WWE Night of Champions 2014: Superstars Who Will Exceed Expectations

Given that the gimmick of the event is that all championships are to be defended, Night of Champions is a great opportunity for champions and challengers on the undercard to be given a spot to impress.

With that in mind, it's not difficult to see the Intercontinental Championship match scheduled for the event as a major platform for Dolph Ziggler and The Miz, as well as the latter's "stunt double," Damien Sandow.

The feud between Miz and Ziggler has bubbled away for several weeks now, and especially since Sandow has been interjected, it's starting to feel like it has some real meat on its bones.

All three men are victims of half-hearted main event pushes that soon fizzled out, but it seems like now they're finally being given what they need—compelling midcard plotlines that allow them to connect with their audience and organically rise up the card.

Between the three of them, there's enough personality and in-ring acumen to deliver the goods in segments and in the ring—with the outcome of this match up in the air, especially given Sandow's unknown involvement in proceedings, this could very well be one of the best matches of the evening a week from Sunday.

Cesaro and Sheamus find themselves in a very similar situation. The build to their United States Championship encounter hasn't been particularly inspired but has certainly served its purpose. Not every feud needs all that much to set up a match—the important thing is that something is going on to keep it on the periphery of the fans' minds, a luxury midcard titles often don't receive.

Of course, the main appeal of this pairing is the match itself. These two are among the most consistently excellent in-ring talents on the roster and always put on a great show when put together. Their match at Payback earlier in the year was very good, and there's no reason why this encounter won't be even better.

Aside from the title matches, there are a couple of veterans who look poised to go the extra mile at Night of Champions, one of them being Chris Jericho.

The latest Y2J comeback has been better than most, as Jericho has put on good matches with Bray Wyatt at the last couple of pay-per-views. However, it seems like his latest run might be coming to an end based on an Instagram post where he hinted that his match with Randy Orton at Night of Champions would be his "last hurrah."

Following on from his huge dive off the steel cage this past Monday on Raw, Jericho seems like he has a point to prove, and going out on a great match with Orton would be a great way of doing just that. The pair have faced off many times in the past and had great chemistry doing so; we might just be in for something special from the two at Night of Champions.

Finally, "The World's Strongest Man" Mark Henry has been on a collision course with "The Super-Athlete" Rusev in recent weeks, and when the two square off in 10 days' time, it's sure to be a slobberknocker.

Coming off a hugely entertaining programme with Jack Swagger, expectations should be high for another great performance from Rusev. However, Henry finds himself with something to prove: He hasn't wrestled on a pay-per-view since being part of the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania and in fact hasn't been involved in a pay-per-view singles match since Survivor Series 2013.

Henry will be eager to demonstrate that he can still perform at the highest level, and a clash with Rusev might be the perfect way to do just that. Both men excel in a big-man match, so fans should be anticipating a hugely entertaining throwback when these two step into the ring one week from Sunday.

Do you have your eye on another star who looks set to exceed expectations at Night of Champions? Will Gold and Stardust finally get their hands on the Cosmic Key? Will Nikki Bella take her place as the central figure of the Divas division? Will John Cena overcome the odds? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.