Dolph Ziggler vs. Sheamus
Dolph Ziggler and Sheamus failed to get the crowd involved at Extreme Rules even with the Kiss My Arse stipulation. They will have no such platform at Payback so it would really be a struggle. Sheamus started off his heel run on a positive note but his momentum has cooled down.
Both the superstars have some solid chemistry between them but the repetition factor is going to haunt them on Sunday. Sheamus is probably going to run for a midcard title soon and he would be given a crucial pay-per-view win before that. Ziggler is going to take the fall this time around and he might not look as strong as he did at Extreme Rules.
Prediction: Sheamus wins
King Barrett vs. Neville
A brawler from Britain, a high flyer from Britain and pay-per-view spotlight; the combination looks promising but then again, there is a certain lack of storyline backup in the match.
The rushed nature of the King of the Ring tournament has not benefitted Barrett at all and if we take away his crown from the whole angle, then there is no motivation for the two superstars to fight here.
Neville has been stealing limelight elsewhere and the only purpose of the match is to put him over in a pay-per-view. Barrett taking a loss will not be good for him so the best option here is a disqualification win for Neville.
Prediction: Neville wins
Bray Wyatt vs. Ryback
This will be an interesting match even though the buildup has been a bit miscued. Ryback is simply pissed off at what Bray is doing and Bray’s motives are cryptic to the core. This lack of backstory might haunt the match just like it haunts most of the other bouts in Payback.
The ‘interesting’ part mentioned earlier comes from the in ring action. Ryback has been booked as a monster in between the ropes and it would be awkward to see him get dominated. The same applies for Bray as well. All these factors make it hard for WWE to pull off a neutral bout between the two.
Ryback is going nowhere with the win so Bray will probably take this one even if it sees some interference from the likes of Luke Harper and Erick Rowan.
Prediction: Bray Wyatt Wins