Friday 26 May 2023

WWE Night of Champions 2023 Highlights Full Show and Live Streaming HD

 

WWE Night of Champions 2023 PPV Live in Jeddah Saudi-Arabien 5/27/23 May 27th 2023





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WWE Night of Champions 2023 Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights

Sana Ejaz Khan
    The World Heavyweight Championship.
    The World Heavyweight Championship.WWE

    Welcome to ProfessionalPK's live coverage and recap of WWE Night of Champions 2023. This year's show is taking place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, hence the early start time of 1 p.m. ET.

    The main attraction at the pay-per-view was the finals of the World Heavyweight Championship tournament to crown an inaugural holder of the newest title in the company.

    We also saw Brock Lesnar taking on Cody Rhodes, while Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa challenged Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens for the undisputed tag team titles, and Bianca Belair defended the Raw Women's Championship against Asuka, and much more.

    Let's take a look at what went down Saturday at Night of Champions.

Seth Rollins vs. AJ Styles (World Heavyweight Championship)

1 OF 8

    The first match of the night is one many people think should have been the main event. Rollins and Styles battled in the final round of the World Heavyweight Championship tournament to crown the first champion.

    Both men came out to great reactions from the crowd. Rollins came out second, so the fans in attendance were able to keep singing his music for a little while.

    They took their time making contact, but once they did, Styles nailed Rollins with a dropkick and sent him out of the ring. The Visionary avoided a slingshot forearm and smiled at his opponent. He taunted The Phenomenal One before taking him down with a sling blade.

    For the first several minutes, this was a competitive back-and-forth contest. Once Rollins ran Styles' face into the middle turnbuckle, he started to gain some momentum.

    Styles hit a backflip DDT, but it only kept Rollins down momentarily. The Visionary recovered and hit a buckle bomb followed by a frog splash for a two-count. It was at this point when both guys started breaking out their big moves in an attempt to put each other away.

    Rollins appeared to land hard on his knee during a suicide dive, so Styles immediately locked him in a Calf Crusher when they got back into the ring.

    As expected, these two pulled out all the stops to deliver a match worthy of being in the main event, which makes the fact that it opened the show that much more surprising. Regardless of where it was placed, this is going to be remembered as one of the best matches of the weekend.

    Rollins countered the Phenomenal Forearm with a superkick but his knee buckled when he went for the Stomp. He was able to hit a Pedigree before finally hitting the Stomp for the pin and the win. Triple H presented him with the belt at the end.

    Winner: Seth Rollins

    Grade: A


    Notable Moments and Observations

    • WWE's production team is second to none. It can make a mid-level storyline feel like the most important feud of the year sometimes. The package that opened the show was great. 
    • The stage was huge. The walk to the ring was a little on the long side because the stadium is so big. 
    • Rollins' jacket was appropriately ridiculous. 
    • It's always great when early near-falls only get a one-count. It allows them to keep getting closer and closer to the pin over time. When they start with close two-counts, there is nowhere to go from there. 
    • The suplex Styles used to send Rollins into the corner was nasty. Rollins looked like he landed right on his head, but that is just because he is good at selling the spot. 
    • No matter who does it, a reverse superplex always looks so precarious. 
    • The way Rollins landed on the apron after Styles suplexed him was scary. 
    • Styles didn't get his head up when Rollins went for the Stomp, so Rollins was forced to adjust in midair. 

Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus

2 OF 8

    The second bout on the card was the grudge match between Becky Lynch and Trish Stratus. The two former champions did not waste any time going right after each other.

    They quickly took the fight out of the ring where Trish threw Becky into the steel steps. for the next few minutes, this match was all Stratus.

    She spiked The Man with a tornado DDT but failed to keep her down for a three-count. She started to get vicious by pulling Becky's hair and scraping her face across the mat.

    Lynch found her second wind and started to take control. She hit an exploder suplex and a leg drop from the middle rope for a near-fall.

