5 Reasons Why WWE Night Of Champions 2026 Will Be A Disappointment
WWE News: Night of Champions 2026 looks packed on paper, but a lot of matches already feel predictable. From Roman Reigns missing a title defense to Cody Rhodes' expected win and underdeveloped rivalries, here are 5 reasons the PLE could disappoint.
WWE hasn't exactly slowed down since WrestleMania 42. In just over two months, fans have already gone through Backlash, Saturday Night's Main Event, Clash in Italy and now Night of Champions. A packed schedule can keep things exciting, but it also puts extra pressure on every Premium Live Event to feel different from the last one. That's where Night of Champions faces a challenge. On paper, the show has title matches and tournament finals, but several parts of the card already feel predictable or underdeveloped. Some of WWE's biggest stars are missing from major matches, while a few championship bouts haven't been given much story heading into the event. Here are five reasons this show could struggle to live up to expectations.
5. A Jey Uso victory could leave WWE's booking in an awkward spot
Oba Femi has looked nearly unstoppable since arriving on the main roster at the Royal Rumble. Outside of his loss to Brock Lesnar in their Clash in Italy rematch, WWE has presented him as one of the company's most dominant names.
Now he's one win away from becoming King of the Ring. The problem is that his momentum doesn't necessarily make him the favorite. WWE could still have unfinished plans involving Brock Lesnar, especially if a third match is being saved for SummerSlam. If that's the direction, Oba losing because of outside interference becomes an easy outcome to predict.
That would likely hand the tournament win to Jey Uso. While Jey winning isn't impossible, it could also make Oba's recent booking feel less convincing after months of building him into a powerhouse.
4. Several matches lower on the card haven't been given much to work with
Big event crowds usually respond best when there's a reason to care before the bell even rings. That's one area where Night of Champions looks a little thin.
Trick Williams is set to defend the United States Championship against Ricky Saints, but the rivalry hasn't had much time to develop. Ricky is still relatively new to the roster, making the match feel more like a fresh pairing than the payoff to an ongoing story.
The women's United States Championship match has a similar issue. Jade Cargill is back in the mid-card title picture to challenge Tiffany Stratton, but the pairing risks feeling repetitive instead of fresh if fans have already seen similar booking patterns.
3. Roman Reigns isn't defending the World Heavyweight Championship
A Premium Live Event called Night of Champions naturally raises expectations around championship matches. That's why Roman Reigns' role stands out.
The World Heavyweight Champion has spent recent weeks rebuilding the Bloodline instead of entering a new title feud. Since defending the championship against Jacob Fatu, Reigns hasn't started another rivalry, and he didn't appear on RAW this week either.
His only possible involvement could come during the King of the Ring final if Jey Uso faces Oba Femi. If that happens, Reigns would still influence the show without actually putting his championship on the line.
2. The Queen of the Ring final already feels easy to predict
Liv Morgan reaching the tournament final creates an interesting matchup with IYO SKY, but there's one detail that's difficult to ignore. Morgan is already the Women's World Champion.
That raises questions about whether WWE would really have her win Queen of the Ring as well, especially when the tournament winner earns a championship opportunity. Based on the current setup, IYO SKY appears to be in the stronger position.
The situation becomes even more straightforward when possible distractions are considered. Whether it's Roxanne Perez turning on Morgan or Stephanie Vaquer returning, those scenarios would simply explain a Morgan loss rather than change the expected result.
1. Cody Rhodes retaining the WWE Championship feels like the expected finish
The main event should usually leave fans wondering who walks out with the title. This time, that uncertainty isn't as strong.
Cody Rhodes enters his triple threat title defense against Gunther and Sami Zayn as the reigning WWE Champion, and another successful defense seems like the direction heading into SummerSlam.
The issue isn't Rhodes winning by itself. It's that his championship run has followed a familiar pattern for a long time. He overcomes every obstacle, keeps the title, and moves on to the next challenger.
According to the current booking, that formula may continue at Night of Champions. If that's how the show closes, WWE could leave one of its biggest events of the summer feeling more like a stop on the road to SummerSlam than a destination on its own.