Sunday night, Payback went off with few surprises, and it basically acted as a set-up to the next pay-per-view, Extreme Rules . When the WWE schedules two specials within three weeks of each other, there’s little choice but to delay any major payoffs.
Arguably, the biggest news to come out of Payback was the injury to Enzo Amore, who suffered a legitimate concussion and was rushed to a nearby medical facility. Of course, Vince McMahon also dropped somewhat of a bombshell when he announced that both Stephanie and Shane would be running Monday Night RAW together moving forward.
The main card on Payback featured six matches and the McMahon family segment. The pre-show also showcased two other matches (Kalisto vs. Ryback and Dolph Ziggler vs. Baron Corbin) for a grand total of eight bouts. The six matches are not a whole lot by any stretch, especially considering the opening bout of Payback was abruptly cut short to the Enzo injury. Yes, the McMahon segment ran long and the main event was re-started twice in an effort to get Stephanie and Shane over, but at times, the card felt incomplete and certainly could have been filled out more.
According to PWInsider , there were two more matches originally scheduled to take place at Payback on Sunday night. Both Alberto Del Rio and Sheamus were backstage for the pay-per-view, and sources indicated that at least one draft of Payback had those two competing in a singles match against one another. The League of Nations has fizzled out, and none of the former members had a specific program for the pay-per-view.
Last week, the Inquisitr reported that Del Rio suggested in an interview that the group had failed and would no longer be working together. Then on the most recent edition of SmackDown , Del Rio and Rusev walked out on Sheamus during their six-man tag match with Kalisto, Sami Zayn, and Cesaro.
Del Rio and Sheamus are still scheduled to engage in a mini-feud, but it may have appeared rushed if it went down at Sunday night’s Payback . The match may take place as early as Monday night although it certainly could get slotted for Extreme Rules . No word on any involvement from Rusev, but the Bulgarian Brute did compete with Lana at ringside last week with no signs of the League of Nations in sight. Also, neither Del Rio nor Sheamus had been established as a babyface as of yet, so they may wait on that decision before an official program begins.
The other match that was pulled from the Payback show would have featured Becky Lynch and Emma in a singles match. The two women were also backstage in Chicago, but obviously the match did not go on. One reason may have been timing, but the feud, which has largely played out on social media, the web, and backstage segments, should continue on. The two were also scheduled to wrestle at a recent RAW or Smackdown show, but that too was pulled for unknown reasons.
Charlotte and Natalya will likely have a rematch scheduled for Extreme Rules due to their false finish at Payback , so it will be interesting to see if WWE books two women’s matches at the next pay-per-view. Sasha Banks remains on the outside looking in, but she recently shot down reports that she was unhappy with her current positioning in the company.
Monday Night RAW should shine some light on the next steps for the former members of the League of Nations as well as whether or not WWE will put any effort into a Becky and Emma program. Extreme Rules will likely feature at least three rematches (Reigns vs. Styles, Charlotte vs. Natalya, Ziggler vs. Corbin) from Payback and a fatal-four way between Cesaro, The Miz, Kevin Owens, and Sami Zayn for the Intercontinental Championship. That should leave plenty of room for the two matches that were scrapped if WWE decides to go in that direction.
[Image via WWE]
