WWE Payback 2015: Final Picks and Predictions for All Bouts on the Card
Payback is not only the title of Sunday's WWE pay-per-view extravaganza, but it is the theme of many of the night's marquee bouts.
For Roman Reigns, the event presents the opportunity for him to not only dethrone Seth Rollins as WWE World Heavyweight champion but also avenge the most disappointing night of his career at this past March's WrestleMania 31.
Randy Orton and Dean Ambrose, two Superstars regularly faced with the wrath of The Authority, have the chance to stick it to Triple H and Stephanie McMahon by defeating their rival Rollins and freeing him of the title.
Dolph Ziggler can achieve vengeance for the greatest humiliation of his career, which he suffered at the hands of Sheamus at last month's Extreme Rules, while Ryback can silence the deranged Bray Wyatt and repay the Reaper of Souls for the attack he found himself on the receiving end of on SmackDown.
Rusev can avenge two straight pinfall losses to John Cena, but to do so, he will have to force the words "I quit" out of the most resilient Superstar the industry has ever seen.
And do not forget about Tyson Kidd and Cesaro, who lost their WWE Tag Team Championships in controversial fashion to The New Day back in April. Will retribution be theirs as they challenge for the gold in a 2-out-of-3 Falls match?
With only two weeks before a gigantic WWE Network exclusive pay-per-view in which the company will resurrect the Elimination Chamber, the results of Payback are of the utmost importance.
Who should fans expect to see emerge from Baltimore with their arms raised in victory and championship gold wrapped securely around their waists in some cases?
Take a look for yourself with these last-minute previews and predictions for every bout on the Payback card.
WWE Kickoff Match: Macho Mandow and Curtis Axel vs. The Ascension
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The May 11 episode of Monday Night Raw featured a match between Macho Mandow and Curtis Axel that felt very much like filler.
Then the Ascension appeared and were systematically picked apart and tossed out of the squared circle by Mandow and Axel, who put aside their differences to take out a common enemy.
Now, they will be tasked to do so one more time. They team up to meet Konnor and Viktor as the festivities get underway this Sunday night during the Kickoff Show.
Prediction: Macho Mandow and Curtis Axel
Mandow and Axel have appeared regularly on Raw and SmackDown as of late, and while their win-loss records are anything but sparkling, they have at least been relevant.
The same cannot be said for Konnor and Viktor, who have failed miserably since their call-up to the main roster. They have been incredibly disappointing, something that can be attributed to WWE Creative's attempt to turn them into a cheap knockoff of the Road Warriors.
One team consists of Superstars partaking in some sort of story, while the other is made up of two competitors who saw their promotion to Raw and SmackDown turning out much differently than their success in NXT.
Mandow and Axel are the clear favorites here.
Neville vs. King Barrett
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Prior to Extreme Rules, Neville utilized his breathtaking Red Arrow finisher to beat Bad News Barrett on the Kickoff Show. It was the biggest win of the former NXT star's main roster career and one that seemed to elevate him instantly.
Over the next two days, he would ride the wave of momentum into the King of the Ring finals, knocking off both Luke Harper and Sheamus to get there.
But his skill could not overcome the drive and determination of Barrett to avenge his embarrassing defeat to the Man Who Gravity Forgot. By night's end, it was the former bare-knuckle fighter who was wearing the crown and cape, ascending to his throne as King of the Ring.
Tag matches have followed, with Barrett getting the best of Neville for the most part, but it's the high-flying competitor who is entering Payback hottest of all. Fresh on the heels of a career-defining performance against John Cena, the former NXT champion is proving himself as one of the most promising young stars on the roster.
Prediction: Neville
Barrett has been so inconsistently booked throughout the course of the career that is implausible to think that he could possibly enjoy some sort of career renaissance thanks to a crown and scepter.
Neville, on the other hand, has been the most consistently booked Superstar post-WrestleMania, competing against former champions and proving himself capable of succeeding at the next level. He is over with the fans, thanks in part to his jaw-dropping finisher, and he looks like the first young star to come out of NXT in a year who could conceivably achieve main event glory over time.
Barrett could use the win, but Neville needs it more to sustain his steady push, so expect to see the latter to pull out the victory in the battle of the Brits.
The Bella Twins vs. Naomi and Tamina
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The Bella Twins have dominated women's wrestling in WWE for the majority of 2015. Nikki has reigned over the Divas division as champion since last November.
One of the power-based Diva's successful title defenses came at Extreme Rules against Naomi, as Nikki capitalized on some well-timed interference from sister Brie to put her top contender away with the Rack Attack.
