Championships Will Change Hands: A Night Of Champions Preview

The day is upon us.  WWE Night of Champions starts tonight at 8/7c and will feature every championship in the WWE on the line ... and more!

I've waited to post this article until I figured that the card (which is always "subject to change") should not change anymore.  So, let's get on with it:

WWE Tag Team Championships:  The Hart Dynasty (c) vs. (the dreaded) To Be Determined

The Harts have been a letdown.  It's not their fault that they haven't been utilized well since the debacle with the Usos.  So, what do we do with the Tag Champs?  We have them lose a match to the tag team of "Dashing" Cody Rhodes and "The Chosen One" Drew McIntyre.  Rhodes and McIntyre have all of the talent in the world and this feud (which I for one hoped would be between the Harts and Christian and Matt Hardy) could help revitalize the tag titles.  We'll see if these are the opponents and if this feud continues by how it ends.  I see the Harts taking on Rhodes and McIntyre and the titles changing hands.

Winner (and New WWE Tag Team Champions):  Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre

WWE Divas and Womens Championship Unification Match:  Melina (c) vs. Michelle McCool (c)

This match is actually garnering some interest, due to the fact that we are going for a title unification.  Melina is possibly the best wrestler in the Divas division of 2010 and McCool has the most backstage power.  So far as the storyline goes, it just makes sense to put the unified belts on the better wrestler.  This being a "lumber-jill" match, look for Layla to do something that costs Michelle the titles and builds their feud for the future.

Winner (and Unified Divas/Womens Champion):  Melina

Singles Match:  CM Punk vs. The Big Show

Punk's been down lately with the destruction of the Straight Edge Society.  Also, he ended Smackdown on his back, apparently knocked out cold by Show.  All that aside, he's one of the best talents in the business and arguably the best all-around performer in the WWE.  The SES-Big Show feud has gone on long enough and you have to look at the career arcs of these superstars to see how this should end.  Paul Wight has to be near the end of things.  He's been around for years and the toll on such a large form is especially powerful.  Vince and Co. had the opportunity to build him into a credible champion again, which would have made things interesting, but that ship has sailed.  CM Punk is one of the top names in the federation and a former AND future World Champion.  It's time to put him back in the hunt for gold.  To do that credibly, he's got to win this match and end this feud.

Winner:  CM Punk

WWE Intercontinental Championship:  Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. Kofi Kingston

Kofi's push may have ended but Dolph Ziggler's has just started.  Look for Vickie to help make sure, some way or another, that her man wins in the end.  This frees up Dolph to go to another high profile feud and Kofi to move into a crowded mid-card picture.

Winner (and still WWE Intercontinental Champion):  Dolph Ziggler

WWE United States Championship:  Mike "The Miz" Mizanin (c) vs. Bryan "Daniel Bryan" Danielson

This is the only truly engrossing feud that has come out of NXT to date.  Every member of the IWC was on the edge of their seat when Bryan was announced as an NXT "rookie" and then they pulled the old facepalm maneuver when it was announced that his "pro" would be the Miz.  Nobody realized (except maybe WWE Creative) that this would be a great move in the long run.  Bryan is one of the most over superstars in WWE today and it only makes sense for him to walk out of the PPV with the US title.  This puts the title on someone who can defend it actively (and maybe lead into a unification feud with Dolph Ziggler and the Intercontinental Championship) and frees the Miz up to use his MITB contract whenever he needs to.

Winner (and new WWE United States Champion):  Daniel Bryan

Six Pack Challenge for the WWE Championship:  Sheamus (c) vs. Randy Orton vs. John Cena vs. Chris Jericho vs. Edge vs. Wade Barrett

It was a good move to make this an elimination match, thus dismissing the possible "you never pinned the actual Champion" challenge that always seems to come out of three-way and four-way matches when a new Champion is crowned without the reigning champ being pinned.  That being said (and I hate to make the haters boo, but haters are gonna hate), I don't actually see the title changing hands tonight.  Watch for Randy Orton and Sheamus to be the last two and Sheamus to "cheat" to beat Orton (not sure what the exact rules on disqualifications would be here, so it might not technically be cheating; just something underhanded), leading to a Sheamus vs. Orton feud that will be settled next month at Hell in a Cell and will lead to HHH's return in time for Survivor Series.

Winner (and still WWE Champion):  Sheamus

No Holds Barred Match for the World Heavyweight Championship:  Kane (c) vs. the Undertaker

And if you liked that prediction, you're just going to love this one.  Taking the title away from Kane at Night of Champions could very well kill every bit of heat he has right now.  This is a feud that needs to end next month at Hell in a Cell and Kane losing tonight would not allow the crowd to stay into him long enough for that to happen.  Besides, Kane has been cutting the best promos of his career and letting his intelligence speak to the audience.  This may very well be the smartest man in the WWE.  And tonight, he beats his "brother" to further their feud.  The best thing of all is that both men will come out of the match looking strong.

Winner (and still World Heavyweight Champion):  Kane

So, that's it.  Those are the predictions.  Hope you enjoy the show.