WWE WrestleMania 32: Feuds That Will Continue Through Payback
WWE WrestleMania 32 featured the culmination of several storylines that had been building for months. Traditionally, feuds are concluded at WWE's grandest show of the year before the all-new wrestling year kicks off on the next night's Raw.
However, bad blood remains among many of the men who competed against one another at WrestleMania 32, which means it is not yet the end of the line for a number of those feuds.
Monday's Raw provided fans with a better idea of what to expect come Payback, WWE's pending pay-per-view. Based on the name of the show, Superstars will look to exact revenge from what went down at WrestleMania.
Extreme Rules previously held that post-WrestleMania slot dating back to 2010, but the lineup change is actually welcomed. It allows WWE to not immediately jump into stipulation matches, which we saw an abundance of at The Show of Shows this year.
Coming off WrestleMania and Monday night's electric episode of Raw, let's look ahead to which rivalries will continue through Payback on May 1.
Kalisto vs. Ryback
1 of 5
Ryback has been a major thorn in the side of United States champion Kalisto in recent weeks. Kalisto has been a fighting champion since recapturing the gold at the Royal Rumble and accepted Ryback's challenge to a championship clash at WrestleMania.
Having occurred on the Kickoff show, the match didn't hold much significance, but the two deserve credit for contesting a fun little match. In the end, Kalisto outsmarted Ryback by leading him into an exposed turnbuckle and following it up for the Salida del Sol for the win.
Neither Superstar was anywhere to be seen on Raw, but it's safe to assume that Ryback's title aspirations are not yet finished, especially considering Kalisto had to resort to dirty tactics to beat The Big Guy.
For the rematch to matter, however, WWE must give the two more storyline support before their next clash. Not featuring them regularly on Raw won't do them any favors, as the fans will continue to be indifferent.
One way to do this would be to have Ryback wreak havoc on the entire roster until he is granted another shot at the star-spangled prize. If not, he won't be taken seriously as a legitimate threat because of his humiliating loss on the big stage at WrestleMania.
Zack Ryder vs. The Miz
2 of 5
Zack Ryder and The Miz didn't have any established issues prior to WrestleMania, but they do now following their heated clash in the Intercontinental Championship ladder match.
As Miz was closing in on his fifth intercontinental title, Ryder ascended the other side of the ladder, sent him spiraling to the mat and took possession of the prestigious prize for himself. Ryder's massive upset victory sent shock waves throughout the WWE Universe, though the masses were happy to see The Long Island Iced Z get the 'Mania moment he long deserved.
Miz took exception to Ryder stealing "his" title, however, as he crashed his championship celebration the next night on Raw and challenged him to an impromptu matchup. The bout saw interference from Ryder's father at ringside and the returning Maryse, who served as a distraction at ringside and consequently cost Ryder the title.
Miz and Maryse rejoiced in the ring as the crowd looked on in disbelief. Since the self-proclaimed "Sexiest of Sexy" is being advertised for this week's SmackDown, it appears she will be back with WWE in a full-time managerial role for Miz.
Fans were under the assumption Sunday night that Ryder's title reign would be short-lived, and although that was ultimately the case, his chase for the championship is far from over. If anything, it's only just beginning, so expect to see these two face off several more times as Payback draws near.
Chris Jericho vs. AJ Styles
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Since their initial encounter in the 2016 Royal Rumble match, Chris Jericho and AJ Styles have had one of the best programs going in WWE. They traded victories on Raw, SmackDown and at Fastlane and met for a fourth time in singles competition at WrestleMania 32.
Similar to their past battles, they took each other to their absolute limits and pulled out everything from their arsenals to put the other away. Styles came close to scoring his first WrestleMania win before Y2J caught him with The Codebreaker out of nowhere for the surprise victory.
Going into the event, a Styles win was virtually guaranteed, and although that should have been the outcome, it's hard to argue against Jericho's victory, if only because it keeps the fantastic feud alive for a while longer.
After Sunday, Y2J and AJ are now tied with two wins apiece, which indicates a rubber match is in order. Their rivalry carried over into Raw, as they brawled and were involved in the Fatal 4-Way main event to determine a new No. 1 contender to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Although Styles pinned Jericho to secure his future title shot, it has yet to be confirmed for the Payback card. Thus, it could take place on an upcoming episode of Raw, where Jericho will interfere and resume his rivalry with The Phenomenal One at the pay-per-view.
Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn
4 of 5
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn were the fan favorites to win Sunday's Intercontinental Championship ladder match, but shockingly enough, it was Ryder who reigned supreme. Even if the title is no longer in the equation, nothing is stopping Owens and Zayn from continuing to feud through the next few months.
Needless to say, they should have gone one-on-one at WrestleMania instead of being shoehorned into a multi-man ladder match. It was certainly one of the night's best bouts, but the main focus should have been on them.
On Monday's Raw, Owens didn't seem the slightest bit concerned with losing his intercontinental title. Rather, he set his sights on Roman Reigns' WWE World Heavyweight Championship, but longtime rival Zayn thwarted him.
They were set to meet in the night's Fatal 4-Way main event, but Owens ambushed Zayn backstage and cost him his spot. While there were rumblings among fans that Zayn was legitimately hurt, PWInsider later confirmed it was merely a part of the storyline.
That said, a singles match pitting Owens against Zayn should be in the cards for Payback. Despite nothing at stake, WWE can always count on them to deliver a show-stealing performance.
Roman Reigns vs. Triple H
5 of 5
To their credit, Roman Reigns and Triple H tried hard to deliver a strong main event at WrestleMania, but it simply fell flat. It was especially surprising that WWE stuck with the most predictable path possible despite the various swerves earlier in the evening.
Reigns is not the beloved babyface champion that the WWE desperately wants him to be right now. He can be in due time, potentially by going the heel route first, but the post-WrestleMania Raw crowd was not kind to The Big Dog Monday night.
As previously noted, AJ Styles earned the right to contend for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship with his win in the Raw main event. There's a decent chance that contest could take place next week or the week after to set up a rematch between Reigns and Triple H for Payback.
It's not what should happen but what will happen. Conspicuously absent Monday night, Triple H is still owed a title rematch and could well invoke it at the pending pay-per-view.
Their initial encounter was mediocre at best, but a rematch could at least buy them time before WWE finds more suitable opponents for Reigns as a face. Hopefully, it isn't too long before Seth Rollins is cleared to return so that we get the match that was originally scheduled for Survivor Series 2015.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is a journalism major at Endicott College. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.
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