"This was better than the match" - WWE Universe reacts as Seth Rollins is mauled by former champion after Payback goes off-air

WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins had a successful title defense against Shinsuke Nakamura at Payback 2023.

Seth Rollins and Nakamura fought tooth-and-nail as Hall of Famer The Great Muta watched the action from ringside. The challenger came with the strategy to destroy the champion's back. The Visionary retaliated after taking several shots and finally won the match with a Pedigree followed by the Stomp. However, the rivalry seems far from over, as Nakamura attacked Rollins after the bout.

Just as Rollins exited the ring accompanied by Adam Pearce, Nakamura attacked his rival from behind. The King of Strong Style blasted his adversary with a Kinshasa and then kicked his face several times. Multiple WWE referees tried to create some distance between the two men, but Nakamura continued to assault The Visionary.

Nakamura finally slammed the champion on the tron before making his way out of the arena. Fans were stunned by the action that followed and reacted on Twitter.

Here are some of the notable responses to Nakamura's attack on Rollins:

"God, I just love this sh*t, man, Shinsuke is too good. Seth is too good, ugh."

Some members of the WWE Universe felt that the segment should have aired during the premium live event itself.

Some fans felt this would have been the best time for Señor Money in the Bank Damian Priest to cash in his contract and win the gold.

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Seth Rollins may have aggravated his back issues at Payback 2023

Despite nursing a bad back, Seth Rollins decided to proceed with his match against Nakamura at Payback.

But Rollins' weakness became quickly evident as Nakamura targetted his rival's back. The King of Strong Style landed several blows on The Visionary to intensify his issues. This was the focal point of the match as the Japanese icon tried to destroy the champion.

In the final stages of the contest, The Visionary was in terrible shape. However, he fought through the pain to hit the Pedigree/Stomp combination and pick up a hard-earned win.

With this attack, Nakamura proved that he was not done with the champ and was still in the hunt for the World Heavyweight Title. It will be interesting to see how The Visionary reacts to the assault on RAW.

Would you like to see Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Seth Rollins II? Sound off in the comments section below.