WWE Night of Champions 2023 – Match card, rumours and start time
After WrestleMania Saturday and WrestleMania Sunday went down a storm, there was something of a dip before a return to form with Backlash. Now it's time for Night of Champions 2023.
To put it simply, when it comes to PPVs/Premium Live Events, WWE seems only capable of putting on bangers at the moment.
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So there's a record to keep up, and there's hope that even another controversial visit to Saudi Arabia doesn't knock it off course.
Yep, for the first time since Crown Jewel 2022, the WWE is back in the Kingdom, and yet again there's plenty of legitimate gold and glory on the line.
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The Raw Women's Championship is up for grabs. Roman Reigns is returning to Tag Team wrestling, going for the titles alongside Solo Sikoa against Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn.
Cody Rhodes and Brock Lesnar go at it again. And Seth Rollins and AJ Styles go head to head to be named the first (new) World Heavyweight Champion.
There's also plenty more excitement on the bill for Night of Champions 2023, which takes place at the Jeddah Super Dome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Saturday, May 27, 2023 with a start time of 1pm ET/10am PT (6p in the UK).
A one hour kick-off show starts at Midday ET/ 9am PT (5pm the UK).
What's the full match card and predictions for WWE Night of Champions 2023?
World Heavyweight Championship: Seth 'Freakin' Rollins vs AJ Styles
A lot of big names have fallen by the wayside in the tournament that's left us with Seth Rollins and AJ Styles.
Both of these men have been multi-time WWE world champions. Both will be a fine ambassador for the new belt with the old name.
As for who will nab that crown, it's something of a coin toss, but we're going for Seth 'Freakin' Rollins, who feels like he's been buzzing around a big title win for a while now, while Styles feels a little further back.
PREDICTION: Seth 'Freakin' Rollins
WWE Raw Women's Championship: Bianca Belair (c) vs Asuka
We've been constantly impressed with just how strong Bianca Belair has been as WWE Raw Women's Champion, and still constantly predicting that she's surely going to lose at some point.
And yet Bianca has fended off challenger after challenger, including Asuka herself at WrestleMania just gone.
Well, this time, we're probably going to walk bang into the same old trap again, as we can't see Asuka passing up a second bite of the apple.
It may be cheap. It may involve a spray of green mist or two. But Asuka is going back on top.
PREDICTION: Asuka
WWE SmackDown Women's Champion: Rhea Ripley (c) vs Natalya
There are few people in any wrestling company right now who have the sheer momentum of Rhea Ripley.
She's gone from making up the numbers in the Judgement Day to being not just the champ, but the Mami of all our hearts.
Natalya, on the other hand, has felt overlooked for quite some time. She's always putting up a great fight, but hasn't had the gold that her efforts have really deserved.
And unfortunately for her, we can't see that changing at Night of Champions. Rhea is just too strong right now for Nattie to knock her off her perch.
PREDICTION: Rhea Ripley
WWE Intercontinental Championship: Gunther (c) vs Mustafa Ali
It's an era of strong champions in the WWE at the moment, and Gunther is as strong as they come in every sense of the word.
Mustafa Ali has had a few opportunities over the years (not as many as he deserves, to be brutally honest), but he really feels up against it.
As it goes though we're on a roll of predicting some big upsets, so... why not?
Mustafa Ali doesn't have the sheer strength or overwhelming momentum of Gunther, but with a title reign as long as his and the odd so stacked in his favour, there's the very real risk of complacency seeping in.
You saw that with Gunther's goons eliminating Matt Riddle from the match. He clearly sees Ali as a lesser opponent.
But Mustafa Ali is no slouch. If anyone can spring a surprise, it's a clever, technical performer. He just might do it.
PREDICTION: Mustafa Ali
WWE Tag Team Championship: Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn (c) vs The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa and Roman Reigns)
The Bloodline finally fractured with the departure of Sami Zayn ahead of WrestleMania.
He returned to his Fight Forever Best Frenemy Kevin Owens, and they dethroned a Bloodline lineup of Jimmy and Jey Uso.
