WWE Payback 2015: Best Finishes for Each Match on the Card
As WWE embarks on its journey into the dog days of summer and begins planting the seeds for August's SummerSlam spectacular, the finishes of Sunday's Payback pay-per-view bouts become more and more important.
Seth Rollins defends the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in the night's main event, a Fatal 4-Way match also involving Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Randy Orton. With three of the four needing protection from a booking standpoint in order to ensure that they remain viable main event talent going forward, it becomes more imperative that WWE Creative carefully crafts a finish that benefits them.
The same can be said for Rusev, who has lost two straight pay-per-view matches to John Cena and could be looking at a third by the time Payback comes to an end. Is it worth putting Cena over one last time at the expense of the hugely talented Bulgarian Brute? And if so, how?
Championship bouts and grudge matches populate the Payback card and with so much riding on the event, especially with WWE Network exclusive Elimination Chamber coming up on May 31, coming up with the perfect finish for each bout is imperative.
How will WWE Creative go about doing that? And what are some of the repercussions for each finish?
Take a look now at these best and most effective finishes for each match on Sunday's pay-per-view extravaganza.
Macho Mandow and Curtis Axel vs. The Ascension
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Easily the worst match on the card, at least on paper, Macho Mandow and Curtis Axel versus the Ascension exists solely to put the new babyface team over in a high-profile contest.
After all, the Ascension has been irrelevant from the moment Konnor and Viktor made their debuts on the main roster as caricatures of the dominant 1980s tag teams. They have lost to the likes of Los Matadores and the Lucha Dragons and fallen off the face of the earth, appearing on Raw for the first time in months this past Monday before being dispatched of by their midcard, comedy-act opponents.
Once the most dominant team in all of professional wrestling, they enter Payback as glorified enhancement talent, guaranteed another notch in the loser's column.
Best Finish
With the goal of putting the babyfaces over in mind, a finish that sees Mandow deliver a top rope elbow drop as he continues to channel his inner Hall of Famer would be appropriate—even though watching Axel deliver an awkward leg drop to Viktor for the pinfall would be gloriously hilarious.
Dolph Ziggler vs. Sheamus
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On the heels of the biggest humiliation of his career at Extreme Rules—and that is saying something, considering his role in the Spirit Squad—Dolph Ziggler is looking for revenge as he battles Sheamus in singles competition Sunday night.
After being forced to kiss the backside of the Celtic Warrior, who had actually lost the Kiss Me Arse match, all signs point to the Showoff avenging the disgrace and picking up a big win.
Unfortunately, Sheamus is in need of a win if he is to maintain the momentum he has enjoyed since returning from injury and undergoing a character transformation. A bullying villain, he has lost more than he has won, an issue WWE must correct if they wish him to partake in high profile feuds going forward.
Best Finish
Ziggler, showing great resiliency, withstands two brutal Brogue Kicks, managing to kick out after both. A third, however, ends his night on a low note, all the while proving how relentless and dangerous Sheamus is to anyone on his path toward championship glory.
The Showoff saves face by demonstrating his toughness, and Sheamus gets that key win that will catapult him onward and upward.
Neville vs. King Barrett
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Neville and Bad News Barrett have traded victories in singles and tag team competition for the last month, the latter getting the best of the scenario with a victory over the Man Who Gravity Forgot in the finals of the King of the Ring tournament.
Now Neville has the opportunity to avenge the most disappointing loss of his career to date when he meets the newly dubbed King Barrett one-on-one at Payback.
Neville is molten hot coming out of this past Monday's Raw, during which he took current United States champion John Cena to the limit. In fact, had it not been for an interfering Rusev, Neville could very well have captured the title following the Red Arrow.
Barrett did secure a victory on Raw, defeating Dolph Ziggler following interference from Sheamus.
With both men riding a wave of momentum into Payback, the direction WWE Creative ultimately chooses to take is anyone's guess.
But there is a finish that allows both men to leave Baltimore with their heads held high.
Best Finish
With Neville surging Barrett deflects the referee's attention and blasts his opponent with his scepter, allowing him to score a tainted pinfall win.
Thus, the heel triumphs in the shadiest of manners while Neville looks like a young star who was well on his way to victory before being robbed of a win via nefarious methods.
The Bella Twins vs. Tamina and Naomi
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After her title aspirations came to a crushing end at the hands of the Bella Twins at Extreme Rules, Naomi recruited the returning Tamina to even the numbers and provide backup as she chases the Divas Championship.
With a new attitude and heel persona, Naomi has enjoyed the biggest and most sustained push of her career over the last months, appearing on Raw and SmackDown regularly and proving she can be more than just the smiling, cheery significant other of Jimmy Uso.
Sunday night at Payback, she and Tamina will challenge the Bella Twins in tag team action.
A win will further establish the former NXT competitor as the biggest threat to Nikki Bella's title. A loss will not only serve as a setback but also prove WWE Creative's lack of faith in anyone not named Bella.
Best Finish
With Paige returning to WWE television any day now, Naomi's time as the top contender to the Divas title could be limited.
A pinfall victory over Nikki that would then result in a championship opportunity at Elimination Chamber is the most effective finish available.
With that said, any maneuver but the ridiculous Rear View should be utilized if Naomi is to take that one last step toward championship glory as a heel. That move worked well when she was a fun-loving babyface, but now that she is more dangerous and attitudinal, she is in desperate need of a strong finisher.
There would be no better time to debut that than at Payback on Sunday.
Ryback vs. Bray Wyatt
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Bray Wyatt turned his parlor tricks and promos toward Ryback the night after Extreme Rules, revealing to the WWE Universe that he targeted the Big Guy for no other reason than the fact that he was in his way.
