Night of Champions 2008: A Strong Concept Gets a Useful, Uneven First Standalone Show

Miz and Morrison understand that the match works best when they treat Hornswoggle as an irritating underdog rather than pure comedy. Finlay provides the physical base, allowing the champions to use quick tags and double-team control before Hornswoggle creates short bursts of chaos. The challengers get a believable opening when Finlay lands the Celtic Cross, but Miz removes him before the cover can matter. Morrison then knocks Hornswoggle from the top rope and scores the pin. The result is never especially surprising, and the size mismatch limits the championship credibility, yet the champions remain cohesive and avoid making the bout feel like a complete novelty. It is a respectable opener whose biggest strength is Miz and Morrison continuing to look like an actual team.

Chavo gives the match a clear structure by attacking Hardy's left knee, and Bam Neely's ringside interference reinforces that strategy without taking over every sequence. Hardy spends enough time selling the damage that his comeback has weight, while Chavo repeatedly tries to turn the weakened leg into openings for the Three Amigos and Frog Splash. The match never reaches a dramatic final gear, but it stays focused and avoids unnecessary detours. Hardy moves away from the Frog Splash, survives the attempted suplex sequence, and lands the Twist of Fate for a clean retention. Nine minutes is enough for both men to tell the basic story well. The title never feels in serious danger, yet this is sturdy midcard wrestling that gives the championship more substance than a routine television defense.

The championship change matters far more than the match. Kane and Big Show initially cooperate against Henry before the structure breaks into the expected series of power exchanges, corner splashes, and attempts to move three enormous bodies into position. Kane's brief ringside scare interrupts the rhythm, and the match struggles whenever Henry controls with slower offense. The best moment is Kane superplexing Big Show, only for Henry to capitalize immediately with a splash on Kane for the pin. That finish is efficient and gives Henry the ECW Championship without requiring either larger rival to look weak in a direct singles loss. The match itself is plodding and short on escalation, but the result restores the title to the ECW roster after the draft created an awkward brand situation.

As a wrestling match, this is barely long enough to evaluate. As an angle, it is one of the night's most efficient pieces of storytelling. DiBiase enters without the mystery partner he has promised, asks to begin against Holly, and then Cody Rhodes suddenly turns on his own co-champion. The reveal instantly explains the missing partner, changes Rhodes' character, and gives DiBiase a championship ally in one motion. DiBiase follows with the Million Dollar Dream-based finish on Holly, and the new team leaves with the titles. There is almost no conventional match development, so the score reflects the execution of the segment more than bell-to-bell quality. The turn is clean, memorable, and historically useful because Rhodes and DiBiase soon become important pieces around Randy Orton.

Kingston receives a difficult assignment against Jericho and looks increasingly comfortable as the match develops. His speed creates the obvious contrast, while Jericho repeatedly slows him with holds and counters before trying to finish with the Walls of Jericho. Kingston's offense still looks raw in places, but the crowd responds to the possibility of an upset and gives each late comeback more energy. The decisive interruption comes when Shawn Michaels appears and attacks Lance Cade at ringside. Jericho releases the Walls to confront Michaels, allowing Kingston to land Trouble in Paradise and win the championship. The distraction keeps the finish from being fully clean, yet the title change is a major credibility boost for Kingston and advances Jericho-Michaels at the same time. It is efficient booking attached to a good match.

Mickie James and Katie Lea work a straightforward championship match that never receives enough time or audience investment to become substantial. Katie Lea targets the shoulder after sending Mickie into the turnbuckle, giving the champion something specific to sell through the middle portion. Mickie's comeback is energetic and the two women exchange enough offense to keep the match moving, but there is little sense that the championship is genuinely close to changing hands. The Mickie-DT ends the bout cleanly after a little more than seven minutes. Neither wrestler performs poorly, and the finish protects the champion exactly as intended. The limitation is importance: on a show built around every title mattering, this defense feels more like a compact Raw segment than a pay-per-view championship showcase.

Edge and Batista produce a solid power-versus-opportunism match before the finish becomes crowded with La Familia. Batista controls the more physical exchanges and repeatedly looks capable of taking the championship to Raw, while Edge survives by attacking openings and using movement to avoid extended power sequences. The Batista Bomb appears to finish the match until Vickie Guerrero pulls the referee from the ring. From there, Hawkins, Ryder, Chavo, Vickie, and the replacement-referee chaos overwhelm the wrestlers. Batista still gets the satisfying visual of throwing Vickie onto the interfering group, but Edge uses the championship belt and Chavo counts the pin. The work before the interference is good. The ending fits Edge's character, though another heavily assisted retention limits how satisfying the match feels on its own.

Triple H and Cena give the event the clean, star-level main event it needs. Cena attacks Triple H's knee after the champion lands awkwardly outside, creating a focused target that carries through the STF and several later counters. Triple H sells the damage consistently enough that even his successful Pedigree cannot produce an immediate cover, while Cena's FU near fall creates the strongest false finish. The final stretch avoids interference and allows the match to become a direct test of durability. Cena reaches for another FU, Triple H escapes, and a second Pedigree ends it cleanly. Their WrestleMania 22 history adds an extra layer because Triple H finally earns a major singles victory over Cena. It is not an all-time classic, but it is comfortably the most complete match on the card.