Squared Circle: WWE Night Of Champions 2010 Thoughts and Predictions

This article would usually be a more in-depth look at the matches but to be honest I haven't been keeping up with my wrestling very well for the past few weeks.

So instead of the usual week by week analysis this will purely be a look at what I think of the matches and the outcomes I believe will accompany them.

SPOILER ALERT - Possible Smackdown Spoilers - SPOILER ALERT

Personally I always look forward to this PPV. There is something about seeing all the belts defended that makes this a more credible gimmick PPV when compared to the likes of TLC or Fatal 4-Way. I think it also helps that the PPV retained the history of Vengeance thanks to the 2005 edition that was titled Vengeance: Night of Champions. Back in 2001 Vengeance had a tournament between The Rock, Stone Cold, Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho for the Undisputed WWE World Championship. So keeping this heritage makes sense.

Interesting Note: This years Night of Champions is the first time the event has taken place outside the month of July. With the only other exception being Vengeance 2001 that was that year's December PPV.

There is a possibility that we may see Christian vs. Alberto Del Rio and I'll quickly say this.

When it comes to this type of match usually the new boy will get the push to make him more credible. Since this match is not really confirmed this is all I'll write about it.

Big Show vs. CM Punk

Lets start the Night of Champions predictions with the non-title match of the night. These two have been feuding for a while and most of their showings on Smackdown have been quite entertaining...at least when they have been talking on the mic.

What is extremely noticeable about this rivalry is that CM Punk has less of a following these days. No Serena, no Luke Gallows and no Joey Mercury.

Considering at the last PPV Big Show managed to win a 3-on-1 handicap match against Punk's entourage in all seriousness this should be a walk in the park for Big Show.

Punk has almost been buried by the feud and needs the win to maintain some credibility. I think I have to go with him just because so much has gone against him in the last few weeks.

Winner: CM Punk

Women's and Diva's Unification: Melina Vs. Michelle McCool Or Layla (Lumberjill)

Oh thank god these belts are being unified, there should have never been two in the first place.

The cruiserweight division was cut and we got an abomination of a women's division to replace it. Apart from this, I can't really comment on the rivalry between Melina and Lay-Cool because there was none.

Melina won the championship, Lay-Cool attacked, unification match was made and that was it. All the participants have been doing odd bits on their shows but have not come into conflict much with the exception of Raw 900.

So onto the winner. Since Lay-Cool have yet to announce who will participate I'm going to make two predictions depending on the match.

If I was a betting man I would say Layla will get picked because she is the official Women's Champion despite what the other Smackdown beauty might say. In this case Melina will win and that will be that.

If Melina is to fight Michelle McCool I think that Lay-Cool will end the match as champs. It could allow the two belts thing to continue or build a rivalry between McCool and Layla as to who the true champ is, turning one face in the process.

Winner (vs. Layla): Melina

Winner (vs. McCool): McCool

Tag Team Championship: The Hart Dynasty (c) Vs. ???

Well this Sunday will see every title defended. Unfortunately for the tag team championship no match has been officially announced.

At a guess, since reading what is going to happen on Smackdown, they will face Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes on the night. No doubt the Harts will retain in this filler match that will last no longer than five minutes.

On a side note if there is no match made for this Sunday then that is the final nail in the coffin for the Tag Team division.

If it is considered so lowly that it can't get booked for a single PPV gimmick WWE should just stop it right now.

Winner: Hart Dynasty

United States Championship: The Miz (c) Vs. Daniel Bryan

I think even if this match had absolutely terrible build-up it would still be one of the most anticipated matches of this Sunday. The fans have wanted it and are now getting it. Daniel Bryan fighting for his first championship in WWE.

Bryan has done an excellent job of putting himself over as the face that everybody feels they could be friends with.

As he pointed out in a promo on Raw; he comes out to generic rock music, gets $10 haircuts and has to wear his wrestling gear backstage so security do not throw him out of the arena.

Whilst the fans eat up the charismatic dynamos such as The Rock or Hulk Hogan, the down-to-Earth type is also extremely popular.

The Miz on the other hand had been playing the cowardly heel. At every opportunity he has ducked Bryan and attacked him from behind.

The only problem I have with The Miz in recent times is the fact he never defends the US Championship as much as he should.

Usually I would have picked Bryan to win this match and take the championship. He's a relatively new star in WWE and the belt would give him a boost.

Plus I'm sure he would defend the gold quite a lot as WWE may struggle to find him some decent stories for a period of time. Most weeks he has been bettered by The Miz, with the exception of the last Raw.

Despite The Awesome One's attempts to escape a submission match with his former NXT Rookie he would end up in the LeBell Lock tapping out.

This extra momentum for Bryan makes it harder to predict whether he will win the championship.

I am convinced Daniel Bryan will be victorious but Miz will retain by DQ or Countout.

Winner: Daniel Bryan

But Still Champion: The Miz

Intercontinental Championship: Dolph Ziggler (c) Vs. Kofi Kingston

Please let this be their last encounter for a while. This must be almost the tenth time they have fought over the Intercontinental Championship. They have almost had every variety of ending.

There is only so much you can do with two guys until it becomes stale. I know Kofi is a relatively unorthodox wrestler but even he has limits to what he can do to vary match to match.

Its odd that for this match they have put in Ziggler can lose by DQ or countout.

