5 heel and face turns that can happen at WWE Night of Champions

WWE Night of Champions will see two top stars earn title shots at SummerSlam against the major titleholder of their brand. Meanwhile, CM Punk will challenge John Cena for the Undisputed WWE Championship.

Jacob Fatu puts the United States Title on the line against Solo Sikoa, and AJ Styles will try to add another Intercontinental Championship reign to his resume against Dominik Mysterio.

Whose fortunes could change when WWE heads to Saudi Arabia for the show? In this article, we discuss five heel and face turns that could happen at Night of Champions:

---

#5. Sami Zayn could finally snap

While it would have been nice for Sami Zayn to finally accomplish what Jey Uso did at WrestleMania 41, he fell to Randy Orton in the semifinal of the KOTR Tournament on SmackDown. His time as a babyface could be dwindling, as he keeps falling short against stars higher up the WWE food chain.

Karrion Kross keeps pointing out how Sami is lying to himself, especially when it comes to his belief that he will be a World Champion. Since he missed out on yet another title opportunity to the same old names, it wouldn't be surprising if Zayn finally turns heel.

He could go to the ring to congratulate Jey, Cody, or Orton and then snap on them. Zayn isn't booked for Night of Champions, and that would be a way to get him on the card.

---

#4. Finn Balor could leave Night of Champions as a face

Tensions are bound to boil over in The Judgment Day now that Liv Morgan is slated to miss around three to six months of action. She injured her shoulder on last week's RAW in a match with Kairi Sane.

Meanwhile, Finn Balor has been at odds with Morgan, Dominik Mysterio, and Raquel Rodriguez over group decisions. He introduced Roxanne Perez to the stable as a way to drive a wedge between Morgan and Dominik.

It's worked to a degree, and Balor hasn't shied away from reveling in the results. With Dirty Dom defending the Intercontinental Title at Night of Champions, he could finally turn face and challenge his stablemate.

A face turn at Night of Champions could be what finally gets the first-ever Universal Champion back on the winning track.

---

#3. Bayley might turn on Lyra Valkyria

Bayley and Lyra Valkyria were supposed to challenge Morgan and Rodriguez at WrestleMania 41, but Becky Lynch attacked Bayley and took her spot. It kept The Role Model out for around a month.

When she did return, she didn't talk to Valkyria. Instead, Lyra mentioned how Bayley didn't answer her calls or texts for nearly two months. That doesn't seem like something a babyface is expected to do.

Despite Bayley and The Man facing off on RAW, Valkyria could interfere in the match. The Role Model could attack Lyra if Lynch retains, or they could simply have a segment with the 36-year-old turning on the former Women's Intercontinental Champion.

---

#2. Fans are cheering more and more for John Cena

One thing has been certain about John Cena throughout his entire WWE career - he's one of the most polarizing stars of all time. His spot as the chosen face of the company turned some fans against him.

However, Cena's promo skills have managed to keep some hardcore wrestling fans on his side, and his heel turn has been met with mixed reactions. Some fans love it, while casual fans buy into the idea of a man who wants to ruin wrestling. However, most of the crowd loved his pipe bomb on CM Punk on the latest edition of SmackDown.

If he beats Punk at Night of Champions, fans may finally accept him. It may also cause another star to turn heel to counter Cena's spot as an anti-hero or face.

---

#1. The voices in Randy Orton's head take over at Night of Champions?

Randy Orton lost to Gunther in the final of last year's King of the Ring Tournament. Wade Barrett kept saying Orton was cheated, but he did get a shot at The Ring General's title at Bash in Berlin later in 2024.

The voices in The Viper's head could have gotten louder ever since he feuded with Kevin Owens and Cena. Orton is arguably a better performer as a cold-blooded predator. If he loses to Rhodes or Jey Uso, he could finally snap and attack either of the beloved faces.

He claimed he'd go through anyone, including his good friend Cody Rhodes, to get a shot at winning his 15th World Championship. A heel turn would set things up for a shift of characters on SmackDown, especially if a few names move brands.

Edited by Sayantan Niyogi