Brand(s) RawSmackDown Date 19 September 2010 Promotion WWE | Sponsor(s) Paper Jamz Attendance 13,851 | |
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Themesong(s) "Freefall" by Two Steps From Hell Location Allstate Arena, Maine Township, Illinois, United States | ||
Night of Champions (2010) was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and presented by WowWee's Paper Jamz, that took place on September 19, 2010, at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. It was the third annual event to be promoted solely under the Night of Champions name and the tenth annual event under the Vengeance/Night of Champions chronology. Similar to the previous three events, the concept of the show was that every championship in the company was defended at the event. It was also the first Night of Champions event to feature a non-title match. Seven matches took place at the event. The event had 165,000 buys, down on the 2009's Night of Champions figure of 267,000 buys.
Contents
Background
Night of Champions featured professional wrestling matches involving different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds, plots, and storylines that played out on World Wrestling Entertainment's (WWE) television programs. Wrestlers portrayed villains or heroes as they followed a series of events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.
At Fatal 4-Way in June, Sheamus won the WWE Championship in a Fatal 4-Way match, and at Money in the Bank in July, defeated John Cena to retain the title in a Steel Cage match. At SummerSlam, Sheamus lost to Randy Orton by disqualification, but retained the title. On the August 23 episode of Raw, the Anonymous Raw General Manager set up a series of matches to determine the #1 contender to the WWE Title, and allowed Sheamus himself to handpick his opponent for Night of Champions. Edge defeated R-Truth. Chris Jericho defeated The Great Khali. Orton defeated John Morrison and Ted DiBiase in a Triple Threat Match. The Miz defeated Cena by disqualification. During the night, Wade Barrett called off The Nexus' "truce" with Sheamus, and at the end of the night decided to cash-in his right (due to winning the first season of NXT) to challenge for the WWE Title at Night of Champions. However, the general manager announced that Sheamus would defend his WWE Title against Orton, Cena, Jericho, Edge, and Barrett in a Six-Pack Challenge at Night of Champions. On the 900th episode of Raw, Chris Jericho added a stipulation that if he doesn't win the title, he'll leave the WWE. However, the next week, he faced John Morrison in a match where he'd be taken out of the Night of Champions match if he lost. Jericho lost the match and was removed from the Six-Pack Challenge. On the September 13 episode of Raw, the Anonymous Raw General Manager announced the match was changed to an elimination format. In addition, the General Manager also offered Chris Jericho an opportunity to re-insert himself in the match in a handicap steel cage match against The Hart Dynasty. Jericho defeated the duo and was reinserted to the Six-Pack Challenge.
Almost three months before the pay-per-view, The Undertaker had been mysteriously put in a vegetative state. Upon finding out about this, Kane, Undertaker's brother, had attempted to seek vengeance on the culprit. At Money in the Bank, Kane had won the Money in the Bank ladder match and cashed in his briefcase later that night against Rey Mysterio to win the World Heavyweight Champion. Mysterio invoked his rematch clause on Kane at SummerSlam but failed. During the weeks before SummerSlam, Kane was convinced that Mysterio was the one behind the attack on his brother and upon defeating him, tried to put him in a casket when The Undertaker emerged inside it. Upon seeing his brother again, Kane attacked Undertaker, turning heel. On the September 3 episode of SmackDown, Kane challenged Undertaker for the title and promises to end The Undertaker for good.
Another rivalry involved an inter-brand match involving the WWE Divas Champion Melina and the WWE Women's Champion Layla and Michelle McCool, collectively known as Team Lay-Cool, in a Title Unification Match. On May 14, Layla had pinned then-Women's Champion Beth Phoenix in a two-on-one handicap match which awarded Layla the championship. However, both Layla and McCool decided to make themselves Co-Women's Champion (as, by their logic, the Championship was won in a handicap match), going as far as splitting the main championship belt to keep co-reign. At SummerSlam, Melina had won the Divas Championship from former champion Alicia Fox. After the match, Lay-Cool had attacked Melina, stating they had defeated everyone on the SmackDown brand while champions and decided to go after Raw Divas. On the 900th episode of Raw, Lay-Cool challenged Melina to a Title Unification match. Melina accepted under one condition, their match would be a Lumberjill match.
