WWE Night of Champions commences this weekend in Saudi Arabia. There are big implications for WWE’s hottest event of the season, SummerSlam, as the winners of the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments will earn world championship matches in August.

Outside of the tournament matches and a generational rematch of one of WWE’s hottest rivalries, there is more action to stay glued to.

JACOB FATU VS. SOLO SIKOA FOR THE UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP

One of the more intriguing storylines on WWE SmackDown this year is Jacob Fatu’s emergence out of Solo Sikoa’s Bloodline. After Sikoa finished with Roman Reigns for the right to be the “Tribal Chief,” Sikoa noticed Jacob Fatu’s popularity growing — and Fatu realized it too.

Jacob Fatu finally turned on Solo Sikoa at Money in the Bank, costing Sikoa a guaranteed opportunity at the world championship, but now Sikoa is coming for the United States Championship. This jealousy might be rooted in Jacob Fatu’s popularity with the WWE Universe, or Fatu winning singles gold before Sikoa did on the main roster, but this will be a combustible match.

Everyone knows Jacob Fatu has “it” but this is a great opportunity for Sikoa to find chemistry against one of his cousins. I wouldn’t be surprised if Solo Sikoa shocks the world and takes the United States Championship from Jacob Fatu with outside interference. Is this where Tama Tonga returns? Tonga Loa? Or maybe we see the debut of Hikuleo?

Expect this to be Jacob Fatu’s fight for the next couple of months to take down Solo Sikoa and reclaim the United States Championship.

KARRION KROSS VS. SAMI ZAYN

While the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments culminate this weekend, Sami Zayn enters the weekend bittersweet. Zayn was in the tournament and fell short of getting to the finals. Meanwhile, Karrion Kross is getting momentum with the WWE Universe.

Both have similar paths. It took Sami Zayn a while for fans to rally behind him, while Karrion Kross might have the same reception with the fans. Kross is being recognized for his hard work and fans are pushing for him to have a key match on bigger events, so this will be Kross’s first singles match on a premium live event.

Kross is a talent who doesn’t need a win for his character development to continue making progress. I expect Sami Zayn to win, but Karrion Kross is going to leave a lasting impression on Sami Zayn. Could we see a character change for Sami Zayn soon, like Kross has changed so many people in the past?

RHEA RIPLEY VS. RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ

Much like Sami Zayn would rather be in the finals of the tournament, Rhea Ripley is in the same boat. Ripley was cost the opportunity by Raquel Rodriguez to advance in the tournament, and then Ripley returned the favor.

Ripley and Raquel have a feud that extends to Ripley’s beef with Liv Morgan for taking the Judgment Day, Dominik Mysterio, and the Women’s World Championship from her. Anytime Rhea Ripley has downtime in a program, she can always circle back to Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez, and the Judgment Day.

How can you have a match on an international premium live event without your biggest female superstar? Rhea Ripley needed to be on the card, despite not making the tournament finals, and will overcome Raquel in this match.

ASUKA VS. JADE CARGILL IN QUEEN OF THE RING FINALS

Since Rhea Ripley didn’t make it to the tournament finals, we have two people who could make history instead.

Asuka recently returned from a serious health issue that kept her out of action. Coming back to see Damage CTRL naturally split amongst injuries and Dakota Kai’s release, the Empress of Tomorrow is coming back with a vengeance to claim her spot at the top of the women’s division again. Asuka took the world by storm ten years ago in NXT, translating that to the main roster in 2017-20, and now she’s ready again.

Opposing her is Jade Cargill who has made the transition from AEW to WWE, skipping the developmental system and trying to adjust her in-ring skills to wrestle more than two-minute Goldberg-esque matches. Cargill was in a tag team with Bianca Belair and while we thought their paths would collide, it was Naomi who entered a feud with Cargill. While Naomi left that feud with a new edge, Cargill needed direction and she finds herself on the path to the throne.

It’s a toss-up. Asuka would likely challenge former Damage CTRL stablemate Iyo Sky for the Women’s World Championship, while Jade Cargill would enter a new feud with WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton. For the history, I believe Asuka will have the advantage and likely become Queen of the Ring. Cargill will have her time, it just won’t be this weekend.

CODY RHODES VS. RANDY ORTON IN KING OF THE RING FINALS

While we have had a Queen of the Ring Tournament established over the last few years, it wouldn’t be possible without the King of the Ring Tournament that took off many years ago. With the likes of Bret Hart, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Booker T, and so many more, we have Cody Rhodes or Randy Orton who will become King of the Ring for the first time.

While this tournament has been meant to thrust new stars into the main event scene, Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton don’t need this tournament to make them household names, but they’ll be fighting for an opportunity to get revenge on John Cena for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam. Cody Rhodes lost to Cena at WrestleMania, while Randy Orton lost his chance at Backlash.

We’ve wanted Cody Rhodes against Randy Orton for quite some time, and fans fantasized Orton turning on Cody to get to this match, but we have friendly fire with a shot at the crown and the richest prize in the industry. I foresee Cody Rhodes getting a rematch at SummerSlam, and we get Rhodes-Cena II.

JOHN CENA VS. CM PUNK FOR THE WWE CHAMPIONSHIP

While the consensus seems to be that John Cena will retain the WWE Championship this weekend in Saudi Arabia, we shouldn’t overlook this match. CM Punk and John Cena had a historic feud that revolutionized the industry back in 2011 at Money in the Bank. Chicago pro wrestling events were never the same because it really ignited a Punk-crazed fanbase, and we hear chants of the Second City Saint every time WWE, AEW, or any other company lands in the Chi-town area.

Fans would love to call back to the Cena-Punk feud that fed families 14 years ago, but the reality is John Cena is trying to ruin wrestling. Expect to have a sour taste in your mouth after Night of Champions, but it’s to set up Rhodes and his rematch.

How do you see WWE Night of Champions shaping out? Let us know in the comments below who wins the tournaments and walks away champion.