Despite a relatively rushed build, WWE Night of Champions 2023 turned out to be both an eventful and enjoyable event, including the crowning of the inaugural world heavyweight champion.

After Seth Rollins and AJ Styles made history in the opener, an interesting new name aided Trish Stratus to victory over Becky Lynch. Cody Rhodes and Brock Lesnar also waged war while the Bloodline saga saw some significant progression.

Asuka ending Bianca Belair's record-setting reign as Raw women's champion proved to be the biggest shocker of the show. If a heel turn is in the works, the coming months will be a pivotal period for The EST of WWE.

How WWE chooses to follow up on everything that transpired at the Jeddah Superdome in Saudi Arabia should set the stage for an exciting summer season.

From the World Heavyweight Championship coming off as a consolation prize to what's next for several Superstars, these are the top takeaways from this year's Night of Champions.

Asuka Becoming Champ Should Be Belair's First Step To Turning Heel

Mere weeks removed from becoming the longest-reigning women's champion in WWE's modern era on the main roster, Bianca Belair was finally unseated as the Raw women's titleholder by Asuka at Night of Champions.

The EST has dominated the Raw women's division for over a year and overcame every obstacle put in her path. As well as she's been booked, she has suffered from a lack of meaningful character development.

Asuka should have taken the title when they first did battle at WrestleMania 39, but this was a case of better late than never. Although The Empress of Tomorrow has since turned heel, it's painfully apparent that Belair is more in need of a character switch.

The championship changing hands could, and should, be the first step in making that happen.

Belair's heel run in NXT years ago was undeniable. She's more than capable of thriving in that role, and becoming a villain would prevent the crowd from fully turning on her before she gets too stale.

It also creates a number of new possibilities for fresh feuds and could open the door for her and real-life husband Montez Ford becoming an on-air act.

It's the right route to take in the long run, and while the turn may not be imminent, the loss of her title takes Belair another step in that direction.

The Zoey Stark-Trish Stratus Alliance Is Mutually Beneficial

It's no secret that Trish Stratus has struggled to adapt to the heel role since betraying Becky Lynch in mid-April.

Very little has stood out as special about their storyline, but that didn't stop them from exceeding expectations and delivering a quality contest on Saturday.

Stratus winning was imperative in order to extend the rivalry and prevent Lynch from giving Stratus her comeuppance just yet, but the best part was Zoey Stark shockingly emerging from under the ring to attack The Man and aid the veteran to victory.

It was confirmed afterward that the two will be aligned going forward for what will prove to be a mutually beneficial partnership.

Stratus will work better with someone else added to her act, and it puts Stark in a prominent position to shine early in her run on Raw. She's racked up a few wins already, but being inserted into the Lynch-Stratus rivalry will give her so much more exposure.

Stark's involvement should breathe new life into the feud and give her direction she likely wouldn't have had otherwise. Even if the endgame is Lynch going over at SummerSlam, the road to get there just became infinitely more interesting.

World Heavyweight Championship Already Feels Secondary

As expected, Seth Rollins and AJ Styles had an excellent outing to open Night of Champions, almost as expected as The Visionary walking out as world heavyweight champion.

The tournament felt designed to be won by Rollins from the moment the title was introduced. He's the perfect person to lead Raw going forward and elevate the rest of the roster to the next level.

The problem was with the positioning of the match. As the sole men's world title defended on the show, having it headline would have made the most sense.

Even if the reasoning was tied to Rollins' current commitments on a Marvel movie and having to leave early, putting the finals of the world heavyweight title tourney on first still doesn't paint the newly created championship in the best light.

Roman Reigns' title defenses have rarely kicked off events throughout his 1,000-day reign and for good reason. There was already the stigma of the World Heavyweight Championship feeling secondary, and this development doesn't help matters.

That isn't say Rollins can't bring prestige to the prize, though. Quality matches and strong storylines will go a long way in putting it in the same breath as Reigns' two titles, but much work needs to be done in order to achieve that.

No End in Sight to Gunther or Rhea Ripley's Championship Reigns

WWE has a handful of dominant champions at the moment, and Saturday saw two of them–Gunther and Rhea Ripley–walk away with their titles still in tow.

Gunther took on Mustafa Ali with his Intercontinental Championship on the line, while Rhea Ripley defended her SmackDown women's belt against Natalya. Both titleholders won in dominant fashion and sent the message that they aren't letting go any time soon.

Ripley has been one of WWE's few success stories in the women's division in recent years, and her rise to superstardom as a heel has been nothing short of spectacular. Additionally, Gunther's main roster run has gone far better than anyone could have imagined.

With no credible competition on the horizon, Ripley should remain champion at least until Becky Lynch finishes her feud with Trish Stratus. That would be a worthy attraction for SummerSlam on August 5.

As for Gunther, there's no reason for him to be dethroned before he breaks The Honky Tonk Man's record run with the IC title in September. Matt Riddle, Johnny Gargano and Apollo Crews are among those waiting in the wings to challenge The Ring General in the meantime.

WWE Adamant About Protecting Cody Rhodes Ahead of Return to Title Contention

Brock Lesnar's vicious assault on Cody Rhodes this past week on Raw telegraphed a win for him at Night of Champions, and although The American Nightmare fought valiantly, he wasn't able to prevail this time around.

The two had yet another fiercely contested clash on Saturday, with Rhodes again being made to look like he was on The Beast Incarnate's level.

WWE has done virtually everything right with Rhodes since being beaten by Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39 in April, including the way his latest loss to Lesnar was handled.

The Beast's hand was raised in the end, but solely because the referee deemed Rhodes couldn't raise his. There was no formal submission from The American Nightmare, effectively protecting him in defeat and creating the need for a rubber match.

A second straight win for Rhodes would have been ideal in propelling him back into championship contention, but WWE deemed it more important to keep this feud alive a little longer.

If a third and final installment is in the cards, this was the way to go about it. Money in the Bank on July 1 would be a fitting place to for them to settle their score, unless WWE wishes to stretch this storyline out until SummerSlam.

Either way, it's clear based on how WWE has handled Rhodes since 'Mania that he remains a priority in the eyes of officials and he will emerge from this feud on the winning end.

Roman Reigns vs. Jimmy Uso Should Be a Lock for Money in the Bank

Roman Reigns has not defended his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship since WrestleMania on April 2 but now has a ready-made opponent in Jimmy Uso following the events of the last 24 hours.

Tension within The Bloodline was at an all-time high during Friday's SmackDown and carried over into the Night of Champions main event.

The Usos arrived to aid Reigns and Solo Sikoa in their match against Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, but a heated exchange between The Tribal Chief and Jimmy led to the latter attacking his cousin and costing his stablemates the tag team titles.

While Rhodes is gradually built back up in the background, Jimmy Uso makes total sense as an opponent for Reigns at Money in the Bank. The story should be that The Bloodline's descension will result in The Tribal Chief being all on his own and eventually dropping his titles.

Jey's history with Reigns is well-documented, but giving Jimmy the spotlight for the foreseeable future will create a must-see dynamic and put brothers Jey and Sikoa in a precarious position as to who they choose to side with.

The Bloodline is slowly but surely nearing its end, and this latest development provides a compelling cliffhanger that WWE TV could desperately use right now.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.