WWE Payback 2014: Early Matchcard Predictions

Extreme Rules just concluded and gave the fans a small ride back to the Attitude Era with some exciting spots throughout the card. It was apparently only the start of the Road to SummerSlam and we might be in store for some more exciting Pay-per-views.Payback is the next one on that expectation lists, and as the name suggests it will be a stage for the superstars to settle the scores once and for all.Its a bit early to draw conclusions on what the match card will look like for Payback, but since there werent many newer developments in the major storylines, here is a look at the possible way in which WWE could book their next pay-per-view outing.

#7 Alexander Rusev vs Mark Henry or Big Show

Rusev getting it done with the jobbers has to end sooner or later and WWE needs to address the issue fast. Getting Rusev in the winning end of a match with some established name like Big Show or Mark Henry could be the right stride towards it.

Henry and Show has no other storyline or relevance in the main roster at the moment but giving them a short feud with Rusev would be a nice thing.

Both are seasoned veterans and Rusev getting a win over a former World Champion will raise his stock in the company placing him in a nice situation for something bigger.

#6 Adam Rose vs Jack Swagger

The much hyped debut of Adam Rose ended up being a bit disappointing as the fans didn’t get to see him compete in a match. The "don’t be a lemon, be a Rosebud" quote sure stuck with the fans and it was only the memorable moment from his main roster debut.

It’s a feud with Jack Swagger that is lurking around the corner and it is almost sure to culminate in a match between the two at Payback.

This could go down as the in ring debut of Rose as well and he might get a win under his belt over the former World Champion.

#5 Sheamus vs Damien Sandow (United States Title)

Now that Sheamus has a title around his waist, WWE will be looking to build up some momentum for him before he gets a good enough feud.

A typical heel willing to job will be the natural choice for Payback and in the current roster there aren’t many names that could do the job like Sandow. On the brighter side, Sandow will have a credible stage to show his skills.

He could benefit from this and find something to hang on for his drowning career. Sheamus will have a good win under his belt before he could go on a long feud with someone else in the roster, preferably Alexander Rusev.

#4 Bad News Barrett vs Rob Van Dam vs Cesaro (Intercontinental title)

After finding success with the WrestleMania main event, WWE apparently liked the idea of having a triple threat match in the pay-per-view.

At Extreme Rules we had Cesaro, Swagger and Van Dam going at it and Payback might bring about a little change raising the stakes.

Once Barrett is done with Big E he will be left without any top opponent for Payback and since Cesaro and Van Dam crashed out of the title tournament in a tainted way, it wouldnt be a surprise if we get a triple threat match between the three.

Barrett could retain the title with a win and WWE could incorporate the loss of Cesaro into the narrative making him look good.

#3 Bray Wyatt vs John Cena

The story of the lambs and monsters are clearly not over and we still have a lot of fuel left in it. At Extreme Rules, Bray got the win over Cena and the Cenation leader will be looking to end the feud once and for all at Payback.

Bray made his intention clear that he wants to make Cena part of the Wyatt Family after his win but Cena retreated and gave the fans a "never give up" speech on the week which followed.

Some kind of stipulation could be added to the match making it more intriguing. One thing that should be taken care of will be the interaction of Erick Rowan and Luke Harper in the match as in Extreme Rules; they simply made look Bray weak.

With the record set at one win each, this might also be the last match of this feud and the one winning it would decide how the fans take it in as a whole.

#2 Evolution vs Shield

Another rematch from Extreme Rules, this match could mark the end of Evolution’s latest incarnation as Payback is Batista’s last scheduled event before he takes a break for promoting his film.

Though there wasn’t any gimmick added to their encounter at Extreme Rules, we got to the superstars pushing to their limits. At Payback, some more stipulations might be added for the match making it more extreme than the previous outing.

The only problem with the match however would be to choose a winner. Shield winning will mean that Evolution will look bad following their reunion while Evolution winning will leave the story at a stalemate since Batista is taking a break.

This unpredictability may come in handy as it promises to make the bout more exciting.

#1 Kane vs Daniel Bryan (Buried Alive match for the WWE World Heavyweight title)

The original plans for Payback were for Batista to face Daniel Bryan for the title but apparently Batista wasn’t ready to put Bryan over.

Thus we ended up with another bout between Bryan and Kane with a possible stipulation that will make the Batista's idea look like a worst case scenario. WWE made strides for the rematch between Kane and Bryan on the Raw after Extreme Rules itself and it was a bit cheesy to begin with.

The writers got a lot of heat for involving Brie in the feud and taking it outside the ring making Bryan more uncomfortable.

WWE should pull things back behind the line in order to make this one a big success. Bryan and Kane will not make the rematch look repetitive however as they have more than enough in them to bring variations.