    These two kept a good pace throughout the match, but it was definitely a little sloppy at times. They didn't botch anything big, but little moments stood out that held this back from being as good as it could have been.

    Lynch managed to beat a countout and kick out after a Chick Kick as they built toward the finish. Stratus was able to get out of the DisArmHer and got her foot on the rope to break the count after a Manhandle Slam.

    Zoey Stark appeared out of nowhere and hit her finisher on Becky while the ref had his back turned. This allowed Trish to hit Stratusfaction for the win.

    Winner: Trish Stratus

    Grade: C+


    Notable Moments and Observations

    • Lynch busted out the Bruce Lee/Kill Bill-inspired gear for this match. 
    • Trish definitely looked like she was more prepared for this match than she was for her tag match with Becky. 
    • Trish dropped way too early on a neckbreaker and it made the move look very awkward. 
    • Trish's spinebuster looked good. 
    • Corey Graves said "I paid $11 for a blue checkmark. That makes me a journalist." 

Mustafa Ali vs. Gunther

3 OF 8

    Mustafa Ali received a very warm reception when he came out to challenge Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship.

    They locked up and the champion immediately asserted his dominance by throwing Ali to the mat like it was nothing to him.

    Ali avoided a chop and hit one of his own. He tried to use his speed to stick and move, and it worked for a little while, but The Ring General stopped him in his tracks with a bodyslam.

    Ali began to rally after taking a lot of punishment. He hit a tornado DDT but was unable to hit the 450. Gunther dropkicked him into the corner before powerbombing him to get the win.

    This wasn't a very long match, but they packed enough into the minutes they had to make it feel longer. They did a good job telling the underdog story of Ali, but we all knew Gunther was going to retain. That was never in question.

    Winner: Gunther

    Grade: B-


    Notable Moments and Observations

    • Ali had special gear made for this match. It looked good. 
    • The first chop Gunther connected with was brutal. Each one after was just as bad, but the first one was almost surprising. Ali sold it like a champ. 
    • Some guys are so good at selling and making people look good that they almost only get booked to put other people over more than they are booked to win. Dolph Ziggler is one of those guys. So is Ali. 

Bianca Belair vs. Asuka

4 OF 8

    The Raw Women's Championship was on the line in a rematch from WrestleMania 39 when Bianca Belair took on Asuka.

    They locked up and this immediately turned into a physical fight. They rolled around the ring trying to get the upper hand for a moment before Belair scored the first major takedown.

    They each spent a minute or two at a time in control before the other would take over. The match kept that kind of pace for several minutes, but once Asuka began to focus on hurting Belair's arm, she seemed to get comfortable in the driver's seat.

    The EST hit a backbreaker to stop The Empress's momentum and begin her comeback. You could hear the crowd beginning to cheer more for Asuka as the match progressed.

    The longer the match went, the easier it was to see how the ending was going to play out. Asuka missed when she tried to spray Belair with the mist, but she used her hand to wipe some of it in the champ's eyes before kicking her in the head for the pin to become the new champion.

    Belair and Asuka have built up great chemistry as opponents. They put on a fun show in this bout, but it may have fallen just short of their 'Mania encounter. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what made it different. It just was.

    Winner: Asuka

    Grade: B-


    Notable Moments and Observations

    • Both women did a great job coming up with new gear to adhere to the rules. They looked great. 
    • This might be the coolest face paint Asuka has had yet. 
    • Belair only ever hits a dropkick with one leg. It's weird because you know she is capable of hitting it with both legs if she wants to. The one-leg technique seems safer but definitely doesn't look as good. 
    • Belair's braid started coming apart about halfway through the match. This happened at Backlash too. It seems like whenever they have an international show, they may have to rely on different hair and makeup people who don't know how to properly put the braid together.  
    • There was a weird moment outside the ring with some shoving. It seemed out of place. 

Rhea Ripley vs. Natalya

5 OF 8

    Natalya and Rhea Ripley took center stage to fight over the SmackDown Women's Championship, but as usual, where Rhea went, Dominik Mysterio was not far behind.