It is usually a stipulation put in place when the face has been chasing the belt, not when they are trying to recover it. Usually this means, at mid-card level anyway, that the face will be taking back the belt.

How bad it is that I wrote more about the Divas match?

Winner and New Champion: Kofi Kingston

World Heavyweight Championship: Kane (c) Vs. The Undertaker (No Holds Barred)

Yay, Undertaker and Kane again (he says with a slightly underwhelmed voice). Yes after his third attempted murder of his brother The Undertaker, Kane is once again facing off with the Deadman.

Technically, the base of the story is the same. Kane goes into the match really outdoing his brother at everything he is good for and looks like he will win. The only difference this time is the World Heavyweight Championship is on the line.

I think it was predictable that Kane was the attacker. Judging the build up of the actual rivalry it has not been terrible but it hasn't been stellar either.

Some of the face offs between the two have been OK but I think maybe the audience is growing tired of talks about Hell and the Darkside.

Playing The Undertaker as drained of power has at least made The Phenom look like the underdog going into this story.

To be honest he needs to be because as I have said before, the story has been done already it needs something new (sarcasm for those who haven't been paying attention).

Actually what I have liked about the story is that Kane has some control over Taker's "power". It might mean we get to see some weird stuff happen this Sunday.

I feel the story is definitely going to last until Hell in a Cell. If I am right and they bring back the urn to give Taker "his power back" then it will stretch to Survivor Series to align with Taker's debut anniversary. So for now Kane will retain the championship.

Winner and Still Champion: Kane

WWE Championship: Six Pack Elimination Match

Like many multiple-man match ups in recent years the build is never fantastic. Even the best of creative teams have a hard time trying to cram so much talent into one story.

Luckily, the type of match usually lends itself to PPV buys. After all there is something about elimination matches that entertains everyone.

Possibly it is because we all know there will be fast paced action with several interesting spots. Or its because there is usually the chance that an unlikely star can walk away as champion.

The match is full of superstars who have at some point in their career been a world champion. Since there is so many to look at lets break it down into the six individuals starting from the left of the picture to the right.

John Cena - The former WWE Champion has been on kryptonie recently after losing two matches in the past three weeks. Being pinned by Justin Gabriel in the five-on-five elimination tag and then put through a table by Orton during their match on the last Raw.

Heck when this match was announced Cena received an RKO. I don't think I've known Cena in the past couple of years to actually suffer such luck. It's almost as if he has a big prize around the corner...

Randy Orton - Orton like Cena has had less luck than usual in recent episodes of Raw but essentially is still being booked like a God when it comes to free television.

Personally I think this is to make sure his face turn keeps momentum while suffering a torrid PPV record this year.

The last time he won by pinfall was at WrestleMania XXVI and the only other time this year he won at a PPV was last month. A DQ win over Sheamus. I don't see the trend being broken anytime soon.

Sheamus - The reigning champ has been booked reasonably well this month although he still not getting the clean wins required to be take 100 percent seriously.

His Falls Count Anywhere Match with John Morrison goes to show that WWE feels he still needs cheap victories to heighten his status as a heel.

Interesting note: Sheamus by Night of Champions will have had the longest WWE Championship reign since Triple H's 2008 championship run. If he keeps the title it will be the ideal set up for a Triple H return.

Edge - WWE just do not know what to do with Edge recently. His backstage segments have been entertaining and his conflicts with the GM have somewhat given him something to do over the past month but otherwise he has been getting into feuds with those that are not involved with this match.

Considering last Monday he sang along with Jillian while the Raw Roulette was spinning I can't say he has WWE Champion written all over himself.

Chris Jericho - This is the one you really want to know about right? The man formerly known as Y2J gave an ultimatum that if he did not become WWE Champion at the PPV he would quit and walk away from the company.

Most people seem to be concerned that this will be the last we see of Jericho because his contract is up soon.

I personally don't hold this too seriously, I feel at worse Jericho will disappear for a few months and return around about the Royal Rumble.

As far as I know he has a tour of the UK with Fozzy in October so he will be at least gone for a month.

Wade Barrett - Sorry but Wade Barrett is not ready to become WWE Champion. I think WWE know it and regret giving the winner of NXT a chance at winning the top prize.

It would have made more sense to allow him to compete for the Intercontinental or US Championship. It seems like putting him in a mix up with five other highly superior superstar is WWE's way of making him cash in his title match and then pushing him down into mid-card.

So pretty much I have eliminated four members from my own belief of who will win this match. It's now down to two men John Cena and Sheamus. It's a tough one but I'm going to refer you back to my first article on this site.

It was about the WWE devaluing the championship by not letting anyone hold on to the belt for more than 90 days. By this Sunday, Sheamus will have held the belt for 91 days.

By WWE's standards that means a title change is required. Since John Cena has always been the one to get the championship off the heels I would have to be a fool not to pick him.

Winner and New Champion: John Cena

Ending Note

So far I would say this PPV was on par with last year's build up as I was looking forward to it but not excited.

I hope Night of Champions does give me some surprises on the day as if anything I do hate it when I predict everything correctly.

One last question before I finish. The Million Dollar Championship should it have been defended? I would have liked to see the belt play some role in the company again other than DiBiase's trophy piece.

Seriously Maryse already does that job for him. Give the belt something to do!

All in all though it doesn't matter how it all turns out. I hope you all have fun if you decide to watch Night of Champions.