WWE Payback 2015: GSM's Pick, Preview and Potential for Each Match
On Sunday, WWE will present its third annual Payback pay-per-view event, live from the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore at 8 p.m. ET.
In the main event, Seth Rollins will defend his WWE World Heavyweight Championship in a Fatal 4-Way against three of his most heated rivals: Randy Orton, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose. Will the self-proclaimed future of WWE overcome the odds and walk out of Payback with his title intact?
John Cena and Rusev will settle their score at long last in an "I Quit" match with the United States Championship up for grabs. How will Rusev hand Cena his first loss in the gimmick match and regain the gold he believes he never should have lost?
Ryback has been the target of Bray Wyatt's mind games in recent weeks, but he has refused to give in. Will The Big Guy lay waste to Wyatt, or will Wyatt find a way to come out on top?
Here, I will provide my personal preview and prediction and uncover the potential for every match on the advertised card.
Kickoff Show: 'Macho Mandow' and Curtis Axel vs. the Ascension
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Preview
Since the 2015 Royal Rumble match, Curtis Axel has been imitating Hulk Hogan and following in his footsteps by dubbing himself "AxelMania." He's been on the losing end of matches more often than not in recent months, but that hasn't stopped him from campaigning for a championship match.
Meanwhile, Damien Sandow has struggled to establish his own identity, debuting his latest moniker "Macho Mandow" on the May 11 edition of Raw. That night, a match he had with Axel was interrupted by The Ascension, setting up their tag team match for the Payback Kickoff show.
Prediction
Sandow does a mean Macho Man impression, but that doesn't mean he should be branded as a comedy character for life. I guess it's better than his mimicking and mocking his opponents, but WWE has to realize that he can get over with the audience just by being himself.
A one-off "Meta Powers" alliance is fine, but I hope it isn't Sandow's new gimmick permanently. The Ascension haven't won a match in months, so Macho Mandow and Axel are the easy pick to win.
Potential
This isn't meant to be anything more than comic relief, so expect silliness and shenanigans from the two teams. They could have a good match if they tried, and it could end up being a pleasant surprise similar to the pre-show matches between Hornswoggle and El Torito last year.
The Bella Twins vs. Naomi and Tamina
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Preview
At Extreme Rules, Naomi was unsuccessful in winning the Divas Championship due to interference from Nikki Bella's sister Brie. As a result, Naomi enlisted the help of a returning Tamina, who had been out of action for close to a year.
Together, Naomi and Tamina have been unstoppable, running rampant over the Divas division, and they look to add The Bella Twins to their recent list of victims. Could a win over Nikki in tag team action earn Naomi another shot at the coveted prize down the line?
Prediction
It's nice to see something resembling a feud in the Divas division, but it's simply not enough. Just when you thought the women were starting to get more chances, AJ Lee retired and Paige took time off, and suddenly the division is back at square one.
That said, I like the pairing of Naomi and Tamina, as Tamina adds to Naomi's act and is better off in the bodyguard role, anyway. I'm sure this is building to a Divas title rematch at the Elimination Chamber event, so Naomi should pick up the victory for her team in this match.
Potential
With time, Divas matches can actually be quite good, but I'm not certain whether they'll get the time to shine on this show. Chances are they won't, but even so, all four women are capable of having a solid match regardless of how long it goes.
The New Day vs. Cesaro and Tyson Kidd (2-out-of-3 Falls for WWE Tag Team Titles)
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Preview
Cesaro and Tyson Kidd have been ripping it up in the tag team division since joining forces in December 2014, quickly capturing the WWE Tag Team Championship from The Usos. They reigned as champs for a solid two months before dropping the belts to The New Day at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view.
Five days removed from the event, they invoked their championship rematch clause on SmackDown, and although they won the match by disqualification, they didn't win the titles. The two teams will clash once again at Payback, this time in a 2-out-of-3 Falls match.
Prediction
Doing a double turn with Cesaro and Kidd and The New Day was the best possible thing WWE could have done. The New Day are settling nicely into their new roles where they're much more comfortable, while Cesaro and Kidd have endeared themselves to the WWE Universe with ease.
However, the biggest knock against the tag team division at the moment is that the straps are constantly being thrown around every two months or so. It's still far too early to take the titles off The New Day, so they must retain here.
Potential
I expected we'd get a good match out of the two teams at Extreme Rules, but I never thought their encounter would be as excellent as it ended up being. That said, this match should be nothing short of stellar given the 2-out-of-3 Falls stipulation and the incredible amount of talent involved.
King Barrett vs. Neville
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Preview
Bad News Barrett was originally set to challenge for the Intercontinental Championship at Extreme Rules, but due to an injured Daniel Bryan being pulled from the event, Neville stepped up to face him on the Kickoff show instead. They contested a highly competitive matchup that saw Neville emerge victorious.
The following week, both competitors advanced to the finals of the King of the Ring tournament, where Barrett avenged his loss to the NXT newcomer and became the new king of WWE. In their rubber match at Payback, which of the two British brawlers will cement his superiority over the other once and for all?
Prediction
This match could well go either way, and quite honestly, I don't have a huge preference for who wins. Both Barrett and Neville are in need of victories right now, but a loss on this show won't do any major damage to the credibility of either competitor.
