WWE Night Of Champions: #1 Contender Battle Royal (Pre-Show)
- The 2012 WWE Night of Champions pre-show kicks off with Scott Stanford and Matt Striker at ringside. They hype tonight's show as we see fans settling into the arena. They talk about the pre-show battle royal and mention it's a 16-man match. More hype for tonight's matches.
- We get a look at the Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio feud. Josh Mathews is backstage with Booker T and asks him about the Brogue Kick. Booker talks about how he takes safety very seriously. Booker confirms that the kick is still banned.
- We get a vignette hyping WWE United States Champion Antonio Cesaro.
#1 Contender Battle Royal: Brodus Clay, Primo, Epico, Justin Gabriel, Tensai, Tyson Kidd, Michael McGillicutty, Zack Ryder to a big pop, Darren Young, Titus O'Neil, Jinder Mahal, JTG, Drew McIntyre, Ted DiBiase, Heath Slater, Santino Marella
The winner of this one will face WWE United States Champion Antonio Cesaro later tonight. Brodus Clay comes out first and he's got both Naomi and Cameron with him. Primo and Epico are out next with Rosa Mendes accompanying them. The rest are Justin Gabriel, Tensai, Tyson Kidd, Michael McGillicutty, Zack Ryder to a big pop, Darren Young, Titus O'Neil, Jinder Mahal, JTG, Drew McIntyre, Ted DiBiase, Heath Slater and Santino Marella.
Slater gets eliminated as soon as the match starts. McGillicutty is out second. DiBiase is out next. Ryder hangs on as he's double teamed. Primo with a sleeper on Clay. Clay eliminates Primo. Mahal is out next thanks to Tensai. Drew and Tensai go at it now. Clay tosses Epico out onto the others and Epico is eliminated. Tensai tosses Gabriel out onto everyone else and Gabriel is eliminated. Tensai eliminates Kidd next after they fight. Tensai powerbombs him onto the others. Tensai and Clay meet in the middle of the ring now. Santino runs up but they drop him. Tensai and Clay collide and trade blows in the middle of the ring. Clay fights him to the corner and hits a pair of clotheslines. Titus attacks Brodus from behind and Drew helps eliminate him. Brodus is eliminated.
Santino eliminates JTG next. Ryder dropkicks Drew and eliminates him. Santino pulls out the Cobra and hits Tensai with it. Santino then hits Young with it and covers him for a pin but there are no pins. Santino tries to pin Tensai next. Young and O'Neil eliminate Santino. Titus suplexes Young on top of Tensai. Ryder eliminates Titus and tangles with Yougn. Tensai comes over and eliminates them both but Ryder hangs on and comes back in. Ryder goes for the Ruff Ryder but Tensai catches him with a powerbomb. They fall over the ropes but Tensai's feet hit the floor and Ryder hangs on for the win.
Winner and New #1 Contender: Zack Ryder
- Mathews interviews Ryder in the ring after the match and asks if he can go on to beat Cesaro. Ryder says WWWYKI and goes on to celebrate the win.
- We go to more promo videos.
- Josh Mathews is backstage for a CM Punk interview but Punk has refused him. We see Paul Heyman. Mathews asks for comment but he doesn't get much. We get a vignette for Punk vs. John Cena.