WWE Night of Champions 2011: Predicting a Night Where All Titles Are on the Line

This Sunday is WWE Night of Champions. Once a year, we get to see all six championships in WWE get defended. While it should be that way every pay-per-view, having them all on the line once a year makes the event special in its own way.

WWE has scheduled seven matches for our viewing pleasure. Out of those seven, six of them have sufficient enough build to get a fan excited for the event.

So here’s the card and who I think will come out on top.

Kelly Kelly vs. Beth Phoenix: Divas Title

At last month’s SummerSlam, Kelly Kelly managed to overcome her biggest challenge, retaining the title against the Glamazon Beth Phoenix. Unfortunately for her, she must do it again.

Kelly has been a fighting champion ever since winning the title. While she has only defended on pay-per-view, she has wrestled every week on Raw and occasionally on SmackDown.

Beth Phoenix and her Divas of Doom partner, Natalya, haven’t done much. While they have wrestled on occasion, they mostly stood at the top of the ramp and clapped for Kelly after she would win a match.

For the past month or two, Beth and Natalya have been preaching that they are the real deal and divas like Kelly are making a mockery of women’s wrestling. While I agree with their philosophy, they’re not really following it themselves.

I think this match will change that. The Divas of Doom can only preach so much without getting results. It’s time for Phoenix to win the gold.

Winner and New Champion: Beth Phoenix

Air Boom vs. Awesome Truth: Tag Team Titles

When Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne won the Tag Team Titles, my hopes for a tag-team revival in WWE went up. Air Boom make a great team and the division could be built around them until a veteran team comes in.

At the same time, though, WWE could build the whole thing around just two teams until more arrive. That other team is The Miz and R-Truth.

I think Awesome Truth would be the overall better team to build the division around. While Air Boom are great in-ring talent, they’re not that good on the mic. Awesome Truth is not only good in the ring, but is also phenomenal on the mic. When I see Miz and Truth with a mic in hand, I make sure to pay attention.

Will Air Boom lose the titles so soon? I don’t think so. I think Air Boom will retain the titles here, and then Awesome Truth will win the belts at Hell in a Cell.

Winners and Still Champions: Air Boom

Cody Rhodes vs. Ted DiBiase: Intercontinental Title

*SPOILERS*

I was so glad to see Cody Rhodes win the Intercontinental Title. While the title is in no way back to its former glory, Rhodes has brought some legitimacy back to it. Last Friday on SmackDown and this past Monday on Raw, Rhodes had main event matches against World Champion Randy Orton.

Those are steps in the right direction in terms of bringing the title back to its former glory.

His challenger, Ted DiBiase, has been going nowhere since Legacy broke up. When he got back together with Rhodes, I saw a glimmer of hope for him. He became the champ’s lackey, and when either of them lost, Rhodes’ punching bag.

When DiBiase lost to Orton, Rhodes officially broke ties with him when he put a bag over his head. This coming Friday on SmackDown, DiBiase would get his revenge and attack Rhodes while he passed out bags to the audience.

Can Ted DiBiase turn that momentum into victory on Sunday? I doubt it. I’m giving it to the reigning champion.

Winner and Still Champion: Cody Rhodes

Fatal Four Way Match: United States Title

Dolph Ziggler vs. Jack Swagger vs. Alex Riley vs. John Morrison

For the past few weeks, Vickie Guerrero has wanted to build a stable. Her first prospect was Jack Swagger. Her current client, Dolph Ziggler, wasn’t too happy about that. Since Vickie has been looking at Swagger, Ziggler has been costing him his matches.

This past Monday on Raw, they were forced onto the same team against the team of Alex Riley and John Morrison. They would lose after Ziggler let Swagger get pinned. Later on in the night, Teddy Long announced that Ziggler would defend his title against the three other men in the match.

I can understand Swagger and Riley being in the match, but not Morrison. Ziggler is currently feuding with Swagger, and he was previously fighting with A-Ry. While I’m a fan of Morrison, he seems like a last minute addition to the fold to get fans interested in the match. It’s because of that I don’t see him winning the title.

I don’t think A-Ry is ready for a singles title just yet so I doubt he’ll win the gold either.

