Night of Champions raises questions ahead of SummerSlam
WWE’s Night of Champions succeeded in advancing storylines and building matches for SummerSlam, its second biggest event of the year, taking place in just five weeks in Minneapolis.
But before that, Saturday’s event from Saudi Arabia raised several questions ahead of WWE’s two-night summer spectacular.
Sami Zayn is the new Undisputed WWE Champion, shocking Cody Rhodes in a triple threat match with Gunther to win his first world title. Now that he’s the man, for however long that may be, his reign should be more than a lifetime achievement award, and one successful title defense would give it immediate credibility.
But who should Zayn’s first challenger be?
Williams defeated Zayn to win the United States Championship at WrestleMania 42, then beat Zayn again to retain the title at Backlash. As SmackDown’s secondary champion and a perfect 2-0 against Zayn, Williams makes the logical choice, especially for Saturday Night’s Main Event on July 18, the final big card before SummerSlam.
Roman Reigns gave Jey Uso orders to win the King of the Ring, then the Undisputed Championship. Instead, Uso lost to Oba Femi, inviting the question: what does “Main Event” Jey tell his Tribal Chief?
“You’re in trouble, Uce.”
Uso letting Reigns know just how dangerous Femi is should shake the OTC’s confidence, especially when Oba declares that he’s coming for Reigns’ title at SummerSlam.
That’s right, when, not if.
Femi has to choose whether he’ll face World Heavyweight Champion Reigns or New Undisputed Champ Zayn at SummerSlam. Between the two, Reigns is the more accomplished wrestler and arguably the company’s biggest star. If Femi truly wants to stake his claim as the King and “The Ruler,” then he needs to knock off the king of the jungle.
Injuries have derailed The Vision since last fall. Logan Paul and Bronson Reed are on the shelf. In storyline, Paul Heyman is, too.
Last Monday on Raw, they lost the World Tag Team Championship, and now their top prospect, Bron Breakker, lost to Seth Rollins, the group’s former leader. In the middle of their decline, Austin Theory has been pursuing Maxxine Dupri.
So, what’s next for The Vision?
It’s tough to say. The group is in such disarray that it’s hard to see how they recover, collectively or individually. If anything, their struggles do make them a compelling watch moving forward.
Seth Rollins brought The Vision into the world at WrestleMania 41, and he seemingly took them out at Night of Champions. Where does “The Visionary” go from here?
Rollins has made it clear that he wants his world title back. That means a confrontation with Reigns. The problem, though, is that Femi likely has next.
Rollins could force a triple threat at SummerSlam, or he could maneuver a title match at Saturday Night’s Main Event, which takes place at Madison Square Garden. “The World’s Most Famous Arena” would make a fitting location for the ultimate showdown between Reigns and Rollins, the two former Shield brothers.
Whichever direction WWE chooses, it likely involves Rollins getting back in the hunt sooner rather than later.
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