WWE Payback 2014: Stars Who Will Exceed Expectations

At WWE’s Payback event next month, expect several wrestlers on the roster to exceed expectations and deliver strong and credible performances at the Allstate Arena.

A rematch between The Shield and Evolution is the first official bout set for the show. Dave Batista, Randy Orton and Triple H will be attempting to avenge their loss to the Hounds of Justice at Extreme Rules.

The two teams stole the show at last week’s pay-per-view—and the WWE Universe can expect them to do it again at Payback.

OK, so WWE’s long history of “Even Stevens” booking indicates Triple H and buddies should come out on top this time.

Credit: WWE.com

But personally, I wouldn’t be too surprised to see Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns assert their dominance once more. Yet another credible win on pay-per-view would firmly establish the trio in the upper echelon of WWE.

Expect the match itself to be fantastic as well. Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns have been carrying the company’s in-ring action for well over a year now, and it’s not hard to see Evolution vs. The Shield churning out the best match of the night once again.

While no other matches for the show have been announced, you can easily surmise from current storylines just where things are headed.

Credit: WWE.com

Bray Wyatt and John Cena will likely have their third—and possibly final—bout on pay-per-view at Payback.

I’d expect Wyatt to pull out another win—he emerged victorious from his cage match bout with Cena at Extreme Rules—and leave the show will even more momentum.

Cena really doesn’t need the win, and Wyatt has more to gain from the victory. Following his win, a run at Daniel Bryan’s WWE World Heavyweight Championship might be next for him (Bryan will hopefully be back from his neck surgery by then).

There are the female wrestlers to consider, too.

Going by Monday’s Raw, Alicia Fox is gearing up for a bold new character direction. She threw an enormous and slightly frightening temper tantrum after losing to Divas champion Paige.

It was a rather strange but memorable moment, especially due to the shocked reactions of JBL and Michael Cole, who seemed almost afraid of the irate young woman.

Credit: WWE.com

Could she be the next big challenger for Paige’s belt and clash with her at the pay-per-view? It seems probable. If so, expect Fox to churn out a great performance at the Allstate Arena and remind WWE why it made such a huge mistake in marginalizing her in the first place.

Payback probably won’t be a high-profile show—which seems to be the fate of most of the company’s "B" pay-per-views since the WWE Network launched—but expect many performers on the roster to step up and prove themselves.