In just a few hours is WWE Payback, and RAW-themed pay-per-view which also includes a pseudo-SmackDown feud and something which happens more often than we remember, but two Canadian wrestlers have a match for the United States Championship. Funny stuff.
Also, what seems like a rarity, a title bout is NOT on the pre-show.
The pre-show features another match in an on-and-off feud between Enzo and Cass vs. The Club. This is a good pre-show, as Enzo’s antics will rile the crowd up and get us psyched. The winners I suppose will be next to contend for the RAW Tag Team Championships, which will be defended on the card as Sheamus and Cesaro will challenge Matt and Jeff Hardy. This one will be a fun one to watch. Here is the thing though, most of us have heard the rumors “Broken Matt and Brother Nero” may be on the horizon, so a title drop is possible in order to rebirth the insane-yet-lovable duo. I am surprised WWE didn’t pull the trigger and crown Enzo and Cass as champions sooner, but my guess a title win for them should be a big deal. For tonight, I’m going to guess Enzo and Cass win the preshow and Sheamus and Cesaro become two-time champs.
Seth Rollins vs. Samoa Joe
I Honestly have no care who wins, I just want to see the match we’ve been waiting for since ROH or CZW, or Japan, or… wherever else in the world. It’s hard to say who should get the win, as a W for Rollins will continue to push him towards a main event, but a PPV like this is really a build for something bigger, say SummerSlam. Only for this reason I believe a longer feud is in order, so I’m calling Samoa Joe for the win.
United States Championship Match: Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens
Part of the stipulation, is if Jericho wins, he goes to SmackDown as champion, since the title is SmackDown’s property. I guess that is what they are saying to make some sense, because here I thought, it was the person who gets drafted, not the title. Whatever, storylines. In any case, I’m calling for Kevin Owens to retain. He’s got to keep a belt around his waist, he was Universal champ only to be required to drop to Goldberg, just so he could drop to Lesnar. SmackDown championship being defended on a RAW program, plus the rumor Jericho is taking the next couple months off again? If Jericho wins, I will be shocked.
Cruiserweight Championship Match: Austin Aries vs. Neville
This one I am not sure about, we have TJ Perkins who tags along as Neville’s lackey now, however this is Aries’ second championship attempt. The only thing which bugs me, is the continuous lack of using the cruiserweights actually recruited for the division. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy Neville as uber-heel, and it has been great, and Austin Aries is never short on entertainment value. But, I want Gallagher up there, and soon. For tonight, it stays with Neville.
RAW Women’s Championship: Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley
I’m going for Bliss. Bayley makes the babyface champion a bit clichéd, and I felt she was better at chasing the title.
House of Horrors Match: Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt
WWE Championship no longer on the line, which makes sense, so now we can legitimately believe Bray Wyatt can win. If the belt was on the line, we’d all call Orton and be done with it. So, in hopes WWE makes the right call, Bray Wyatt should win the damn match.
Main Event: Braun Strowman vs. Roman Reigns
No championship here, but might as well, because being allowed to defeat Roman Reigns is a title in of itself. The last time they clashed, Reigns got a win, which immediately made Strowman the uber-face WWE didn’t plan on. Chants of “Thank You Strowman” erupt anytime he bum rushes Reigns. He’s the guy who comes out and destroys things. He has the privilege of being in third ring-collapse spot. Ironically, Big Show has been in all three, and has been the victim, in all three. Reigns not being on RAW last week was an interesting call, ones fans had no issue with. For tonight, if Strowman loses, there will be riots on reddit. Reigns in Mr. Unstoppable since his defeat of The Undertaker. This, is stupid. Does this means Reigns is the new Cena? Tonight, I don’t care, because I’m calling for a Strowman win and if it doesn’t happen I will ignore the existence of this match.