Another rivalry from Raw involved champion The Miz against Daniel Bryan for the WWE United States Championship. The feud had begun during the first season of NXT, when The Miz was Bryan's storyline mentor, and felt that Bryan did not respect him. Bryan had been released from WWE in June, but returned at SummerSlam to join Team WWE, taking The Miz's place. Afterward, the two resumed their rivalry, distracting or attacking each other during matches, with The Miz joined by his rookie from the second season of NXT, Alex Riley. On the September 6 episode of Raw, Bryan challenged The Miz for the United States Championship, which The Miz accepted.
Another SmackDown rivalry involved the Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler and Kofi Kingston. On the August 6 episode of SmackDown, Ziggler defeated Kingston for his Intercontinental Title. Kingston got a rematch at SummerSlam only for The Nexus to interfere resulting in a no contest. After this, Kingston got many rematches against Ziggler only to be disqualified for one of them and counted out for another. To correct this, General Manager Theodore Long declared that Ziggler would defend his title against Kingston and if he were to be disqualified or counted out, then he would lose the title.
Preliminary matches
The event opened with Dolph Ziggler defending the Intercontinental Championship against Kofi Kingston. The match ended when Kingston attempted Trouble in paradise on Ziggler but Ziggler avoided the move, trapping Kingston's leg n the ropes. Ziggler executed a Zig Zag on Kingston to retain the title.
Next, Big Show faced CM Punk. In the end, Punk attempted a Springboard Clothesline on Big Show but Big Show delivered a Spear in mid-air and executed a KO Punch on punk to win the match.
After that, The Miz defended the United States Championship against Daniel Bryan. Bryan forced Miz to submit to the Lebell Lock to win the title.
In the fourth match, Women's Champion Michelle McCool faced Divas Champion Melina in a Lumberjill match to unify the titles. In the end, Layla interfered, starting a brawl involving the Lumberjills. McCool executed a Big Boot on Melina to win the match.
Main event matches
In the fifth match, Kane defended the World Heavyweight Championship against The Undertaker in a No Holds Barred match. At the start of the match, Undertaker attacked Kane on the entrance ramp, throwing Kane into a pillar on the entrance ramp. After brawling inside the ring, Kane threw the broadcast table cover at Undertaker. Undertaker performed a Clothesline on Kane, knocking Kane over the Barricade into the timekeeper’s area, and leapt over the Barricade onto Kane. In the end, Undertaker delivered a Chokeslam to Kane for a near-fall. Undertaker attempted a Tombstone Piledriver on Kane but Kane countered the move into his Tombstone Piledriver on Undertaker to retain the title.
Later, a Tag Team Turmoil match for the WWE Tag Team Championship took place. Defending champions The Hart Dynasty (David Hart Smith and Tyson Kidd) and The Usos (Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso) began the match. The Hart Dynasty were eliminated after Kidd was pinned by Jey following a Superkick. Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov entered next. Santino and Kozlov were eliminated after Jimmy pinned Marella following a Samoan Drop. Evan Bourne and Mark Henry entered fourth. The Usos were eliminated after Bourne pinned Jimmy following an Air Bourne. Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre entered last. Rhodes performed a Cross Rhodes on Bourne to win the title.
In the main event, Sheamus defended the WWE Championship against Wade Barrett, Randy Orton, John Cena, Edge and Chris Jericho in a Six-pack challenge elimination match. Orton eliminated Jericho after an RKO. Cena eliminated Edge after an Attitude Adjustment. After interference by The Nexus, Barrett eliminated Cena after a Wasteland. The Nexus attacked Orton but Cena used a chair to attack The Nexus. Orton eliminated Barrett after an RKO. Sheamus executed a Brogue Kick on Orton for a near-fall. Sheamus attempted a High Cross on Orton but Orton countered the move and pinned Sheamus after an RKO to win the title.
Reception
A sellout crowd of 13,851 people attended Night of Champions live at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois.
Writing for The Sun, Rob McNichol rated the event 8.5 out of ten. He praised most of the matches, especially the United States Championship match, Kane vs Undertaker, and the main event, which he described as "superbly booked".