This will come down to Ziggler and Swagger. I think it’ll go to the all American American, which will set up Ziggler’s face turn.

Winner and New Champion: Jack Swagger

Randy Orton vs. Mark Henry: World Title

For me, seeing Mark Henry’s name there is weird. He’s worked for the WWE for 15 years and the main thing he’s known for is being the father of Mae Young’s hand baby.

After being a face for a while, he turned heel and everything changed. The World’s Strongest Man is literally a monster heel. The man is so huge it looks like he waddles to the ring.

A “monster” heel is something WWE has been missing, though. In recent memory, there hasn’t been anyone that has been a true, monster threat to a face champion. Henry is breaking that mold and has become a real threat to Randy Orton and his World Heavyweight Championship.

Is that enough to defeat Super Orton and his five moves of doom, or will Orton overcome the odds and retain?

This match can go either way. Logic says that Henry will come out on top and Orton will be inducted into the extremely corny Hall of Pain. I can’t see it happening, though. I think Orton will retain, and maybe, just maybe, Henry will capture the title at Hell in a Cell.

Winner and Still Champion: Randy Orton

Alberto Del Rio vs. John Cena: WWE Title

Am I the only one that’s been bored with this feud already?

Alberto Del Rio predictably cashed in Money in the Bank at SummerSlam and won the WWE Championship. The next night on Raw, John Cena predictably complained about how Del Rio won the title and how he’s not a real champion because of it.

That’s all Cena has been saying for weeks. As for Del Rio, he’s been running away for weeks.

Nothing about this feud excites me for the match.

One of two things will happen here. Either Super Cena will emerge and win cleanly, or Del Rio will cheat to win because it’s a sin for Cena to lose cleanly. I think the result will see Del Rio retaining via some dirty tactic.

Having Del Rio as a transitional champion would kill any and all momentum he has. I think he’ll hold onto the title for a little while longer. Not too much longer, though.

Winner and Still Champion: Alberto Del Rio

CM Punk vs. Triple H: No Disqualification Match

If Triple H loses, he must resign as Chief Operating Officer

This is a match I didn’t think we’d see until WrestleMania. I was kind of looking forward to CM Punk vs. Kevin Nash here as that would have ultimately set up the match we have now. At the same time, though, this match could set up two possible matches depending on the outcome.

While “textgate” was a huge letdown, it did set up the possibility of Triple H vs. Nash somewhere down the line. The result of this match will determine what match we’ll see.

For weeks, Punk has been pushing Triple H’s buttons. He insulted his position of power, his wife and his manhood. Nash would defend his best friend but Triple H didn’t want his help. Punk vs. Nash was set, but by the end of the night, it was changed to the match we have now.

Then it was made into a no disqualification match and everyone knew that Nash would get involved, but then Nash was fired. Despite being “fired,” Kevin Nash is going to be a huge factor in the finish.

I see two possible outcomes in this match.

1. Kevin Nash takes out CM Punk, Triple H wins, Punk vs. Nash at Hell in a Cell.

2. Nash screws Triple H, Triple H resigns as COO, Triple H vs. Nash at Hell in a Cell.

No matter the outcome, we’ll see a Team Triple H vs. Team CM Punk match at Survivor Series, but depending on what happens will depend on whose team Nash will be on.

This is a hard choice. Both outcomes are extremely possible, but something else entirely could happen. I’m going for a CM Punk win here.

Winner: CM Punk

Then, John Laurinaitis may become the new COO. I think, though, we’ll find out that Stephanie McMahon was behind everything because she was jealous that the board of directors gave the job to Vince’s son-in-law instead of his actual, flesh and blood daughter. Stephanie will then become the new COO.

WWE Night of Champions looks like it’ll be a great night, and I hope that it is. All matches have the potential to be great, but that all depends on if they’re given proper amounts of time.

Just looking at the card, I see three possible candidates for Match of the Night before they even happen. The Intercontinental and Tag Team Title matches should be great, and Punk vs. Triple H should also be something to see. That of course depends on if they’re given the time to be great.

No matter what happens, Sunday night's show should be a must see for WWE fans.