In his way for what, you may ask? Well, WWE Creative never really got that far.
The writing staff has booked itself into a corner here, apparently more enamored with the idea of the match itself rather than recognizing that neither Superstar can afford to lose at this point.
Ryback is an incredibly over babyface who remains that way despite less-than-stellar booking.
Wyatt continues to cut elaborate promos but never wins the high-profile matches that result from them. Losses against John Cena and the Undertaker have greatly tarnished his credibility.
What that does is create a situation around which WWE Creative must tiptoe carefully while coming up with a finish for the hard-hitting heavyweight battle between the Big Guy and the Reaper of Souls.
Even if that finish is to the dismay of the fans.
Best Finish
With neither Superstar able to tolerate a loss at this point, and the likelihood that the program continues in the weeks that follow, the most acceptable finish is one that is sure to infuriate fans.
Late in the contest, with Ryback surging, Wyatt intentionally gets himself disqualified. As he hammers away at his rival following the bell and sets him up for Sister Abigail, Ryback powers out and flattens him with Shellshocked, standing tall and providing the emphasis for Wyatt's retribution on Raw or SmackDown.
Best 2-out-of-3 Falls Match for the WWE Tag Team Championships
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Cesaro and Tyson Kidd came from out of nowhere to dominate tag team wrestling in the first half of 2015, defeating the Usos to capture the WWE Tag Team titles and retain them through WrestleMania 31.
Unfortunately for them, they ran into a New Day faction undergoing a character change. Realizing that they could spread their word of positivity, even if it meant cheating to do so, Kofi Kingston, Big E and Xavier Woods stole the championships away from Cesaro and Kidd and embarked on a run that few could have expected when the team debuted as babyfaces months earlier.
Since winning the titles, New Day has seen their television time increase, as well as their status within the company. They even defeated Roman Reigns and Randy Orton in a 3-on-2 Handicap match.
But will they be as lucky on Sunday night when they defend against the former champions, who have scored victories over them in singles competition, in a Best 2-Out-of-3 Falls match?
Best Finish
With another pay-per-view event on the horizon, Elimination Chamber on May 31, it would make little sense to switch the titles here. It would also be a mistake for New Day to score a clean win because that decision would end any argument Cesaro and Kidd could make that they are the rightful champions.
Thus, the contest should go to a third fall and end when the always sly Xavier Woods provides a distraction that allows Big E or Kingston to score a cheap pinfall win.
That finish may not be ideal for fans of more straightforward pro wrestling, but it would set up one more match between the teams for Elimination Chamber, which is likely to be the focus of WWE Creative when taking into account many of Sunday's finishes and outcomes.
'I Quit' Match for the United States Championship: John Cena vs. Rusev
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Rusev has lost two straight pay-per-view bouts to John Cena. Should he lose at Payback in the "I Quit" match for the United States Championship, it would seriously threaten his effectiveness as an upper-midcard villain.
At the same time, Cena has never lost a match of this sort. Nor has he suffered a defeat at Payback—his previous two victories at the event coming against Bray Wyatt and Ryback.
That could, and should, all change Sunday night when the heavyweights clash in what is sure to be a physical, violent and brutal contest.
Cena has done wonders for the U.S. title since winning it at WrestleMania, giving younger and hungrier stars the opportunity to share the ring with him in longer, quality matches each and every Monday night. With that said, though, he is running out of opponents who could challenge him at the bigger and more important events in the coming months.
Rusev, on the other hand, needs a jump start after seeing his momentum cool off in recent weeks. In fact, his ongoing issues with the increasingly popular Lana has dominated his focus more so than his feud with Cena over the title.
Should the Ravishing Russian play a role in the finish of Sunday's championship clash?
Long story short: yes.
Best Finish
John Cena is the consummate good guy, so it would not be a stretch at all for him to see Lana being mistreated by Rusev and going out of his way to help her.
After 20 minutes of intense brawling, a desperate and frustrated Rusev grabs hold of Lana, who again finds herself on the receiving end of the fans' adulation, and threatens her with physical violence unless Cena says "I quit."
Not about to let the beautiful woman encounter harm, he does just that, only to find out that it was a ruse the entire time. Rusev gets his title back, Lana celebrates having pulled a fast one on the fans and Cena alike, and the former champion can argue that he was duped.
Sure, it is a page right out of the Attitude era, when Chyna conspired with the Corporation to screw Triple H out of a WWE Championship win, but it has been long enough since that scenario played out that it would be fresh and new for this generation of fans.
Fatal 4-Way for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
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Seth Rollins is the best heel in WWE, bar none. At Payback on Sunday night, he will have a bull's eye on his back as he defends the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against former Shield teammates Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose, as well as hated rival Randy Orton in a Fatal 4-Way match.
Making matters worse is the fact Kane's job as director of operations is on the line. If Rollins does not emerge from the bout with his title intact, Kane will no longer be employed by the Authority.
With Reigns continuing his climb to the top of the industry, Ambrose enjoying a renewed main event push and Orton once again on the championship hunt, there are numerous elements to keep track of during Sunday's main event.
But only one will matter come the finish of the bout, and that will be Rollins' ability to withstand the challenge of his three enemies and manage to hold onto the title—and Kane's employment status.
Best Finish
Late in the match, Kane interferes, catching Reigns with a chokeslam that takes him out and simultaneously harks back the slight feud they had with each other on television recently.
From there, Orton counters a Dirty Deeds attempt into the RKO but falls victim to a flying knee from Rollins, who pins the Viper to successfully retain his title.
That scenario allows for both Reigns and Ambrose to save face while Orton, the most expendable in the contest, takes the fall and Rollins enjoys a mostly clean win.
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