WWE Payback 2015: Early Predictions for Matches on the Card

On May 17, WWE will roll into Baltimore for its Payback pay-per-view event broadcast on WWE Network.

The night's main event pits WWE World Heavyweight champion Seth Rollins against Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Randy Orton in a gigantic Fatal 4-Way match. With Director of Operations Kane factoring heavily in the storyline leading into the bout, the contest should prove to be quite unpredictable.

Championship gold will also be at the center of the night's other marquee bout, an "I Quit" match for the United States title that will see John Cena defend against the mighty Rusev.

There are no other bouts officially announced for the card at this point, but with two incredibly strong matches at the top of the lineup, fans should have no problem getting excited for the event.

With just 10 days until the show, take an in-depth look at the night's two most anticipated bouts with these early predictions for the championship clashes.

Credit: WWE.com

Fatal 4-Way Match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship: Roman Reigns vs. Randy Orton vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins

The introduction of Ambrose to this match on the May 4 episode of Raw makes this one all the more interesting—not because The Lunatic Fringe actually stands a chance at winning the title, mind you, but because this will mark the first major pay-per-view contest in which all three former Shield members will battle each other.

Ambrose is certainly riding a wave of momentum coming off his victory over Luke Harper at Extreme Rules, but he has been part of the mangled mess that is the midcard for so long that asking fans to buy that he could suddenly jump into the main event and win the WWE title is a bit of a stretch.

Orton is a guy who will always be over and have a spot in the main event, regardless of whether or not he is champion, so a rush to put the title on him at this point would only derail the pushes of both Rollins and Reigns, which would be a disaster.

This brings us to Reigns and Rollins, who are the favorites to emerge from Payback with the gold.

While Reigns is the face of the future, there is more money in a lengthy Rollins run, if only because fans will pay more to see the intolerable heel eventually get his comeuppance.

Reigns will likely steal the show again, as he has in the last two events, but it will be The Architect who escapes with his title intact—with or without the help of The Authority's Kane.

Prediction: Seth Rollins

Credit: WWE.com

"I Quit" Match for the United States Championship: John Cena vs. Rusev

For the fourth consecutive pay-per-view, John Cena will face Rusev with the U.S. title on the line.

The leader of the Cenation has been responsible for Rusev's first two pinfall losses and will now be faced with the task of forcing the Bulgarian Brute to say the words "I quit."

Cena has competed in numerous matches of this type. In fact, his 2007 Royal Rumble bout against Umaga ranks as one of the best bouts of the decade. Considering the similarities between The Samoan Bulldozer and Rusev, do not be surprised if the match resembles that classic.

Rusev is in danger of losing considerable momentum, especially with the impending split between him and Lana. A third straight loss threatens to ruin everything WWE has built over the last year.

At the same time, there is no way Cena quits—not given the character that he has spent the last decade building.

Expect to see Cena pick up the win, retaining his title in the process. Rusev does not necessarily have to quit, and with Lana at ringside, any finish to help him save face is possible.

Prediction: John Cena