    The Irradicator attacked Natalya right after the bell and absolutely destroyed her. She won in just a couple of minutes in what might be the closest thing we have seen to a squash match on a PPV in a long time.

    There wasn't much to this, so it's very hard to grade. It made Ripley look dominant, but she always looks that way, so having Nattie job to her seemed a little pointless.

    Winner: Rhea Ripley

    Grade: Incomplete


    Notable Moments and Observations

    • It was Natalya's birthday. 
    • Ripley's attire looked like it would squeak every time she moved. 

Brock Lesnar vs Cody Rhodes

6 OF 8

    The penultimate match of the night was the showdown between Lesnar and Rhodes. The Beast made his way out first. When Rhodes came out, he received his usual massive reception from the crowd.

    Rhodes had his arm wrapped with a brace. Lesnar looked like a predator zeroing in on his already injured prey. The American Nightmare tried to use his quickness to avoid him, but Lesnar was able to corner him before hitting a belly-to-belly suplex.

    Rhodes started using his cast as a weapon and drove Lesnar out of the ring with a huge forearm strike. He nailed him with a suicide dive and climbed to the top rope for a double ax handle.

    The Beast grabbed him in a Kimura lock and rolled over so Rhodes couldn't like he did at Backlash. The American Nightmare made it to the rope to force a break and countered an F5 into a Cross Rhodes for a close two-count.

    Lesnar put him back in the Kimura and the ref called for the bell once it was clear Rhodes was unable to fight back.

    Considering the story they were trying to tell, this was the best way this fight could have played out. It wasn't a Match of the Year candidate by any means, but it accomplished what it needed to and that's what matters. Both Superstars did good work.

    Winner: Brock Lesnar

    Grade: B


    Notable Moments and Observations

    • During the pre-show, Rhodes gave a quick backstage interview while wearing a sling. He seemed confident but still realistic about what could happen to him in this match. 
    • Rhodes had very convincing facial expressions when selling the pain he was feeling. 
    • If that cast had titanium in it, it was only small strips for support. They made it seem like he was hitting Lensar with a metal gauntlet. 

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens vs. Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa (Tag Titles)

7 OF 8

    The main event of the night saw Reigns and Sikoa team up to challenge Zayn and Owens for the Undisputed Tag Team Championships.

    Zayn wore special entrance attire and gave himself and KO a special introduction in Farsi, much to the delight of the crowd. Owens and Reigns started for their teams, but KO tagged out to Zayn so he could face off with The Tribal Chief.

    After listening to the crowd chant for Zayn, Reigns tagged Sikoa to a chorus of boos from the crowd. It took a few minutes after the bell for anyone to make contact. Sikoa backed Zayn to the corner and brushed off a chop like it had no impact. He responded by beating Zayn down in the corner.

    The Tribal Chief allowed Sikoa to do most of the heavy lifting while he occasionally provided a distraction or attacked someone while the ref was distracted. When it was his turn to get in the ring, he took it to his former ally with no remorse.

    This match had a slow pace because they were focused more on storytelling than packing as many moves into each minute as they could. It worked well for what they were trying to accomplish, especially because Zayn, Owens and Reigns are such great storytellers in the ring.

    WWE gave them a long time and they made sure to pack in a lot of dramatic moments, including a ref bump when Reigns speared him by mistake.

    The Usos appeared and attacked Owens at ringside. They tried to hit Zayn with a double superkick, but they hit Solo on accident. The Tribal Chief was pissed and started pushing The Usos around. Jimmy drilled Reigns with a superkick and Jey yelled at him.

    Jimmy said he is doing what Jey should have done a long time ago and then kicked Reigns again. He got a conflicted Jey to leave with him as Sikoa started getting to his feet. KO took him out with a Stunner and Zayn followed up with a Helluva Kick. A new ref showed up and counted the pin.

