WWE Night of Champions (2008) Results: Full Recap, Matches, Commentary, Winners, Rating
The 2008 Night of Champions marked the second edition of the renowned professional wrestling pay-per-view event organized by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Featuring an electrifying array of talented wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brand divisions, the event was held on June 29, 2008, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Notably, it was the first Night of Champions event to be promoted solely under the Night of Champions banner, as the inaugural event was a cross-promotional spectacle with Vengeance known as Vengeance: Night of Champions. Consequently, Night of Champions took over from Vengeance as the prime pay-per-view offering. ##
True to the theme of the event, every match on the card was fought for one of WWE's eight then-active championships. Three championships changed hands, while the remaining five were successfully defended. The main event featured an interpromotional showdown for the WWE Championship, with SmackDown's Triple H taking on Raw's John Cena. Despite a valiant effort by Cena, Triple H emerged victorious to retain the coveted championship belt. The co-main event was also an interpromotional clash, this time for the World Heavyweight Championship. SmackDown's Edge faced off against Raw's Batista, and Edge emerged triumphant to hold on to his championship. In the main match from the ECW brand, ECW's Mark Henry defeated the champion and Raw's representative, Kane, and SmackDown's representative, The Big Show, in an interpromotional triple threat match for the ECW Championship. ##
Night of Champions drew in a staggering 273,000 pay-per-view buys, contributing significantly to WWE's augmented pay-per-view revenue, which rose by $21.9 million compared to the preceding year. The professional wrestling section of the Canadian Online Explorer website gave the entire event a 7 out of 10 stars, reflecting the impressive performances of the wrestlers and the overall spectacle of the event. Notably, this rating was higher than the previous year's ratings of 5 and 7.5 out of 10 (owing to two different writers' reviews of the show). ##
Jeff Hardy Vs Montel Vontavious Porter ##
Preceding the commencement of the event on pay-per-view, a dark match was held, which saw Jeff Hardy, the charismatic wrestler, triumph over Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP) in a thrilling encounter. In a display of remarkable agility and precision, Hardy executed a perfect Swanton bomb to secure his victory over his formidable opponent. ##
WINNER: Jeff Hardy ##
MATCH TIME: N/A ##
MATCh RATING: ** ##
WWE Tag Team Championship: John Morrison and The Miz (c) Vs Finlay and Hornswoggle ##
The opening match of the event showcased a tag team battle for the WWE Tag Team Championship. The reigning champions, John Morrison and The Miz, put their title on the line against the formidable duo of Finlay and Hornswoggle. The match ignited with a burst of energy as Finlay entered the ring, expertly crotching Morrison on the ring apron. Morrison, however, retaliated with a swift dropkick on Finlay, setting the tone for the rest of the match. ##
Miz and Morrison quickly took control of the match and dominated their opponents for the majority of the bout. A flurry of impressive moves from Hornswoggle, including a hurricanrana, a stunner, and a bulldog, briefly gave his team the upper hand, but the tide soon turned against them once again. Both teams engaged in a spirited exchange of offense, showcasing their agility and technical prowess. ##
In the end, it was Morrison who secured the victory for his team, albeit through controversial means. He regained consciousness after being hit with the Celtic Cross by Finlay, and pushed Hornswoggle off the top ropes, brutally slamming him into the ring mat to gain the pinfall and retain their tag team title. Though the match was a fiercely contested battle, it ultimately served as a fitting opening act for the Night of Champions event. ##
WINNER: John Morrison and The Miz ##
MATCH TIME: 8:46 ##
MATCh RATING: *** ##
WWE United States Championship: Matt Hardy (c) Vs Chavo Guerrero (with Bam Neely) ##
Following the exhilarating opening tag team bout, the Night of Champions event continued with a showdown for the prestigious WWE United States Championship. The reigning champion, Matt Hardy, defended his title against the wily veteran Chavo Guerrero, who was accompanied by the menacing Bam Neely at ringside. ##
Guerrero wasted no time in asserting his dominance and launched a sustained assault on Hardy's left knee, utilizing his ring smarts and technical expertise to great effect. Neely also joined in on the action, viciously grabbing Hardy's leg around the ring post while Guerrero diverted the referee's attention. ##
