If I were to tell you WWE put on two pay-per-view events two weeks in a row, would you believe me?
Well… yeah. Probably. It’s WWE and lately they’ve just let creative hit the wind and fly around like a fly until it hits a target. I know the internet has already broken with its back and forth of endless critiques of both companies, but let’s face the truth. AEW has its act together while WWE is desperately trying to put out a dumpster fire.
Stop focusing on grand entrances and state-of-the-art technology, and just put on a damn wrestling show. A show about wrestling.
A novel idea, right?
Well, it showed tonight. Oh yeah, I’m going to be that guy and go with the unpopular opinion. Sorry, Payback 2020 just wasn’t that good.
Liv Morgan and Ruby Riott defeated The IIconics and thank Primus they did. It would have been a debacle if not. Morgan and Riott have more talent at 50% capacity that with The IIconics at level 9000. The Screaming Banshees had way too much offensive time and it hurt the match badly. By the time Ruby and Morgan got gears turning, they quickly finish off their opponents with ease.
Can way finally say buh-bye to Kay and Royce?
Bobbly Lashley defeats Apolo Crews to regain the United States Championship
Not bad folks, not bad. This was the “power match” of the night, and I will say Crews has definitely grown. However, I’m not sold on his personality. I feel he could benefit from a manager. Lashley is Lashley, but being partnered with Shelton Benjamin and MVP has given me a different perspective which I can appreciate. I believe his being saddled with Lana hurt him as a character. This is the recovery.
I want to see Crews turn around, JOIN the Hurt Business, and then somehow get Lashley kicked out.
Curious, following the match, Crews jumps and attacks Lashley during a backstage post-match interview. My guess is they are charging Crews up, continuing the feud.
Big E. defeated Sheamus
This was just a fun watch. It’s been a long time since we have seen Big E. on his own in a PPV slot, and facing Sheamus who is trying to rebound off his odd feud with Jeff Hardy. One can hope this will continue a singles push for Big E. He could have a really good run as a main eventer in 2021.
Matt Riddle defeated King Corbin, but this didn’t hold me. It looked like Corbin was clearly outclassed, which he appears most of the time, only to find a way to weasel a win. This time he couldn’t, yet opted to attack Riddle after the match. Meh.
Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax defeated Bayley and Sasha Banks to become new Women’s Tag Team Champions. Eh… Didn’t do it for me.
The trope of “bitter rivals make good partners to win tag titles” has been done way too many times, watching Bayley and Banks collapse AGAIN is just getting to be lazy writing. Unless that becomes the story, where as many times as they think they are on the same page, they never are. The outcome was predictable the moment the match was announced, and that ruined it.
Match wasn’t great either.
Keith Lee squashed Randy Orton in the match I expected out of a Keith Lee match.
This is a good thing. A VERY good thing. This shows WWE Creative may not deviate from the character built in NXT, a young tough guy who will quickly, and I mean quickly rush to overpower his opponent, no matter how veteran to win. Orton got some offense in, yay for him, but blocking an RKO into KA-Booming Orton against the match with the Spirit Bomb was a beautiful sight.
Please WWE, don’t screw this up.
Rey and Dominick Mysterio defeated Seth Rollins and Buddy Murphy
Good match again. Dominick look great. Working with dad must have been a thrill, and earning the pinfall victory must have felt great. He has the potential, and with enough work, he might have “IT” in the future. My only dislike is the use of Murphy as the accidental tool to cause Rollins to lose. Yes, we know, Murphy is side-kick to Rollins and thus not main-event grade, but Murphy is a talented guy, I really do not want him to get belittled back to jobberdom. The miscue might have been the difference-maker, but don’t discredit the whole match. It was a fun one to watch.
Roman Reigns defeated Braun Strowman and The Fiend to win the Universal Championship
This one got wonky. It wasn’t officially a triple threat until the night was almost over, as Strowman and Fiend spent the match wearing each other out. Eventually, Paul Heyman and Roman Reigns swagger out, with Reigns now officially signing a contract and then taking to the ring, right after a top rope superplex causes it to implode.
Sigh, been there, done it already moment.
Reigns does not get the win right away, but does after a low-blow and spearing everyone. Wyatt is champion for all of a week. Roman Reigns, now in full heel mode, will “Wreck Everything and Leave.” It’s catchy. In one way, this is the trigger WWE was likely too afraid to pull on Cena. Turning the uber-face into a heel. It’ll work, Heyman is the guy you want to be there with.
Some will say this was too fast, others will embrace it. I stand with the former. This should have been built up more, and then revealed. We got this whole turn in a week.
WWE must be throwing darts at a board, hoping something hits. This is why I continue to support AEW over WWE. I know what to expect, and that would be a wrestling show. WWE is trying to put on a drama with wrestling involved. They are rushing in a desperate bid to put on some sort of spectacular ground-breaking spectacle. They’re going to burn themselves out, real fast.
Reign it in… Pun intended.