    Winners: Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens

    Grade: A


    Notable Moments and Observations

    • Reigns' entrance has officially become as long as The Undertaker's entrance. At least he was walking a little quicker this time since the aisle was so long. 
    • It's still surreal to see Zayn at a Saudi Arabia show. He had tears in his eyes during his entrance. 
    • The way Reigns had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand was great. Everything he did got the desired reaction. 
    • Reigns is the best at the 2.99 kickout. 
    • Reigns spearing Owens a split second after taking a Stunner was a nice spot. 

WWE SmackDown Highlights Full Show and Live Streaming HD 26 May 2023

 

WWE Smackdown Live 5/26/23 May 26th 2023



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WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction, Highlights from May 26

Sana Ejaz Khan

    The Bloodline's Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa appeared on the KO Show Friday night.
    The Bloodline's Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa appeared on the KO Show Friday night.Credit: WWE.com

    Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns will seek to add more gold to his increasingly impressive resume when he partners with Solo Sikoa to challenge Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens Saturday afternoon at Night of Champions but Friday, The Tribal Chief joined The KO Show in the headlining segment of SmackDown.

    What did The Head of the Table have to say when he shared the squared circle with his sworn enemies?

    Find out with this recap of the May 26 Fox broadcast, including live grades and analysis of each segment.

Match Card

1 OF 9

    Scheduled for Friday's go-home episode of SmackDown are:

    • The Bloodline on The KO Show
    • United States Championship Match: Sheamus vs. Austin Theory (c)
    • AJ Styles vs. Karrion Kross
    • Rick Boogs vs. LA Knight
    • Shotzi and Raquel Rodriguez vs. Damage CTRL (Bayley and Iyo Sky)
    • Cameron Grimes vs. Ashante Thee Adonis
    • Raw Women's Champion Bianca Belair promo

United States Championship Match: Sheamus vs. Austin Theory

2 OF 9

    Credit: WWE.com

    The opening contest of Friday's show deserved a better finish than the interference-heavy one that it got, which saw Pretty Deadly's Kit Wilson and Elton Prince sticking their noses in the business of The Brawling Brutes, their attack on Butch and Ridge Holland providing a distraction that allowed Austin Theory to roll up Sheamus and retain the United States Championship.

    At least it made sense, though, building on the foundation of a feud that was laid a week ago when the British baddies stole a victory over their fight-loving rivals.

    The match between Theory and Sheamus was a damn good one, a hard-hitting match that would have fit right in on Saturday's Night of Champions premium live event. The chemistry was there, Theory proved he could hang with The Celtic Warrior and the crowd was into it despite it being the opening match of a second SmackDown taping.

    There is more meat on that proverbial bone, a potential rematch more than welcome at some point in the near future.


    Result

    Theory defeated Sheamus to retain


    Grade

    B


    Top Moments

    • Theory sent Sheamus into the steel post, then dropped him on the ring apron to seize control of the match entering the break.
    • Butch and Holland prevented the champion from utilizing a steel chair, the momentary distraction allowing Sheamus to grab hold of his opponent and deliver 25 Beats of the Bodhran.
    • Pretty Deadly got involved, providing a distraction of their own, and allowing Theory to roll Sheamus up for the win and successful title defense.
    • Backstage, Jimmy Uso stood up to Roman Reigns, only to be talked down by his brother, Jey. Reigns taunted Jimmy, reminding him of what happened between them when they were kids. This was excellent and continued to tease The Usos' divorce from The Bloodline.

Shotzi and Raquel Rodriguez vs. Bayley and Iyo Sky

3 OF 9

    Credit: WWE.com

    Raquel Rodriguez and Shotzi earned a big win ahead of Monday's Fatal 4-Way Women's Tag Team Championship Match, knocking off Bayley and Iyo Sky of Damage CTRL in a competitive bout Friday night.

    Ultimately, the match was less about the new babyface tandem and more about the mounting dissension within the heel faction.

    Bayley and Sky have teased tension in the past, mostly centered around the latter standing up to her teammate and demanding a championship opportunity at Backlash. She lost in that match and since then, things have been a bit out of whack for her and the Role Model.