However, despite Guerrero's early momentum, Hardy refused to go down without a fight. He displayed remarkable resilience and fortitude, weathering Guerrero's attacks and launching some of his own. Guerrero attempted to capitalize on his advantage by executing his signature Frog splash, but Hardy was one step ahead and evaded the attack. ##
In the end, it was Hardy who emerged victorious, thanks to his sheer determination and cunning in the ring. He evaded Guerrero's attempted Three Amigos vertical suplex and followed it up with his devastating Twist of Fate finisher, which he followed with a cover and pinfall, successfully retaining his hard-earned WWE United States Championship. It was a hard-fought victory that showcased Hardy's incredible grit and in-ring acumen. ##
WINNER: Matt Hardy ##
MATCH TIME: 9:22 ##
MATCh RATING: ***½ ##
Triple Threat match for the ECW Championship: Mark Henry Vs Kane (c) and Big Show ##
The third electrifying match of the night was a Triple Threat encounter for the coveted ECW Championship. The reigning champion, Kane, had to defend his title against two formidable opponents: The Big Show and Mark Henry. The match kicked off with The Big Show and Kane collaborating to gang up on Henry. The gigantic Big Show hurled Kane out of the ring, causing the match to come to a temporary halt while medical personnel tended to Kane's injury at ringside. ##
Back inside the squared circle, Big Show took advantage of his dominance over Henry, unleashing a flurry of powerful strikes. But the return of Kane changed the tide of the match. Kane hit a flying clothesline on Henry and an uppercut on Big Show, followed by splashes on both opponents in the corner. ##
Henry then caught Kane in a bear hug, but Kane broke out and hit a double chokeslam on both rivals. A breathtaking superplex from Kane sent Big Show crashing to the canvas, but Henry capitalized on the moment and executed a powerful splash on Kane, resulting in a successful pinfall and crowning Henry as the new ECW champion. With this win, the ECW Championship was once again back to the ECW brand. ##
WINNER: Mark Henry ##
MATCH TIME: 8:18##
MATCh RATING: ***½ ##
World Tag Team Championship: Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes (c) VS Hardcore Holly (c) and Cody Rhodes (c) ##
The ensuing bout was for the prestigious World Tag Team Championship, with the champions, Hardcore Holly and Cody Rhodes, defending their titles against Ted DiBiase Jr. and a secretive partner. Before the contest got underway, DiBiase approached the microphone and informed the audience that his partner had been held up and requested a postponement of the bout. Refusing to forfeit, DiBiase challenged Holly and Rhodes to a two-on-one handicap match, with the assurance that his partner would show up shortly. The match commenced with Rhodes and DiBiase in the ring. ##
However, DiBiase expressed his desire to square off against Holly instead. Holly was subsequently tagged in, but Rhodes betrayed Holly and attacked him, making a heel turn. To everyone's astonishment, Rhodes revealed himself to be DiBiase's partner. After the turn of events, DiBiase locked the Million Dollar Dream on Holly, thus clinching the victory and the World Tag Team Championship with DiBiase and Rhodes being crowned as the new tag team titleholders. ##
WINNER: Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes ##
MATCH TIME: 1:28##
MATCh RATING: ** ##
WWE Intercontinental Championship: Kofi Kingston Vs Chris Jericho (c) (with Lance Cade) ##
The subsequent bout showcased the much-awaited clash for the coveted WWE Intercontinental Championship, as the reigning champion Chris Jericho squared off against the newly drafted Raw superstar Kofi Kingston. At the onset of the contest, Kingston displayed his agility and acrobatic prowess by overpowering Jericho with a stunning body-block and subsequently leaping onto him from the top ring corner. However, Jericho retaliated by shoving Kingston to the hard canvas outside the ring. As the action resumed inside the squared circle, Jericho applied an excruciating abdominal stretch submission hold, but Kingston managed to wriggle out of it. The two combatants engaged in a see-saw battle with neither willing to back down. ##
Jericho locked Kingston in his signature Walls of Jericho submission hold, but the resilient Kingston refused to succumb to the pain. However, the match took an unexpected turn when Shawn Michaels, the Heartbreak Kid, made his way through the frenzied crowd and hit Lance Cade with his famous Sweet Chin Music finishing maneuver at ringside. Jericho, distracted by the commotion outside the ring, released his hold on Kingston and lunged at Michaels, knocking him off the ring apron. Sensing an opening, Kingston delivered his finisher move, Trouble on Paradise, and pinned Jericho to claim the Intercontinental Championship. The fans erupted in cheers as Kingston basked in his hard-earned victory. ##