Realizing that she would need some backup in order to overcome the numbers disadvantage, the newly heel Naomi recruited Tamina, who made her return to television after a yearlong absence to aid the dynamic Diva in assaulting Nikki and Brie.
Now, Naomi has the opportunity to take one step closer toward championship glory as she and her newest associate battle the Bellas at Payback.
Prediction: Naomi and Tamina
As strange as it sounds, the Bella Twins have not fared particularly well in tag team competition, losing more often than they win. At WrestleMania, they lost a high-profile bout to Paige and AJ Lee and are poised to suffer a defeat again, this time at the hands of Naomi and Tamina.
From a booking standpoint, the heels need this match much more than Brie and Nikki do. Naomi is being positioned as the greatest threat to Nikki's title reign, and if she is to continue challenging for the title, she needs a win against the champ.
A pinfall win over Nikki would go a long way in convincing fans that Naomi is the biggest challenge to the Bella's journey to greatness and a history-making reign as champion.
Dolph Ziggler vs. Sheamus
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Dolph Ziggler suffered the greatest indignation of his career at Extreme Rules when he defeated Sheamus in a Kiss Me Arse match but wound up the unfortunate Superstar to do the kissing, courtesy of a post-match beatdown by the Celtic Warrior.
The humiliation and frustration that plagued The Showoff only got worse as Sheamus cost him the opportunity to become the 2015 King of the Ring. Ziggler, though, finally avenged his shaming, at least a little, by preventing the Irishman from winning the same tournament.
In the weeks that have followed, the Superstars have clashed in countless tag matches, and on the May 11 episode of Raw, Sheamus again stuck his nose in the business of his current rival, costing him a victory over King Barrett.
For Ziggler, Payback represents just that: an opportunity for vengeance. For Sheamus, it is yet another chance to pick up a big win as he climbs back into championship contention in WWE.
Prediction: Sheamus
All signs would seem to point to Ziggler winning here, gaining his revenge and closing the book on this rivalry. Unfortunately, when comparing the two, there is much more invested in the Celtic Warrior than The Showoff, and that would suggest that it will be Sheamus who leaves Baltimore with a victory in his back pocket.
Where that leaves Ziggler in the wake of the show, especially since he would have never gotten any sort of retribution for what he endured at Extreme Rules, is the biggest question.
Sheamus will likely find himself in the thick of the intercontinental or United States championship pictures in the immediate future, and a win over Ziggler will establish him as a top challenger to either one of those titles.
2-out-of-3 Falls Match for the WWE Tag Team Championships
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The New Day's victory over Tyson Kidd and Cesaro for the WWE Tag Team Championships at Extreme Rules was shocking.
After months of failing miserably in their new roles, Kofi Kingston, Big E and Xavier Woods suddenly began getting over as heels, to the point that management felt comfortable enough to put them over the red-hot Cesaro and Kidd for the titles in the passionate wrestling city of Chicago.
It was a bold move that paid off as The New Day have rapidly become one of the most over acts in the company as a group of high-energy motivational speakers who are incredibly disliked by the audience. Regardless, they continue to spread their message of remaining positive and cheat like hell while doing so.
They have tangled with main event talent like Randy Orton and Roman Reigns, defeating the top contenders to the WWE title in a handicap match.
Cesaro and Kidd, on the other hand, have remained as consistently great as always, scoring wins in singles competition over the champions.
At Payback, the two teams will tangle in a 2-out-of-3 Falls match with the gold on the line.
Prediction: The New Day
There is an old saying that advises "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Right now, The New Day are as over as either of the three men involved has ever been, they are eliciting passionate and thunderous reactions from the crowd, and they are as solid a choice for tag champions as any other team on the roster.
In fact, if WWE Creative plays its cards right, the trio could well restore credibility and legitimacy to the gold while bringing some heat back to tag team wrestling.
Why sacrifice that to take the titles off them one month after crowning them?
In what could steal the show out from underneath every other bout on the card, expect to see a wild, crazy, chaotic tag match that features champions and challengers splitting the first two falls before the titleholders partake in some chicanery to retain their titles.
If management is smart, though, this will not be the last time Kidd and Cesaro challenge for the gold, as the company clearly has the makings of a special tag team rivalry on its hands.
Ryback vs. Bray Wyatt
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The night after WrestleMania and a defeat at the hands of The Undertaker, Bray Wyatt began cutting the cryptic promos he has become so associated with in his main roster career.
The target of his ramblings was unclear at first, but just 24 hours after Extreme Rules in April and seconds after a dominating victory over Bo Dallas, Ryback found himself on the receiving end of Sister Abigail.
