The PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania will hold this year’s iteration of WWE’s Payback event, which will see few Bloodline storyline progressions, but every other match and segment furthers everyone else’s journeys. And none other than John Cena is hosting! This could be a sleeper event that some may visit and possibly eventually revisit. With that said, let’s dig in.
Becky Lynch vs Trish Stratus (Steel Cage Match)
Trish Stratus’s time in WWE before her retirement in the 2000s didn’t see her make the most of the time she could have had – the opportunities afforded her male contemporaries enjoyed. One such thing is a Steel Cage, and who better than one of the biggest recent stars in WWE history? A legend against a moment. While some opinions may differ on this rivalry, this has undoubtedly been a big fixture throughout 2023 and should this be the final blowoff, let the steel of the cage lay as testament to the war long fought with legacy welded through violence.
Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn (c) vs Judgment Day (Finn Bálor & Damian Priest) (Steel City Street Fight for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship)
Perhaps this match could see a change of hands, or it could see further dissolution between Priest and Bálor. Whichever the case is, tag team wrestling has been thriving in the 2020s and this will be an absolute barn burner.
Rhea Ripley (c) vs Raquel Rodriguez (Women’s World Championship)
There’s a history not oft focused on regarding these two women. From NXT to now, these powerhouses are bound to give it all they have, and win or lose, Ripley will assuredly have another favorable clip in her utility belt of amazing matches (should she actually have more this year). With the brutality of the Charlotte Flair match and her performance at the Royal Rumble, the Nightmare is bound to impress. Rodriguez will likely benefit from this greatly, in turn.
Rey Mysterio (c) vs Austin Theory (WWE United States Championship)
Though Austin Theory’s U.S. title reign was largely unimpressive and pointless, he does get a fair shake at regaining it through the masked Rey Mysterio. Admittedly, some of Theory’s athletic abilities are astonishing, he’s just not that exciting to me personally among other reasons, Mysterio and his immortal new knees will elevate this further.
LA Knight vs The Miz
An underrated build, for sure. Knight is gold on the microphone and the Miz is nearly there at silver. This is but a stop until the company can figure out what to do with the gargantuan draw that is Knight. With a command on the mic, the crowd falls to his sway like a convincing conman televangelist, but he speaks heart and truth among his litany of insults and catchphrases. He’s nice in the ring to boot, so it’s hard to imagine Knight not shining here.
Seth “Freakin'” Rollins (c) vs Shinsuke Nakamura (World Heavyweight Championship)
The King of Strong Style vs The Visionary. Both flamboyant with a brute and athletic style – I imagine this one will change perspectives on the stagnation of Nakamura while adding more praise to Rollins’s portfolio. The story of Seth’s back being injured for four or five years being noticed finally by Shinsuke has been compelling. All of these pre-recorded vignettes of the Japanese sensation has made him feel more like a threat, like a promo package for a New Japan event. The presentation of the lion-crest’s best Intercontinental Champion has been changed for the better, and I feel that if any time was the best time to take the title off of Seth Rollins so he can heal, this would be it. Though I feel suspicious with Damian Priest still waiting to cash in his emerald briefcase…
The Grayson Waller Effect with Cody Rhodes
The youthful Aussie in Waller welcomes Monday Night Raw’s Cody Rhodes in a segment that will provide us an insight as to what’s next for the American Nightmare. Who could it be? Gunther? Roman Reigns? Jey Uso? Omos? Colonel Sanders? John Cena? I guess we’ll just find out.
Though this is a B-show, maybe a C-show, the matches involved interest me from top to bottom and it’s nice feeling that way now. What comes out of this show will change the landscape of current WWE plans and could eventually see advancements in the Bloodline saga.
Watch Payback at 5ᴘᴍ ET/ 6ᴘᴍ CT on Peacock or WWE Network.
