The show begins with Triple H already in the ring with the Shield standing guard outside of the ring. He wants to introduce the face of the company. So, out comes Randy Orton. As the face of the company, Orton says it is his responsibility to keep the company from being tarnished. The crowd lets loose with “NO!” chants. Orton says that last week, Bryan defaced property of Orton, so he had no choice but to deface Bryan on SmackDown, with the help of your friendly neighborhood Shield. Orton wants to play a Q&A game. Should Daniel Bryan face Orton at Night of Champions for the title? Orton says no, but the crowd disagrees. Does Daniel Bryan have a chance of beating Orton at Night of Champions? No, says Orton. Will Daniel Bryan ever amount to anything in the WWE, or will he always be a B+ player? Should Daniel Bryan give up his opportunity to face Orton at Night of Champions? Orton enthusiastically says yes. Triple H says it is his responsibility to put out the best available product for the WWE fans, who deserve the best. It is also his responsibility to ensure the safety of all superstars. He is beginning to worry about the health of Daniel Bryan. Triple H says that the crowd is not helping by cheering for Bryan. Triple H says that there once was a superstar known as Doink the Clown, who was very popular. He was never the champion, however, because it would have been bad for business. He says Daniel Bryan will never be WWE champion for the same reason. Triple H says he could bring back the cruiserweight title or European title and Bryan could compete for these.

Enter Daniel Bryan. He says he is thrilled to being compared to Doink the Clown. Bryan says that there was never a Doink chant in 1992. The only clowns that Bryan sees are the two standing in the ring. Bryan criticizes Triple H for selling out to become the corporate man, and Orton for being handed the WWE title. Bryan asks if he should end his quest for the WWE title. He says it’s the same answer to the question of whether Orton is more masculine than Stephanie McMahon. No! Bryan says he has always been told he would never be successful and that he would never be successful. Bryan loved the challenge of getting to where he is today and Orton will never understand it because he was given everything. Bryan says that Triple H knows Bryan can beat Orton, or else he would let Bryan wrestle Orton 1 on 1 instead of being placed in gauntlet matches.

Triple H cuts Bryan off and calls him a grumpy troll. Triple H says that Bryan should be angry with the Big Show as he continually stands by as Bryan is beaten. Triple H says the main event for tonight will be Daniel Bryan vs Big Show.

Triple H and Orton are walking backstange and pass Rhodes. He says that tonight’s main event will be great as long as no one gets involved. He asks why Orton would be afraid of facing of facing Bryan. Rhodes says that Orton vs Bryan is what is best for business. Triple H understands that Rhodes’s judgement could be clouded what with his recent wedding plans, to which himself nor Orton received invitations. Triple H says that for his wedding gift, Rhodes can wrestle Orton tonight. However, if Rhodes loses, it’s likely that he will no longer have a job.

Fandango vs The Miz

Miz hits an arm toss on Fandango and looks to go for the figure 4 but Fandango rolls out of the ring. Miz pursues and assaults him along the barricade, high-fiving a fan in the process. Back in the ring, Fandango beats Miz into the corner. He throws Miz to the oposite corner but he counters, bounces off the rope and hits a clothesline. Miz hits a running kick on Fandango as he attempts to get up, knocking him down and getting a 2-count.

Back from commercial, Fandango is in control. Apparently Fandango has suffered a broken nose from the kick mentioned earlier, but the match continues nonetheless. Summer Ray slaps Miz as he hangs on the rope. This appears to have angered Miz as he lands several punches on Fandango. Miz manages to throw Fandango off of the top rope. Miz attempts to hit his running kick in the corner but Fandango sidesteps. Miz manages to lock in the figure 4, forcing Fandango to tap.

Winner: The Miz

Bryan is prepping for his match as Booker T asks to talk to him. Booker says he knows that Bryan wants to rage against the machine (pop, yeahh!) but maybe he should consider dropping the title match, as he has a good thing going with the WWE and is making good money. Bryan seems insulted and say “tell me you didn’t just say that!” and says that it’s not about money, it is about his life. Booker says that Bryan’s pursuit for the gold could but Bryan’s health in danger, as well as his career.

