WWE Payback 2015.

Broadcast live on 17/05/15 (USA timezone).

Overall, my partner and I were thoroughly entertained by most of the matches on the card. An impressive achievement considering the B-show nature of this event. Highlight of the night was either the fatal four way finale or Cena/Rusev depending on your preferences. Ladies tag and King Barrett/Neville were the only disappointments.

Without further delay, it’s time to review the show in greater detail.

Sheamus pinned Dolph Ziggler.

This was a solid opening contest that took a while to get going. It gradually shifted through the gears and had some decent near falls down the final stretch. Dolph got his ‘payback’ from Extreme Rules by smearing his arse cheek in Sheamus’s face. Glad that’s over and done with. Eventually, Ziggler came up bleeding after an ill-advised headbutt and fell victim to the Brogue Kick.

WWE Tag Team Championship.
Two out of three falls. New Day beat Cesaro & Tyson Kidd two falls to one.

Cesaro and Kidd took a 1-0 lead after their big swing into a dropkick combination. After this Kidd took a lengthy beating and Big E speared Cesaro through the ropes and onto the floor. That spot always looks impressive in replays. New Day levelled up after a botched double team move. In the last portion numerous false finishes thrilled the crowd, they chanted “this is awesome”. Then came the Xavier Woods switcheroo pin out of nowhere. My partner admonished the heels very loudly, some commentators criticised the ‘they look alike’ elements. I wasn’t bothered in the slightest, great match.  

Bray Wyatt pinned Ryback.

Ryback’s ribs took a hammering. Wyatt performed an impactful senton to the outside that seemed to cause his opponent great discomfort. Later on Ryback unexpectedly hit a big splash from the top rope. Those arsenal additions should be saved for bigger shows in my opinion. After a finisher reversal sequence, Bray drove the ‘Big Guy’ into the exposed turnbuckle and hit Sister Abigail for the victory.

United States Championship.
I Quit match. John Cena won after Lana gave up on behalf of Rusev.

Their forth match was a stunt-filled brawl and fitting feud-ender that protected Rusev’s toughness. The Russian hero dominated from the start but Cena recovered and they fought into the crowd. A security barrier, guardrail and even pyrotechnics were used as weapons. Back in the ring, Cena attempted to power out of the Accolade but failed and passed out. The referee didn’t stop the match so Rusev removed the ropes and revived Cena with water, big mistake! Super Cena locked in the STF (using the ropes for extra punishment), Rusev screamed in his mother tongue and sympathetic Lana (presumably able to translate) said: “He quits”.

Naomi & Tamina def. Bella Twins.

This wasn’t technically bad by any means. The major problem is how stale the Diva’s division has become; fresh talent from NXT is urgently required along with better storylines. Naomi won with the Rear View.

Neville beat King Barrett via count out.

Disappointing, it felt like they were holding back for a rematch. Predictably, that’s what happened the following night on Raw (Barrett won by taking advantage of Neville’s knee injury).In this glorified preview, Barrett deliberately got himself counted out then went back for a sneak attack. Neville countered with a suplex and hit Red Arrow for the ‘visual revenge’. Call me old fashioned but I like wrestling when television promotes PPV, not the other way round.

WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Fatal Four Way. Seth Rollins retained against Randy Orton, Roman Reigns & Dean Ambrose.

It was too soon to realistically believe a title change was on the cards but everything in-between exceeded expectations. Kane’s drama was quickly resolved as he showed loyalty to The Authority. That left room for the memorable moments to breathe.

For a brief time, Rollins, Reigns and Ambrose reunited (as The Shield) to triple powerbomb Orton through the announcers table. Their unity didn’t last long. Ambrose and Reigns got revenge on their backstabbing ex-teammate by powerbombing Kane to squash the ‘sell-out’ who was laid out on the Spanish announcers table. Ambrose’s expressions during this portion were top class throughout especially during the “loser buys the beers” face-off with Reigns.

After lots of shenanigans and false endings, Rollins pinned Orton with a sloppy looking Pedigree. This was the right call; Orton won’t lose anything taking the fall and it keeps Reigns and Ambrose strong for future title opportunities. As for Rollins, will he get too big for his boots and start claiming to be better than Triple H in the near future? Watch this space.