WWE Payback is set to be a spectacular event with many fresh faces involved, and a major announcement set to be made by chairman Vince McMahon
WWE Payback 2016 will take place at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois, United States on May 1, 2016. There are eight matches on the card. Here are our predictions for the show.
1) Kalisto vs Ryback (WWE US Championship): This is the most low profile match of the PPV and will take place on the pre-show. There has been very little hype for this match and the title changing hands seems unlikely.
Winner: Kalisto
2) Dolph Ziggler vs Baron Corbin: This is a grudge match between the WWE veteran Dolph Ziggler and NXT recruit Baron Corbin. Corbin has played the sick, talented heel in this feud which has been built up well. Given WWE's penchant for giving call ups from NXT big initial pushes, Corbin is the odds-on-favourite to win. Moreover, Ziggler has been used as the perpetual fall guy by the WWE.
Winner: Baron Corbin
3) The Miz vs Cesaro (WWE Intercontinental Championship): Cesaro is in the middle of another push as a fan favourite, but like in times past, this will end at Payback. Miz, boring as he is, has been revitalised as a character by the return of his real-life wife Maryse to WWE programming. The two are playing the roles of sneaky heels well at the moment, and a dirty win for The Miz seems inevitable at Payback.
Winner: The Miz
4) The Vaudevillains vs Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady: This will be an exciting, fast encounter that sees the Vaudevillians win, probably due to interference from the Dudley Boyz. Remember, this is for the No 1 contendership to the WWE Tag Team Titles, and there is no title match at Payback. So expect this match to be given substantial time.
Winners: The Vaudevillians
5) Charlotte vs Natalya (WWE Women's Title): The outcome of this match is surely clear. There is no chance that Natalya is going to beat Charlotte, after Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks failed to do it at Wrestlemania. What is more interesting is that Bret Hart is rumoured to make a return, to be in Natalya's corner. Ric Flair of course will be in Charlotte's corner. Hart's return will spice up things though it won't change the result.
Winner: Charlotte
6) Sami Zayn vs Kevin Owens: Zayn vs Owens on a PPV is what many fans have waited long to see. Expect a thrilling match that is my pick for the match of the night. The build up for this match has been superb. Expect Kevin Owens to walk out the winner and the feud to blow off with a Sami Zayn victory at Extreme Rules.
Winner: Kevin Owens
7) Dean Ambrose vs Chris Jericho: Following Ambrose's loss to Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania and Jericho's victory over AJ Styles, this feud has simply been thrown together as an interesting one. There is no reason for Chris Jericho to beat the much younger and fitter Dean Ambrose, who is in the prime of his career and popularity. I also think this feud will (sadly) not last more that one PPV.
Winner: Dean Ambrose
8) Roman Reigns vs AJ Styles (WWE World Heavyweight Title): Once again, there is seemingly no reason to have this feud except that it's fresh. It gives Roman Reigns an easy opponent in his first title defence after Wrestlemania, and lets the AJ Styles fans feel important. There is no way WWE will let AJ Styles walk out with the WWE title. However, some interference by Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows is almost certain.
There are many things to look forward to in this match, and Roman Reigns' performance is NOT one of them. Firstly, why is WWE making the face Reigns battle a face AJ Styles, knowing fully well that Roman is very unpopular at least with adult fans and will get severely booed? Second, Reigns has noticeably played a tweener role since his Wrestlemania victory. Is WWE set to abandon the project of casting Reigns as their top face? Will Gallows and Anderson turn on Styles to give Reigns a dirty finish and enable his heel turn? What is certain is that Reigns will win.
Winner: Roman Reigns
Lastly, but most importantly, something is brewing in The Family. Vince McMahon is set to make a big announcement about the competing claims of Shane McMahon (on one hand) and Triple H and Stephanie McMahon (on the other hand). Both parties claim a right to run RAW. Shane has been doing it since Wrestlemania, but it is rumoured that Vince will announce a fresh brand split between RAW and Smackdown, handing one show to Shane and the other to the Authority. If this is true, interesting times are ahead.
Overall, WWE Payback has a solid card with many fresh faces. Eight matches in three-and-a-half hours means plenty of time for each match. It will be very disappointing if WWE fail to pull off a spectacular show on Sunday night.
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