Back from commercial, Ziggler is waiting in the ring for his opponent. He is attacked from behind by Dean Ambrose. He throws Ziggler, shoulder-first into the corner and tells him he needs to learn some respect. Cue Ryback’s music.

Dolph Ziggler vs Ryback

As he gets in the ring, the crowds lets loose with “Goldberg” chants. Once the match finally starts, Ryback hits Ziggler with a belly-to-belly suplex and punishes him on the ground. Ryback goes for a spear but Ziggler counters with a dropkick. Ziggler gets in a flurry of offense but it is put to and end by a hard clothesline. Ryback hits shell-shock for the 3-count.

Winner: Ryback

Maddox approaches Triple H and Stephanie backstage. He informs the two the Big Show is refusing to face Bryan in their match tonight. Stephanie wants to handle this matter, and not privately. It looks like she is headed to the ring.

Back from commercial, Stephanie is headed to the ring. She wants to introduce someone who helped her when she was younger as she was growing up backstage. She calls for her giant, the Big Show. She says that Big Show taught her that it’s ok to do things you don’t want to do as long as you can pay the price. She wants Big Show to know what that price is. Stephanie tells Big Show that he knows he is broke, resulting from his poor financial decisions. Stephanie asks what Big Show’s other opportunities are, as there aren’t many 7-foot tall lead actors in hollywood. Stephanie brings out Big Show’s biggest fear: that medically, it is proven that giants do not live as long as others normal sized people. She ends by saying that the only person hurting more than Big Show right now, is her, and hugs him before leaving the ring.

It is announced during commercials that Edge will be on RAW next week.

Primetime Players vs Heath Slaer and Jinder Mahal of 3MB

Match starts with Titus and Slater. Slater mocks Titus but pays the price as Titus kicks Slaters down into their corner while blowing his whistle. Darren is tagged in followed by Mahal. Mahal hits a running shouler on Darren. Darren hits a knee drop on Mahal, 2-count. Darren goes to the top rope but Mahal knocks him down, then tags in Slater. Slater springboards Darren into the bottom rope. Darren swings, misses and Slater capitalizes with a neckbreaker. Mahal is tagged in and hits a series of knees on Darren. Slater is tagged back in and is thrown widly by Darren. Titus is finally tagged in and unleashes his fury on Mahal. He goes for a pin but Slater breaks it up. Titus hits a powerbomb on Mahal and gets the 3-count.

Winner: Primetime Players

Maddox is backstage on the phone. Heyman approaches and tells him to call them back. Heyman is not happy with Maddox’s decisions lately that put him in danger. He asks if this is what is best for business. In comes Triple H, who tells Heyman that he approved the match himself. He sees it as a situation that Heyman will not be able to weasel out of, which he likes, and that’s what is best for business.

Cody Rhodes vs Randy Orton

Orton hits elbows on Rhodes in the corner. Rhodes turns things around and stomps Orton down into the corner. Orton hangs Rhodes up on the top rope, then throws him out to ringside. Rhodes counters Orton and slams his head into the steel steps, gets a 2-count back in the ring. Orton bounces off the rope to go for an attack but Rhodes counters with a dropkick. Orton gets a thumb in Rhodes’ eye as the ref tells him something. Rhodes hits a frontward suplex on Orton. Rhodes is pummeling Orton in the corner but he counters it into a backbreaker off of the top rope, sending Rhodes outside of the ring.

Back from commercial, Orton is slamming Rhodes back-first onto the barricade. Back in the ring, Rhodes is gaining momentum. He jumps onto the top rope and hits a dropkick, 2-count. Rhodes pushes Orton into the corner, bounces off the middle rope and hits disaster kick, 2-count. The crowd is into the match, chanting “Cody Rhodes!” Rhodes goes for a moonsault from the top rope but Orton steps aside. Orton hits his signature DDT from the middle rope. Orton goes for RKO, Rhodes counters into cross-rhodes, 2-count. Rhodes goes for disaster kick, misses and appears to hurt his knee. Orton kicks the knee, sending Rhodes to the mat. Orton hits the RKO as Rhodes gets to his feet, 3-count.