Neville has the ability to look strong in defeat, but Barrett needs to re-establish himself as a threat after being booked so badly for the first half of 2015. A win here will at least get him on the right track to the main event scene where he belongs.
Potential
Barrett and Neville had one of the better matches of the night at Extreme Rules, and their encounter in the finals of the King of the Ring tournament was also enjoyable. Hopefully, their third singles outing will be their best bout to date.
Dolph Ziggler vs. Sheamus
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Preview
One night removed from WrestleMania 31, Sheamus returned to Raw and immediately set his sights on Dolph Ziggler. They clashed in a "Kiss Me Arse" match at Extreme Rules, and despite the stipulation being of Sheamus' choosing, Ziggler emerged victorious.
The Celtic Warrior rebounded from the loss by viciously attacking Ziggler following the match, sending the message that their feud was far from over. Over the last several weeks, their intense rivalry has reached new heights, but at Payback, they'll meet one-on-one in the ring yet again.
Prediction
Similar to King Barrett vs. Neville, either guy could win this match, and it wouldn't matter. In fact, they're both over as it is, so a loss for Sheamus or Ziggler wouldn't hinder either of them much.
Between the two, Sheamus needs the win more as he's coming off a hot return and has done a superb job of reinventing himself. Plus, Ziggler scored the win in their initial encounter, so my safe pick is Sheamus for this match.
Potential
Not only has their feud been above-average, but their matches have also been excellent. Of course, that should come as no surprise given how great their in-ring chemistry is. Fans are in for another exceptional outing between the two on this show.
Ryback vs. Bray Wyatt
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Preview
In the weeks following WrestleMania 31, Bray Wyatt referred to a mysterious being during each of his promos, claiming his unadulterated strength would do him no good. On the April 27 edition of Raw, the person was revealed to be Ryback after Wyatt ambushed him and left him in a heap.
Since then, Ryback has been the target of Wyatt's attacks, scoring some retribution on the May 11 Raw by chasing him from the ring. Days later on SmackDown, The Eater of Worlds blindsided Ryback and cost him a win against Seth Rollins, so it remains to be seen how that will affect his status to compete come their match Sunday.
Prediction
I haven't minded this feud much, but it hasn't effectively intrigued me, either. It's clear this is merely a filler feud before Wyatt moves on to something bigger and more notable, so this rivalry shouldn't go beyond Elimination Chamber at the latest.
That said, both Ryback and Wyatt need wins at the moment, but Wyatt desperately needs to rebound from his unnecessary loss to The Undertaker at WrestleMania. It doesn't put Ryback in an ideal position, but Wyatt needs to start building himself back up again.
Potential
Wyatt can have a great match with the right opponent, but I'm not sure if Ryback is the guy for the job. I'll reserve judgment until after Payback, but the best-case scenario is that they contest a solid match where both competitors come out of it looking fine.
John Cena vs. Rusev in an "I Quit" Match (United States Championship)
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Preview
Since the start of the year, John Cena and Rusev have been embroiled in a ruthless rivalry over the United States Championship. Rusev emerged victorious in their first meeting at Fastlane, but Cena bounced back at WrestleMania 31 by beating him for the star-spangled prize and handing him his first pinfall loss in the process.
Despite coming up short in their rematch at Extreme Rules, the Bulgarian brute demanded one final shot at the title at Payback against Cena in an "I Quit" match. Will he force his rival to utter the two demeaning words and take back the title?
Prediction
Normally, I would say that Rusev should redeem himself by winning this match, but not under these circumstances. Cena's U.S. Open has been going so well in recent months that it would feel premature if it were to end this soon.
Granted, a third consecutive loss for Rusev would undoubtedly do damage to whatever credibility he has left, but it's a risk worth taking. There's still a lot left in Cena as U.S. champion, and the end of his reign should be reserved for a major moment.
Potential
All three of their matches thus far have been hit-or-miss, so hopefully they go out on a high note with this bout. "I Quit" matches have a tendency to drag, but if any two competitors can make it work, it's Cena and Rusev.
WWE World Heavyweight Championship Fatal 4-Way
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Preview
At WrestleMania 31, Seth Rollins cashed in Money in the Bank to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, and he's been successful at holding onto it ever since. Whether it's been getting out of a match with Brock Lesnar or walking away unscathed from his Extreme Rules outing with Randy Orton, he's found a way to maintain his possession of the prestigious prize at every turn.
In addition to Orton, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose were later added to the equation and are now in contention for the championship. Furthermore, if Rollins loses the title in the Fatal 4-Way at Payback, Kane will also have to give up his position as the Director of Operations.
Prediction
The ending outcome of this match couldn't be more obvious: Rollins will retain. That's almost always the case with Fatal-4 Way championship matches, especially since that's the story the WWE has been telling since the night after Extreme Rules.
Also, it's too soon for Rollins to drop the strap. There are still many fresh faces he can defend against through the next few months, and putting the title on any of the other three guys right now would be poor timing.
Potential
While the outcome may be predictable, the in-ring action should be stellar. Seeing the three former Shield members in the same match together will be special in and of itself, but look for Orton to be the X-factor who will only enhance the excitement this match will bring.
Read more prediction pieces for past WWE pay-per-views here.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is a journalism major at Endicott College. Visit his website at Next Era Wrestling and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.
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