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WWE Payback was scheduled just a week after WWE Summerslam, and given the current circumstances under which the shows are being held, many saw it as a bad move. However, WWE usually manages to turn the negatives around and make them into positives, and that’s exactly what they did at Payback.
After Roman Reigns made a surprise return at WWE SummerSlam, all eyes were on him as he was fast-tracked to the WWE Universal Championship picture. While no singles women’s matches were held during the night, the WWE Women’s Tag Team titles were on the line as Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax formed an unlikely tag team to go after The Golden Role Models.
Apollo Crews was set to defend his United States Championship against Bobby Lashley, while Rey Mysterio and Dominik teamed up to compete against Seth Rollins and Murphy.
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In this article, we will look at the 5 things WWE got right at WWE Payback a week after SummerSlam.
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#5 Matt Riddle and Big E pick up big victories at WWE Payback
Big E was ready to compete in a singles match at a pay-per-view as he took on Sheamus during WWE Payback. Sheamus returned to WWE SmackDown a few months back but has been struggling to find his footing, even though fans anticipated a major push for The Celtic Warrior.
The Irishman took the fight to Big E, but E easily matched him in size and power. After a really good match, Big E caught Sheamus with a powerbomb and ended proceedings with a Big Ending. He celebrated following the match approaching Corey Graves at ringside and saying: "Preach to the people! I'm ready!"
Big E, indeed, seems ready for a major push. With so many heels fighting for the top prize on WWE SmackDown, he could make his way into the mix and end up becoming a top contender to the WWE Universal Championship following WWE Payback.
Matt Riddle and King Corbin were up next and we saw Corbin attack Riddle before the match could even get underway. The Original Bro had an answer to every offense from Corbin and took him down with a series of kicks and strikes.
Corbin continued to use his power and heelish tactics in the match, but Riddle hit the Bro to Sleep and then took him out with the Floating Bro to pick up the victory.
Riddle needed a major win to come across as a big star, and he did just that in this fight. The aftermath beatdown shows the rivalry is just getting started, and Riddle will need to do a lot more to stay on top of WWE SmackDown.
#4 Bobby Lashley becomes the new United States Champion at WWE Payback
Apollo Crews entered WWE Payback with one mission in mind, to protect his WWE United States Championship against Bobby Lashley. While Crews had been successful at defending the title against MVP of The Hurt Business, Lashley is another animal who cannot be tamed.
MVP and Shelton Benjamin watched from ringside as Lashley took control of the match using his power. However, Crews wasn’t ready to give up his United States Championship at WWE Payback and tried to use his speed and agility to stay in the game.
The All-Mighty was able to connect with a big spinebuster and then locked Crews in the Full Nelson to pick up the victory and become the new United States Champion at WWE Payback.
This was a good match that ended Crews' first reign as Champion in the company and gave Lashley a title he deserves at this point. The Hurt Business required some gold to come across as a legit threat, and they’ve managed to get that.
Lashley failed to win the WWE Championship a couple of months earlier, but the US title will give him some build. As for Crews, he had a good run as the Champion and he’ll need to get back to the drawing board to stay relevant on the mid-card.
#3 Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax create more problems for The Golden Role Models at WWE Payback
A newly formed team that hasn’t been together for even a week set their eyes on the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships at WWE Payback. Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax came together to challenge The Golden Role Models for the titles.
While the challengers had control of the match, Bayley pushed Baszler into Jax and knocked her off the ring apron, injuring her knee in the process. Jax then took control of the match and took the fight to the champions.
Even though The Legit Boss and The Role Model tried their best to keep the two dominating women out of the contest, they weren’t a match for the challengers.
Baszler proved why she’s regarded as the most lethal woman in WWE today as she applied a Muta Lock to Banks and the Kirifuda Clutch to Bayley at the same time. She used Banks’ arm to her advantage and made Bayley tap out to win the titles for herself and Jax.
This was a big victory for both Baszler and Jax at Payback who have been dominant in their performances but have failed when it has mattered the most. They deserve singles runs as champions, but given the current circumstances, it’s good they have belts around their waists while Asuka can focus on other women on WWE RAW.
WWE Payback did not end well for Banks who lost the only title she was holding, while Bayley now only has her SmackDown Women’s Championship with her.
#2 Keith Lee takes down Randy Orton at WWE Payback
Keith Lee became one of the biggest stars in WWE NXT, and his move to WWE RAW was seen as a welcomed one. He got his first PPV match at WWE Payback just days after his debut on RAW. However, many believed that WWE was rushing into the decision, and critics did not hold back as he made his first appearance on the Red brand with a new gear and entrance theme.
After his first match against Randy Orton ended in a no-contest on WWE RAW, he got the biggest opportunity of his life to compete in a match against the 13-time World Champion at WWE Payback.
While Lee had to work hard during the match, he was able to bring out all of his big moves while enduring some punishment from The Legend Killer. He finally managed to hit the Spirit Bomb to pick up one of the biggest victories of his career against the top active Superstar of WWE.
Many did not expect Lee to go over a star like Orton so soon, and it seems like WWE is fast-tracking The Limitless One to success. We hope this push doesn’t die down soon, and instead, WWE gives Lee all the opportunities he needs to become a top WWE Superstar.
#1 Roman Reigns shows his new side at WWE Payback
WWE Payback flowed smoothly into the final match of the night where WWE Universal Champion ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt defended his title against Braun Strowman and the returning Roman Reigns.
Reigns did not appear as the match took off after Paul Heyman had confirmed that the former Universal Champion would sign the contract for the match at some point in the night.
Alexa Bliss watched on from backstage as The Fiend and Strowman took each other on a painful ride.
After over ten minutes of extreme physicality, The Fiend delivered a big suplex to The Monster Among Men from the top rope that ended up demolishing the ring and sent the referee flying out.
Reigns made his appearance at Payback after witnessing the carnage and signed the contract, making himself a legal competitor in the match. While he thought it’d be easy for him to pin either man to pick up the victory, he had to put in some hard work before winning the match and becoming the new WWE Universal Champion.
This was a good match, but it was odd that the company featured Reigns for only a few minutes even though he was the main attraction for Payback. The Big Dog’s new persona could help him remain the Universal Champion for a long time, and a rising star like Big E could benefit from a storyline with Reigns at a time when fans want to see him aim for the top.
