WWE Night of Champions 2014: Handicapping Most Likely Swerves at Marquee PPV

Most wrestling fans are focused on Monday’s edition of Raw, but Sunday is the 2014 edition of WWE’s Night of Champions pay-per-view at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.

With a card headlined by WWE world heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar defending the title against John Cena, rumors and speculation about possible swerves at the marquee event are running rampant through the wrestling community.

Here are the most likely possible swerves for Sunday’s PPV and the odds of each coming to fruition.

Dean Ambrose Interrupts Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns

Odds: 75 Percent

One of the top matches on the card for Night of Champions is Mr. Money in the Bank Seth Rollins squaring off against Roman Reigns. The former friends were both members of The Shield, but this will be the first time they go head-to-head in singles competition at a PPV.

Unless Dean Ambrose makes his triumphant return and injects himself into the match.

Ambrose has been out for weeks while recovering from a head injury (or filming a movie), and it would be great to see him return to the WWE Universe by attacking Rollins in the middle of his match with Reigns.

Reigns would have an issue with Ambrose ruining his PPV match and giving him the disqualification loss, and that could begin the rift between the two friends. With Hell in a Cell on the horizon, the concept of the three members of The Shield having their first Triple Threat match inside the steel structure is incredibly intriguing.

Whether the match takes place inside the steel structure or is just a standard three-way bout, the possibility of having Ambrose vs. Rollins vs. Reigns should have all wrestling fans ready for the swerve at Night of Champions.

The Wyatt Family Attacks Dolph Ziggler Mid-Match

Odds: 60 Percent

While the feud between Dolph Ziggler and The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship has been fun and light-hearted, there is a chance that the title scene gets very serious if Bray Wyatt and The Wyatt Family get involved.

According to F4WOnline, via WrestlingInc.com, there are rumors that Ziggler will feud Wyatt for the IC title. If this latest scuttlebutt is accurate, interference at Night of Champions would be the perfect way to set up a bout at Hell in a Cell.

Wyatt is not currently booked in a match. As entertaining as The Miz’s character has been, Bray Wyatt would be a much better challenger for Ziggler and would add validity to the title. Bray interfering in the match would allow Miz to take the win, Ziggler to retain the title and the feud to officially begin.

One of the biggest criticisms of Wyatt is his limited in-ring ability, but he has proved he can have great matches with elite workers such as Daniel Bryan and Chris Jericho. With Ziggler widely regarded as one of the best pure wrestlers in the company, an extended feud for the IC title would be exactly what both men and the championship need right now.

The Ascension Costs The Usos the Tag Team Championships

Odds: 40 Percent

The WWE has been teasing The Usos losing their tag team championships for weeks, and Sunday may be the ideal time to let Gold and Stardust walk away victorious.

It would also be the perfect moment to have The Ascension make their main-event debut by distracting the defending champions and costing them the victory. Add in a post-match beatdown, and Konnor and Viktor would instantly be credible.

After losing the NXT Tag Team Championships at last Thursday’s NXT Takeover, the eventual call-up to the main roster should happen sooner rather than later. A long-term battle against The Usos without the tag team titles on the line would be a smart way to introduce the duo as a heel tag team to casual fans of the WWE Universe.

Gold and Stardust would have a face team to challenge if Big Show and Mark Henry come together once again, and the tag team division would instantly receive a boost with the added depth The Ascension brings.

The Usos have been at the top of the division for long enough. It’s time for the tag team to pay the company back by putting over The Ascension strong when the team finally makes its long-awaited debut.

For more wrestling talk, listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot topics or catch the latest episode in the player below (some language NSFW).

Follow @Donald_Wood

Follow @RingRustRadio