WWE Champion Kofi Kingston ain’t scared of no wild cards; that much we know.

For the second straight night, Kofi Kingston embraced Mr. McMahon’s new “Wild Card Rule” by defending his WWE Championship against unexpected opponents. AJ Styles and Sami Zayn looked to bring the WWE Title back to Raw, but Kingston was steadfast in his confidence, taking on the dynamic attacks of both Styles and Zayn and firing back with his own.

The contest was highlighted by Kofi hitting a dazzling splash that sent all of his bodyweight crashing down on Styles’ back, Zayn nailing Kofi with a picture-perfect superplex, a massive hurricanrana from Styles to Zayn, and Kofi landing one of the most innovative SOSs of all-time (that also saw Styles drop Zayn with a reverse DDT).

In the closing moments, Kevin Owens (who earlier in the night claimed he was leaving the arena to celebrate his birthday) arrived and took out Xavier Woods with a brutal attack. This distraction allowed Zayn to connect with three Blue Thunder Bombs onto Kingston, but The Dreadlocked Dynamo refused to stay down and incredibly kicked out each time. A frustrated Zayn switched up his strategy, sizing Kofi up for a Helluva Kick, but the WWE Champion once again found a way, connecting with Trouble in Paradise for three to retain his title in an instant classic brought to us by the “Wild Card Rule.”

In a post-match interview at ringside, a fired-up Kofi tended to the fallen Woods and exclaimed that there would be “hell to pay” for Kevin Owens at WWE Money in the Bank.