Winner: Randy Orton

Triple H is on the stage. He says that this is a business, and the business needs winners. Triple H “regretfully” informs Cody Rhodes that he is fired.

Here comes CM Punk. He promises there will be no more empty threats. He doesn’t know what is left to say at this point. He doesn’t want to wrestle, or talk. CM Punk wants to fight. He wants to fight Paul Heyman. But he knows that they will not come out to fight him, but that’s ok because he has them at Night of Champions. Punk wants to guarantee to everyone that in 13 days he will get his hands on Paul Heyman. We will see a side of Punk that we may not be comfortable with. Paul Heyman certainly will not like it.

Backstage, Big Show tells Bryan that he did not want anything to do with this fight. This doesn’t matter to Bryan, as he will always go through the obstacles placed in his way. Big Show says he can’t let their friendship dictate what happens to his family. He feels like he is in a lose-lose situation. Bryan says that he is, because Bryan is going to beat him tonight just like he did for his first championship.

Naomi vs Bri vs Natalya

Bri throws Natalya into the corner, facebuster to Naomi. Bri hits a running knee to the face of Natalya. Bri is thrown outside of the ring by Natalya. Natalya goes for sharpshooter, Naomi counters with a roll-up to get a 2-count. Natalya has Bri up on her back, Naomi hits them both with the rear view. As she goes for the pin, AJ interferes and the match is called off. After the match, all of the divas attack AJ in the ring.

Damien Sandow vs Rob Van Dam

Sandow backs Van Dam into the corner and kicks him down. Van Dam attempts to throw Sandow with his legs but Sandow counters into a powerbomb. Van Dam lands a kick to the head, followed by a bounce off of the ropes and another kick to the face. Del Rio comes out, distracting Van Dam and allowing Sandow to throw Van Dam out of the ring.

Back from commercial, RVD breaks out of a hold only to be pulled onto his back by Sandow. Van Dam lands some leg kicks, but Sandow counters with a leg sweep. Sandow hits the elbow of disdain, 2-count. Sandow throws Van Dam onto the middle rope, gets a running start and smashes his neck onto the rope. A roll up from Van Dam, 2-count. Van Dam hits rolling thunder. Van Dam goes high for the frog splash, 3-count.

Winner: Rob Van Dam

During the break, Stephanie announced that AJ will be facing Natalya, Naomi and Bri Belle in a fatal four-way at Night of Champions.

Backstage, Rhodes is being escorted outside of the building. He says that he was beaten fair and square. It’s no surprise that this happened, though, as the McMahons have always hated the Rhodes family.

Daniel Bryan vs Big Show

Big Show tries talking Bryan out of the match, saying he is trying to help him. Bryan takes Show down with a series of leg kicks topped off by a running drop kick. He comes in for a kick on Show in the corner, but Show catches Bryan with a kick in the face. Show then slaps Bryan’s chest repeatedly in the corner. Show keeps pleading for Bryan to stop, but Bryan keeps coming with attacks. Show throws Bryan to the ground, then to the corner, and smashes him there. Show grabs Bryan by the neck, but Bryan breaks out by kicking him in the knee. Bryan goes up top and tries to jump on Show but Show counters with a spear. Show preps for the knockout punch, but he stops and exits the ring.

Triple H comes out with the shield. Triple H orders Show to get back in the ring and finish the job. The Shield attack Bryan, and Show gets in the ring to help. Triple H gets in front of Show and says to not make him do this. The Shield triple powerbomb Bryan as Show looks on. Triple H orders Bryan to deliver the knockout punch to Bryan for his family, but Show says no and exits the ring. Stephanie comes out and tells Show that this is his last chance. Show begins walking back to the ring. Reluctantly, he decides he has no choice but to deliver the punch to Daniel Bryan, and does so. Randy Orton comes out and stands with his foot on Bryan’s chest, holding the title high.