midst of his 434-day reign as WWE Champion.
From 2008 to 2010, Cena suffered a three-year NOC losing streak. Triple H defeated him in 2008 and was involved when Orton won a Triple Threat match in 2009. Cena also came up short when Orton won the next year in a Six-Pack Challenge, which also included Edge, Chris Jericho, Wade Barrett and Sheamus.
The leader of the Cenation is scheduled for a rematch against Brock Lesnar at 2014's Night of Champions after an embarrassing loss at SummerSlam. If he can find some way to defeat the beast and regain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, then perhaps he will truly deserve the title "Mr. Night of Champions."
Watch John Cena's Night of Champions matches here.
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