WINNER: Kofi Kingston ##
MATCH TIME: 13:28 ##
MATCh RATING: ***½ ##
Mickie James (c) Vs Katie Lea Burchill (with Paul Burchill): Singles match for the WWE Women's Championship ##
The penultimate match of the night featured a singles bout between WWE Women's Champion Mickie James and the formidable Katie Lea Burchill, who was accompanied by her brother Paul Burchill. From the get-go, both competitors displayed remarkable athleticism and technical prowess, engaging in a gripping back-and-forth tussle. However, it was Lea who gained the upper hand by hurling James shoulder-first into the middle turnbuckle, thereby inflicting damage on her opponent's shoulder. ##
Despite James' valiant efforts to mount a comeback, Lea continued to dominate the proceedings by relentlessly working on James' injured shoulder. The Women's Champion refused to back down, though, and fought back with a series of fierce maneuvers. Although James managed to take control of the match at various intervals, she was unable to vanquish her tenacious opponent. ##
In the end, it was James who emerged victorious by executing a breathtaking Mickie DT on Lea, thereby cementing her status as the reigning Women's Champion. With this hard-fought win, James proved once again that she is one of the most talented and resilient performers in the WWE women's division. ##
WINNER: Mickie James ##
MATCH TIME: 7:17 ##
MATCh RATING: *** ##
Edge (c) Vs Batista: Singles match for the World Heavyweight Championship ##
In the penultimate match of the night, Edge put his World Heavyweight Championship on the line against Batista, who utilized his imposing physique to his advantage. Batista demonstrated his strength by sidewalk slamming Edge after flinging him to the corner of the ring. The bout witnessed a seesaw battle between both combatants. Edge attempted to execute a shoulder block takedown on Batista, but the latter responded with a devastating Big Boot. In the middle of the match, Edge's accomplices, Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder, wheeled the General Manager Vickie Guerrero to the ringside to witness the contest. ##
Batista thrashed Edge with the steel steps and delivered a spinebuster, nearly securing the victory. Edge attempted another shoulder takedown, but Batista evaded it, causing Edge to collide with the ringpost. Batista then executed his signature move, the Batista Bomb, and went for the cover. As the referee was about to count the three, Vickie intervened and ordered him to stop. The referee started counting Edge out of the ring, but Edge struck him, leading Vickie to call in a new referee, Chavo Guerrero. ##
Taking advantage of the situation, Edge struck Batista with the World title belt, giving him the opportunity to claim the victory in the match. Guerrero entered the ring and raised Edge's hand as the victor, while Batista vented his frustration by tossing Vickie onto Hawkins, Ryder, and Guerrero, who were at ringside. It was a hard-fought battle, with both superstars leaving no stone unturned in their pursuit of victory. ##
WINNER: Edge ##
MATCH TIME: 17:10 ##
MATCh RATING: **** ##
Triple H (c) Vs John Cena: Singles match for the WWE Championship ##
In the highly anticipated main event, John Cena challenged Triple H for the WWE Championship. At the start of the match, both gladiators exchanged impressive moves and maneuvers, with Triple H gaining the early advantage by delivering a devastating high knee followed by a facebuster knee smash. Nevertheless, Cena managed to shift the momentum in his favor after executing a flying leg drop bulldog. Cena went for a Five Knuckle Shuffle, but Triple H countered with a spinebuster. ##
The Cenation Leader tried to continue his offense but Triple H grounded him with a series of attacks, until Cena forced Triple H out of the ring, causing the King of Kings to land awkwardly on his left knee. Capitalizing on Triple H's vulnerability, Cena relentlessly attacked his opponent's knee, slamming it against the ring post twice. Back in the ring, Cena continued his dominance by applying a chop block on Triple H's weakened knee. ##
Cena then applied the STF submission hold on Triple H, but the cerebral assassin managed to escape. Triple H attempted to execute his finishing maneuver, the Pedigree, but Cena countered it, only to almost get pinned after a close near-fall. Both warriors rose to their feet and Cena executed the FU on Triple H, but once again, he could only get a two-count. In the end, Triple H executed the Pedigree on Cena, securing the pinfall victory and retaining his WWE Championship, effectively making the title exclusive to SmackDown. ##
WINNER: Triple H ##
MATCH TIME: 21:38 ##
MATCh RATING: ****½ ##
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