Since that night, Wyatt has revealed that Ryback is merely "in his way." That is the only explanation given for the entire feud, though a sneak attack on the May 14 episode of SmackDown that ultimately cost the Big Guy his match against Seth Rollins only further intensified the situation.
At Payback, Ryback will look to gain a measure of revenge, while Wyatt hopes to get back on the winning track, bulldozing his powerful enemy and continuing on his journey to become the new face of fear in WWE.
Prediction: Bray Wyatt
WWE Creative has booked itself in a corner here because neither Ryback nor Wyatt can really afford a loss at this point. The two midcard stars should be light-years ahead of where they are but have seen their progression halted by questionable booking methods over the last two years.
Ryback is the type of performer who is generally going to remain over regardless of wins and losses, thanks in large part to an effective catchphrase and an explosive power-based offense. Wyatt, on the other hand, is dangerously close to becoming a caricature.
He rarely wins big matches but always finds a way to talk a big game, to the point that he will lose credibility with the audience if he does not occasionally manage to back up his words with a victory.
Thus, it is imperative that Wyatt wins, especially since the story has no reason to continue onward if he does not.
"I Quit" Match for the United States Championship: John Cena vs. Rusev
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At WrestleMania 31, John Cena became the first Superstar to notch a pinfall victory over Rusev. Three weeks later at Extreme Rules, he again pinned the Bulgarian Brute, successfully retaining the United States Championship in a Russian Chain match.
In both instances, though, Lana played a role in Rusev's downfall.
First, she collided with him, falling from the apron and setting up the loss at the Showcase of the Immortals. Then, her basking in the cheers of the fans at Extreme Rules led to Rusev banishing her from ringside, which forced him to take his eye off his opponent for a moment.
Now, Rusev has one last opportunity to regain the title he held with great pride as a symbol of his supposed superiority over America. To do so, he will have to do the one thing no other Superstar has been able to: make Cena say "I quit."
Prediction: John Cena
Cena is winning this, if no other reason than to continue of the United States Championship Open Challenge that has served as the bright spot of every episode of Raw since the night after WrestleMania.
Rusev is in danger of falling into the same trap as so many of Cena's past opponents, dropping three straight losses to the franchise player and then descending into mediocrity. See: Bray Wyatt.
Luckily, the ongoing story involving the Bulgarian Brute's jealousy over the popularity of Lana will help him recover. Considering his consistent improvement and tremendous performances as of late, the last thing WWE Creative can afford to lose is a quality heel the likes of Rusev.
Fatal 4-Way Match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
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Since WrestleMania 31, Seth Rollins has been public enemy No. 1 thanks in large part to his ego, which has been running rampant. Not only does he find himself at odds with three top contenders in Randy Orton, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose, but he has also ran afoul of fellow Authority teammate, Director of Operations Kane.
In fact, it is his spat with the Big Red Corporate Demon (From Hell!) that has landed him in Sunday's Fatal 4-Way match for his WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Originally slated to be a Triple Threat match that would see him defend against Reigns and Orton, as determined by fan vote, the contest was injected with a little lunacy, thanks to the involvement of Ambrose.
At the orders of the aforementioned Kane, Ambrose's victory over Rollins in a non-title match earned him a spot in the championship encounter.
No Superstar has been hotter ahead of Sunday's event than The Lunatic Fringe, who has gotten the best of his opponents numerous times in recent weeks to establish him as a real threat to dethrone The Architect and his coveted title.
Prediction: Seth Rollins
The dissension within The Authority threatens its stranglehold on the industry Sunday night as Rollins defends the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in a Fatal 4-Way match against Orton, Reigns and Ambrose in the marquee match of WWE's Payback pay-per-view.
Kane figures to play a key role in the contest, thanks to the stipulation put forth by Triple H that, if Rollins does not retain, the Director of Operations will lose his job.
With Reigns determined to avenge the disappointing end to the biggest night of his career at WrestleMania 31, Orton hellbent on dethroning his hated enemy and Ambrose wanting to cement his status as a legitimate main event star, regardless of who he has to walk over to do it, Kane's future as one of the most powerful on-air characters on WWE television is certainly at stake.
But this is exactly the sort of match that a heel like Rollins thrives in. He does not have to carry the majority of the contest, instead sitting back and picking his opportunities. As the lead villain, booking allows for him to do little but steal the victory—much to the dismay of the fans—and that is exactly what the WWE Universe should expect to see by the time Payback leaves the airwaves Sunday night.
Rollins needs this to maintain his momentum, and he will get it.
Probably by hook and by crook.
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