WWE Night of Champions: Results & Star Ratings

(Ratings out of five stars, no half-stars.)

Seth Rollins def. AJ Styles: 4****

The disappointing part of this match is that it was a few moments away from being a five-star affair. The biggest momentum-halting instance was when Seth Rollins did his finishing move to AJ's... hand? The hand hadn't been much of a factor before this, so it came out of nowhere and didn't really play into the finish.

A tremendous match between two all-time greats, no doubt. Just not a full five-star classic.

Trish Stratus def. Becky Lynch: 2**

This storyline clearly has more places to go after Zoey Stark became involved to help Trish get the victory here, so this match was simply an episode in a bigger series. That doesn't excuse the lack of stakes though. There just wasn't much to get really excited about here.

This is a tough spot on the card, and following Rollins and Styles did these two no favors. Lynch and Stratus looks good on paper, but this company has a plethora of talented women who would be far more interesting opponents for The Man. Stratus' return was fun, at first, but she's outstayed her welcome.

Gunther def. Mustafa Ali: 4****

This match went almost exactly how most of us expected it to go, and it still delivered.

There's not much you can say about this one, really. It told one of the oldest stories in wrestling, but it was executed in a very effective way. The crowd, like with Zelina Vega in Puerto Rico, elevated this one into a far more interesting match than we would have had on any given show in the States.

Asuka def. Bianca Belair: 3***

The WWE has done a great disservice to Bianca Belair. She's an amazing in-ring performer, but the company seems allergic to writing interesting storylines for her. She continues to have great matches, but it's becoming harder and harder to remain heavily invested in them.

The crowd was reserved for this one, which reflects that lack of storytelling around Belair's run. Aside from her feud with Lynch, there haven't been many compelling reasons for us to care. Belair was the longest-reigning women's champion ever, yet up and down this card, she seems to get the least amount of effort from the creative team.

Hopefully this title change will spur on a more interesting future for each of these wrestlers.

Rhea Ripley def. Natalya: 1*

I'm not against squash matches happening on big shows, but this belonged on Smackdown. A squash on a Premium Live Event has to be shocking to warrant its place. This match just upheld the status quo, and I guess you'll have to tune in Friday to see what Ripley does next.

Brock Lesnar def. Cody Rhodes: 4****

Your mileage may vary on this match, depending on how much realism you expect out of your wrestling. The antics with Cody's broken arm were a bit ridiculous, and he went in and out of selling it throughout the contest. They did tell a story here, however, and the positives far outweighed the few small negatives.

Cody is bringing some variety to these big Brock Lesnar matches, and both are benefitting greatly. There's still the obligatory three finishers per wrestler, but this is a much more interesting in-ring rivalry than Lesnar had with Roman Reigns.

Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn def. Roman Reigns & Solo: 5*****

The Bloodline storyline is the best narrative we've seen in WWE in years, and it continues to provide great moments. There was a thought that taking it past Wrestlemania 39 would begin to tire it out, but that hasn't been the case.

The wrestling here was fantastic, as is pretty much guaranteed from Reigns, Owens, and Zayn, and is beginning to feel guaranteed early in Solo's career.

The character work was also top-notch in this match. The whole cast of characters was on point, and Paul Heyman continues to be a highlight of every big Bloodline moment.

Overall Show Rating: 4****

WWE is delivering on a consistent basis right now. Every big show has plenty to offer and features minimal low points. This was a show without many climaxes, but it kept the momentum going as we now look forward to Money in the Bank.