#5. Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton (WWE Smackdown)In a rematch from Raw, Daniel Bryan faced Randy Orton again, except without the ref stoppage. The match tore the house down, and every move was delivered with impact and viciousness. The crowd was hot the whole time, and every time Bryan did a signature spot the crowd blew up. The match would not end cleanly though, with Bryan getting the Count Out victory over Orton after a fast paced match. Seeing as these two are scheduled to face again on Raw, I’m sure we can finally get the decisive victory.
#4. Alberto Del Rio vs. CM Punk (WWE Raw)In CM Punk’s first TV match in over 2 months, the Second City Saint faced old rival Alberto Del Rio in the main event of Raw. While the beginning of the Lesnar/Punk feud may have overshadowed the actual match, Del Rio and Punk told a great story and put on some great wrestling for the fans. After a clinic of strikes, grapples, and submissions, Alberto Del Rio would walk away and give Punk the count out victory.
#3. Wade Barrett (c) vs. The Miz vs. Curtis Axel – Intercontinental Championship Match (WWE Payback)On Sunday’s Payback PPV, WWE opened the show with an awesome triple threat match between Barrett, Miz, and Paul Heyman’s newest client Curtis Axel. While the match was a little short, it was an extremely fun match to watch. Everyman looked like they were going to win at some point, and every man showed how good they are in the ring. Whether it was Wade Barrett using his powerful strikes, the Miz using his cunning, or Curtis Axel using his mat wrestling, every person brought something to the match and the styles meshed, pun intended, perfect-ly. Curtis Axel would end up winning his first singles championship by pinning Barrett while the Miz had him in a Figure Four, which was a fresh way to end the match. Hopefully Wade can move on to win Money In The Bank. Fingers crossed.
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#2. Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. Alberto Del Rio – WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match (WWE Payback)In what was arguably the best example of in-ring story telling since Triple H vs. Undertaker at WrestleMania 28, Alberto Del Rio and Dolph Ziggler produced a rare double turn to absolutely perfection. From the kicks to the head, the facial expressions, and even the commentators, every detail of this match was done perfectly, and while Ziggler may have lost his World Heavyweight Championship we’ve been waiting so long to see him carry, the events that come after this may be the start of the biggest push Ziggler will experience.
#1. Chris Jericho vs. CM Punk (WWE Payback)Well, this isn’t very surprising. Everybody expected Punk and Jericho to put on an instant classic, and on Sunday they did just that. From the in-ring psychology to the barrage of near falls, this match was hot from bell to bell, and I’m sure that the people watching at home were just as invested as the people in attendance. CM Punk would win his homecoming match, but it would take three GTS’s. This match single handedly merits a purchase of the Payback DVD.