    Look for that to intensify Monday and moving forward as Sky and Bayley inch closer to a split that will enhance the singles roster but weaken a tag division that lacks depth as it is.


    Result

    Rodriguez and Shotzi defeated Bayley and Sky


    Grade

    C


    Top Moments

    • Michael Cole reminded fans that Shotzi and Rodriguez had partnered before, just in case you lost track of Raquel's revolving door of partners.
    • Shotzi launched herself through the ropes with a tope suicida, wiping out her opponents at ringside.
    • Sky delivered a missile dropkick to Shotz but not before Rodriguez dropped down to avoid it and pinned Bayley for the win. Sky and Bayley teased miscommunication and tension after the match.

Cameron Grimes vs. Ashante Thee Adonis

4 OF 9

    Credit: WWE.com

    Cameron Grimes continued his winning ways Friday, knocking off Ashante Thee Adonis of Hit Row in quick and decisive fashion. Baron Corbin, still smarting following his loss to Grimes two weeks earlier, attacked and left the newcomer lying to the dismay of the fans.

    And therein lies the meat of this segment.

    Corbin is the perfect first opponent for Grimes, especially as management tries to get fans to buy into the NXT export. Maybe one of the best heels in wrestling, Corbin can get fans to cheer for Grimes, something a lesser opponent would struggle to do.

    Their eventual match should be a lot of fun.


    Result

    Grimes defeated Adonis


    Grade

    C


    Top Moments

    • "Great...now they're all wearing the Mr. Wrestling II masks," Cole said of Hit Row's fashion choices. "Mr. Sports Entertainment. Come on, Cole," Wade Barrett responded with the line of the show.
    • Top Dolla tripped up Grimes, allowing Ashante to take control of the bout.
    • Grimes delivered the Cave In for the win.
    • Corbin attacked Grimes on the ramp, laying him out and intensifying a rivalry that started with an upset loss to the NXT call-up a few weeks back.

Bianca Belair Promo

5 OF 9

    Credit: WWE.com

    Bianca Belair will defend the Raw Women's Championship against Asuka at Night of Champions but The EST hit the ring Friday night for a promo on The Empress of Tomorrow that ended with her top contender attacking her from behind.

    Producers rushed the ring, a mini brawl ensued and Belair stood tall to close out a segment of television that highlighted the feud while subsequently doing nothing to enhance it.

    This was the definition of a segment that was strictly "there," with no real benefit to speak of except for providing the criminally underutilized women's division something to do.


    Grade

    C


    Top Moments

    • Belair admitted she no longer respects Asuka because this version of her opponent is different. 
    • "I'm not just giving her a rematch, I'm giving her a fight because now, I want a fight!" 
    • Asuka jumped Belair from behind and tried to apply an armbar. Officials rushed the ring to split the two up, with Belair momentarily getting the best of her Night of Champions opponent and standing tall. 

Rick Boogs vs. LA Knight

6 OF 9

    Credit: WWE.com

    LA Knight continued to build momentum for himself as one of the hottest stars in wrestling, feeding off the energy of the crowd to score an admittedly crooked victory by raking the eyes of his opponent, Rick Boogs, and delivering the BFT for the pin.

    More interesting than the match or the outcome was The Street Profits' Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins sitting in on commentary and coming across as more heel than one would anticipate.

    Even after the match, the response to Knight's promo felt like the hallmark of a heel act than the babyface duo they have been for the last four years.

    Might Knight be utilized as the emphasis for the Street Profits to turn heel and freshen things up a bit? Considering how over the loudmouth, brazen competitor is, there are certainly worse booking decisions to be made.

    Like not using him at all.


    Result

    Knight defeated Boogs


    Grade

    C


    Top Moments

    • The Street Profits joined Cole and Barrett on commentary, one week after defeating Boogs and Knight in tag team action.
    • Knight raked the eyes of Boogs and delivered the BFT (Blunt Force Trauma) for the win.
    • "This y'all's man?" Ford turned to the fans in the front row and asked. Interesting.

