WWE Night of Champions is this Saturday, and fans are buzzing for what has the potential to be an unforgettable night. While there’s massive focus on the King and Queen of the Ring finals, the highly anticipated title matches are stealing just as much of the spotlight.
Three massive championship matches anchor the card, starting with Trick Williams putting his United States Title on the line against Ricky Saints. Tiffany Stratton is also ready to make history as she defends her Women’s United States title against Jade Cargill, marking the first time that the title has been defended on a major PLE.
Rounding out the championship line-up is a blockbuster Triple Threat match, as Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes puts his gold up for grabs against Gunther and Sami Zayn.
This Saturday’s card is undeniably loaded with potential instant classics, and there’s nothing quite like the rush of a blockbuster title change that catches everyone completely off guard. We’re taking a trip down memory lane to rank the top five most explosive, unforgettable title changes to ever go down at Night of Champions.
5. Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr. Win the Tag Team Championships (WWE Night of Champions 2008)
We’re kicking things off with one of the most bizarre title changes in WWE history: Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr. capturing the World Tag Team Titles at Night of Champions 2008. Heading into the event, Rhodes was already champion, carrying the gold alongside his veteran partner, Hardcore Holly.
For weeks, DiBiase Jr. had been hyping up his debut, proclaiming that he would win the title belts in his very first match with a “mystery partner.” But when he walked down the aisle, he was completely alone, claiming his partner was “running late” and forcing the referee to start the match as a handicap bout.
But the second the bell rang, chaos erupted. Rhodes instantly turned on his own partner, dropping Holly with a devastating DDT. With the crowd in shock, Cody then grabbed a microphone to reveal the ultimate twist: he was DiBiase’s mystery partner all along. DiBiase Jr. stepped into the ring, locked Holly in the Million Dollar Dream, easily securing the pinfall and the gold.
When the dust settled, Cody Rhodes had technically lost the championships to himself. It was a completely mind-bending twist, easily scoring a place on this list.
