Payback is next on the schedule as far as WWE Pay-Per-Views (PPV) are concerned, and there is now less than three weeks to go until it takes place on May 1. A big title match was confirmed for the card tonight on Monday Night RAW, and a lot of other angles began, or were advanced, to the point where you can pretty much expect the majority of them to end up happening at the event as well.
There was a title match confirmed for Payback this evening, but it wasn’t the one that everyone was expecting. Yes, AJ Styles did cement his place as the solo number one contender by defeating Sami Zayn, and he will take on Roman Reigns for the WWE World Heavyweight Title in the main event.
After Styles defeated Zayn, it made the main event of Reigns vs. Styles official, according to WrestleZone. Although, as of this writing, WWE still does not have it on their website.
Another big match officially confirmed for Payback is Cesaro taking on The Miz for the Intercontinental Title. As recapped by WWE.com, Cesaro was able to defeat Kevin Owens in a great match, and he won the right to be the number one contender for the IC championship.
This sets up the title match and also leaves Kevin Owens without anything to do at Payback. With Sami Zayn losing later in the night, he’s without anything to do as well. The seeds had already been planted for a Owens vs. Zayn match, and WWE might as well go back to it now.
Monday Night RAW brought yet another match into play, and it was one that was originally scheduled for WrestleMania 32.
On RAW, Chris Jericho came out for an edition of “The Highlight Reel,” but it was interrupted by Dean Ambrose who turned it into “Ambrose Asylum.” The two went back and forth for a few minutes, but Jericho wanted him out of there.
Ambrose was happy to head on out, but he gave Jericho a present first, and hit him with Dirty Deeds to leave Y2J laying in the ring. Look for this feud to continue and likely end up being another match added to Payback.
Charlotte was able to defeat Natalya on Monday Night RAW, and that was a match that many thought would be on the PPV for the WWE Women’s Championship. Now, it looks like another feud may start for the champion, but it’s hard to tell who will step up next.
On RAW, Shane McMahon also announced a huge eight-team tag team tournament to determine the number one contenders to the titles held by The New Day. The Lucha Dragons and Social Outcasts have already been eliminated, and now it’s down to six remaining teams. This tournament will likely determine the Payback competition for The New Day.
At the same time, The Usos may want some payback as former Bullet Club members Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows debuted in WWE and decimated them after their match. This is yet another possible match being set up for the PPV.
Only one match is confirmed for Payback on WWE.com, and it was set on Monday Night RAW this evening:
- Intercontinental Title: The Miz (c) vs. Cesaro
The rumored card for Payback is as follows. Remember, these are not confirmed and may change.
- WWE Title: Roman Reigns (c) vs. AJ Styles – All but confirmed
- Baron Corbin vs. Dolph Ziggler or Kane
- WWE Women’s Title: Charlotte (c) vs.???
- Dean Ambrose vs. Chris Jericho
- WWE Tag Team Titles: The New Day (c) vs. Tag Team Tournament Winners
- Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn
- Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. The Usos
Payback is already shaping up to be a good looking Pay-Per-View, and that’s saying a lot considering that it is in less than three weeks and WrestleMania 32 has just passed. The tag team tournament and the debut of Anderson and Gallows have shaken things up a bit, but it’s really making WWE less unpredictable and a lot more fun.
[Image via WWE]