AJ Styles vs. Karrion Kross

7 OF 9

    Credit: WWE.com

    AJ Styles looks as good as he has in years as he prepares to battle Seth Rollins at Night of Champions for the reintroduced World Heavyweight Championship. He proved as much Friday night in a strong match against Karrion Kross.

    A back-and-forth, ultra-competitive match was narrowly won by The Phenomenal One, who capitalized on a single mistake and delivered his trademark springboard forearm for the pinfall victory.

    With Rollins likely to win the title Saturday afternoon, it would hardly be a bad thing for Triple H and WWE Creative to revisit this match-up with a full-fledged storyline to boot.

    Styles and Kross had solid in-ring chemistry and, with the latter still looking to build creative momentum and forge a connection with the audience, utilizing someone with the experience and credibility of Styles would surely accomplish that.


    Result

    Styles defeated Kross


    Grade

    B+


    Top Moments

    • Michin chased Scarlett from ringside, preventing her from interfering on behalf of Kross.
    • Kross drove Styles into the ring post with a powerbomb and controlled the match throughout the break.
    • Styles delivered the Phenomenal Forearm for the pinfall victory.

The KO Show with Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa

8 OF 9

    Credit: WWE.com

    There are very real cracks in the foundation of The Bloodline following Friday's episode of SmackDown, with Jimmy and Jey Uso showing defiance in the face of Roman Reigns, but eventually (momentarily?) reuniting with him to close out the show.

    Along the way, the most dominant faction in modern WWE history brutalized Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, leaving the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions lying to close out the show and put a bow on the final hype for Saturday's Night of Champions main event.

    The Bloodline storytelling remains superb, with the focus reverting back to the fractured relationship between Reigns and The Usos that dates back to the start of The Tribal Chief's historic reign as champion in 2020.

    Rumors and speculation of its demise were greatly exaggerated. At some point, Jey Uso is going to drop Reigns and the crowd's reaction will be otherworldly, something everyone involved with this program deserves.

    It appears to be coming sooner rather than later, too, and when it does, the WWE Universe will have another one of those magical moments it can point to a generation from now as one of the company most defining.

    That can be attributed to the strong, believable and convicted performances of the men involved.


    Grade

    A+


    Top Moments

    • The Usos made their way to the ring, seemingly disobeying Reigns' wishes, much to the dismay of Paul Heyman.
    • "He has been right about everything the whole time. He's been right about the way that Roman Reigns treats you and he has been right about you deserving better," Owens said. "He calls himself the 'Head of the Table' but you're looking at the heart of the table right here." 
    • "You went from being the best tag team in WWE history to being Roman Reigns' little errand boys," Owens told Jimmy and Jey.
    • "When it comes to the Day Ones, I am The Tribal Chief!" Jimmy said, raising his finger in the air in a declarative statement, to the jaw-dropped chagrin of Heyman.
    • "The Bloodline is collapsing and it's all your fault," Zayn told Reigns. 
    • Jey willingly handed over one set of Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships to Sikoa. Jimmy hesitated to do the same in regard to Reigns. It was Jey who took them from him and meekly handed them to The Head of the Table, who stood tall to close the show.

Overall Grade

9 OF 9

    With the exception of the superb Bloodline stuff, Friday's show felt very much like a pretaped placeholder, but with a few intriguing pieces.

    Kross was fantastic in his match with Styles and could really benefit from consistent creative that allows him to explain who he is without relying on cryptic promos. He can bring it in the ring but he needs to find a way to channel his charisma into a character fans can identify and understand.

    Until that happens, letting him work with Styles and have the type of matches we saw tonight is a perfect opportunity for him.

    Ditto Austin Theory, who still feels like he is one or two elements away from being the star that Triple H, Vince McMahon and the WWE power players believe him to be.

    Still, despite their creative shortcomings, Theory and Kross showed out Friday night, planting the seeds for them to expand upon their roles on SmackDown in the foreseeable future.

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