The Usos failed to win the rematch, and now The Head of the Table has decided to join forces with Solo Sikoa and show The Usos how it's done.
It's the first time the former Big Dog in The Shield has targeted Tag Team gold since those days.
It's also the first time a main roster Sami Zayn has wrestled in Saudi Arabia, with Syria's readmission to the Arab League and the relationship between those two countries beginning to thaw.
So plenty of story. Plenty of emotion. But we think that KO and SZ will upset Roman Reigns once more, and put another crack in that armour.
PREDICTION: Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
Cody Rhodes vs Brock Lesnar
It was The Bloodline that did for Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania.
His story didn't have the happy ending so many predicted when he first returned to the WWE, and then - after an injury comeback - when he won the Royal Rumble.
Reigns used all means, foul and fair, to overcome, and Cody didn't even get a rematch. He's at the back of the queue, and now not even on the right brand.
We think the Raw/SmackDown split won't be as strict as it sometime is, but Cody Rhodes has bigger problems.
He beat the odds to beat Brock Lesnar at Backlash, but next to NOBODY beats Brock Lesnar twice.
Of those who beat him once, John Cena, Triple H, The Undertaker, Goldberg, Seth Rollins and Bobby Lashley all won once and lost the return. Drew McIntyre didn't even get a rematch.
And that's why we think that Brock Lesnar will come out on top. Yet we think Cody will demand and overcome.
PREDICTION: Brock Lesnar
Becky Lynch vs Trish Stratus
On her occasional returns to the WWE over the past decade or so, Trish Stratus has always proved every single time that she absolutely has it.
She's taken it up a notch this time around though, bringing out her bad side and taking the fight to the People's Favourite Becky Lynch,
Things got EXTREMELY personal at their contract signing (WOOF!) which takes everything up even more.
Things are gonna get emotional out there, and we think that Trish will take advantage of that to get one over on Bex and make a statement that she's here to stay and take as many names as she can, maybe on the way to singles gold.
PREDICTION: Trish Stratus
What date and start time is WWE Night of Champions 2023 the UK?
WWE Night of Champions 2023 takes place in the UK at 6pm on the morning of Saturday, May 27, 2023.
A one-hour kick-off show starts at 5pm.
What date and start time is WWE Night of Champions 2023 in the US?
WWE Night of Champions 2023 has a projected start time of 1pm ET/ 10am PT on Saturday, May 6, 2023.
A one-hour kick-off show starts at Midday ET / 9am PT.
How do I watch WWE Night of Champions 2023 ?
The venue for WWE Night of Champions 2023 is the Jeddah Super Dome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and tickets are available now.
If you're not making the trip, you can watch on the WWE Network (direct in the UK, or via Peacock in the US) which we highly recommend, or if you don't have a fast and reliable internet connection, the more traditional – and expensive – pay-per-view.
How do I live stream WWE Night of Champions 2023 on the WWE Network?
To watch the premium tier for live PPVs, which includes WWE Night of Champions 2023, the WWE Network is priced at £9.99 per month in the UK – first-time subscribers get a month free.
You can access it via the following platforms and devices – click for info on how to access with each app:
In the US, to access the WWE Network you need to subscribe to Peacock after the WWE signed a deal in 2021 to give the NBC service exclusive access. It'll only set you back $4.99, and you get oodles of other content too.
You can sign up for Peacock here.
How do I watch WWE Night of Champions 2023 on WWE pay-per-view in the UK?
You can buy WWE PPVs in the UK via BT Sport Box Office, after a deal was struck in 2019 that saw UK broadcast rights for WWE move from Sky to BT Sport starting January 2020.
How do I watch WWE Night of Champions 2023 on WWE pay-per-view in the US?
You can only watch WWE PPVs in the US via Peacock.
What are your predictions for WWE Night of Champions 2023?
Let us know at @digitalspywwe. Catch up on Raw, Smackdown, NXT and all the big WWE action via the WWE Network or BT Sport.
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