WWE heads to Pittsburgh on Saturday for Payback, a pay-per-view that should deliver in the ring but is lacking in star power.
That’s the case whenever Roman Reigns isn’t on one of WWE’s premium live events. When someone is presented as the clear-cut top star in a promotion, things just feel less important when they aren’t around. WWE hasn’t done much to compensate for Reigns’s absence at Payback. This is the definition of a B-level PPV. Cody Rhodes, the second-biggest star in WWE right now, doesn’t even have a match advertised. Rhodes will instead be taking part in a talk-show segment on “The Grayson Waller Effect.”
Reigns and Rhodes not wrestling at Payback means that it’s up to Seth Rollins to be the featured attraction. Rollins will be defending his world heavyweight championship against Shinsuke Nakamura. It’s a matchup that shows why creating the world heavyweight championship was important. Everyone knows that it’s not on the same level as Reigns’s belts, but WWE needed another world title to headline PPVs like this. Reigns just doesn’t wrestle often enough to be the company’s sole world champion. Having a great match with Nakamura at Payback would help Rollins show that he—and the world heavyweight championship—are capable of carrying PPVs.
WWE has done its best to build Nakamura up for this title shot. He’s consistently gotten the best of Rollins during their feud. The heel version of Nakamura we’ve seen in recent weeks is the most compelling work he’s done in years. But, even with Nakamura’s incredible star presence, it’s hard to fully buy into him as a challenger when he’s been stuck in the midcard for so long. The 43-year-old Nakamura has a lot to prove at Payback. He needs to show that he can still be the outstanding big-match wrestler that he once was. He needs to prove that he still belongs in the main event.
Payback is also a pivotal night for The Judgment Day. After months of dissension, Finn Bálor and Damian Priest will attempt to get back on the same page as they challenge for the undisputed WWE tag team titles. They’re facing champions Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn in a Steel City Street Fight. The Judgment Day story line has been progressing slowly, but we have now reached a breaking point. Bálor’s friendship with JD McDonagh has only increased the distrust between Bálor and Priest. Rhea Ripley has given Bálor and Priest an ultimatum: Win the tag team titles, or there will be consequences. Changes are coming to Judgment Day if Bálor and Priest lose.
The Payback card features two high-profile women’s division matches that deserved a place at SummerSlam but were instead pushed back a month. Becky Lynch and Trish Stratus will finally settle their rivalry in a steel cage match. The women’s world championship will be on the line in a clash between Ripley and Raquel Rodriguez.
Payback will stream live on Peacock starting at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday. Here’s a full rundown of the lineup, along with predictions for each match.
Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the world heavyweight championship
Since turning heel, Nakamura has taunted Rollins by claiming to know about a secret back injury that Rollins is suffering from and has vowed to destroy Rollins’s back in their match. He's even made things personal by mentioning Rollins’s family. Nakamura said he wants Rollins’s wife, Becky Lynch, to know that he’s the reason she has to help Rollins out of bed. Nakamura wants her to know that he’s the reason Rollins won’t be able to walk their daughter down the aisle.
The story has helped add intrigue to what could have otherwise been a pretty flat title defense. Still, it can only elevate things so much. Nakamura hasn’t been presented as a true main-eventer in a long time. He isn’t going to beat Rollins at Payback, but a good performance would keep Nakamura in contention to win his first WWE world title at some point in the future.
Prediction: Seth Rollins retains
Steel City Street Fight: Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn vs. The Judgment Day (Finn Bálor and Damian Priest) for the undisputed WWE tag team titles
This should be the match of the night at Payback. With two teams this good and a stipulation allowing them to get creative with the use of weapons, there’s no way it will be anything less than excellent. Bálor and Priest losing has to be the finish. It’s time for one of them to leave The Judgment Day. We’ve spent too much time on Bálor and Priest arguing with no real progression. The best way forward would be Priest turning babyface and going against his former faction.
JD McDonagh is inevitably going to get involved in this match. Priest, who has told McDonagh to stay out of his business, won’t accept McDonagh’s help. That will cause a distraction that leads to Owens and Zayn retaining. The Judgment Day will blame Priest for the loss, and he’ll break away from the group.
Prediction: Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn retain
Rhea Ripley vs. Raquel Rodriguez for the women’s world championship
Ripley vs. Rodriguez has the chance to be a marquee match in the women’s division for years to come. They’ve had great chemistry with each other since they were in NXT. They are just a natural pairing. Rodriguez is one of the only challengers in the division who has the size to go toe-to-toe with a bully like Ripley. She’ll be out for revenge after Ripley has repeatedly attacked Rodriguez and her tag team partner, Liv Morgan.
If this were taking place further down the road, you could buy Rodriguez winning, but Ripley isn’t going to lose the title now. Ripley needs to have a long title reign that cements her as one of the most dominant forces in WWE.
Prediction: Rhea Ripley retains
Steel cage match: Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus
It’s ridiculous that Lynch vs. Stratus didn’t take place at SummerSlam. Their feud deserved to end on a big stage, but at least the Payback card is better off for having a match like this. It’s a current-day superstar facing off against one of the biggest legends from WWE’s past.
In theory, the steel cage stipulation exists as a way to stop Zoey Stark from getting involved. Anyone who knows anything about WWE cage matches knows that Stark will end up interfering anyway. It would be nice to see Lita return and fight off Stark’s interference. Lynch should look as strong as possible in dismantling Stratus. Lynch has to avenge her loss at Night of Champions. After defeating Stratus, Lynch can move on to challenging Ripley for the women’s world championship. That’s one of the most exciting matches WWE could book right now.
Prediction: Becky Lynch wins
Rey Mysterio vs. Austin Theory for the United States championship
Austin Theory has had a tough time since facing John Cena at WrestleMania in April. Theory may have won that match, but it was severely underwhelming and did nothing to elevate him. Theory then lost the United States championship to Rey Mysterio on SmackDown three weeks ago. The match was originally supposed to be Theory vs. Santos Escobar, but Mysterio subbed in after an injury angle where Escobar was laid out by Theory.
Escobar turning against Mysterio and taking the United States title has to be where WWE is going with this. Mysterio shouldn’t lose the championship here.
Prediction: Rey Mysterio retains
LA Knight vs. The Miz
Following his battle royal win at SummerSlam, this will be back-to-back PPV victories for LA Knight. He’s continued to build momentum while feuding with The Miz. It’s the perfect program for Knight. He gets to face another entertaining wrestler who excels at promos. Miz’s job at this point is to put other wrestlers over. He won’t be hurt by losing to Knight at all.
Prediction: LA Knight wins
“The Grayson Waller Effect” with Cody Rhodes
It’s really odd to have a talk-show segment booked for a PPV. But, since we’re still several months away from WrestleMania season, WWE needs to come up with creative things for Cody Rhodes to do while he waits for a rematch against Roman Reigns. Appearing on “The Grayson Waller Effect” allows Rhodes to be featured while not being rushed into another feud. Hopefully we’ll find out what’s next for Rhodes here, though. He needs a new opponent to work with this fall.
