WWE Payback 2016: Stars Under the Most Pressure at PPV

Since WrestleMania 32, we've seen the active WWE roster change dramatically thanks to an influx of NXT talent, stars returning from injury and new acquisitions.

The current roster is perhaps the most gifted set of wrestlers we've seen the company have access to in recent years—and that's only going to foster competition.

Following the spectacle of WrestleMania 32, May 1's Payback marks the start of a new cycle for WWE. Now is the time for wrestlers to stake their claims for a prominent spot over the next 12 months—and here are the competitors under the most pressure to do so.

The Vaudevillains

To many observers, the team of Aiden English and Simon Gotch was an act that would never work on the main roster, even if it found a niche in the more intimate setting of NXT's current home, Full Sail University.

However, their first matches on Raw and SmackDown should reassure any worried fans. The Vaudevillains have now made it to the finals of the WWE Tag Team Championship Tournament, even if opponents Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady seem poised to win the deciding match at Payback.

Unlike their opponents, English and Gotch don't need an immediate entry into the title picture to stick the landing of their transition. Their characterization may not translate well to the main roster, but their underrated in-ring component will—and they can showcase that at Payback.

Credit: WWE.com

If The Vaudevillains can contribute to a great match against Enzo and Cass at the pay-per-view, they'll demonstrate their worth to the budding tag division. That should give them ample opportunity to repeat their efforts from NXT, getting the crowd on board while continually advancing their abilities.

There's still plenty left to be done if The Vaudevillains are going to find success in the big leagues. That being said, everything we've seen from English and Gotch so far has been rather impressive.

Cesaro

After a lengthy absence due to a shoulder injury, Cesaro returned on the post-WrestleMania edition of Raw earlier this month to the delight of his many fans. The Swiss Superman was quickly inserted into a feud with The Miz over the Intercontinental Championship.

Credit: WWE.com

Returning wrestlers always seem to have some extra momentum to play with when they return to active competition, and that applies to Cesaro. He's arguably as popular with fans as he's ever been, and now he's got a great foil to play off in the form of The Miz.

While Miz is nowhere near Cesaro in terms of in-ring ability, he's one of the best performers WWE has when it comes to drawing the ire of fans. It's easy to hate the current intercontinental champion, and his on-screen dynamic with real-life wife Maryse is being used to perfection.

Cesaro is the fired-up fan favourite set to face a champion fans are eager to see dethroned. It's an ideal situation for The King of Swing to make good on his massive upside—the potential that WWE booking hasn't always reflected.

It seems that Cesaro still needs to sell himself to upper management in order to continue his ascent to the main event. The opportunity is there for the taking with a great contest at Payback—but he's under pressure, as anything less than his best could see him stuck in midcard purgatory.

AJ Styles

Despite being in WWE for the past three months, Payback offers up the greatest test of AJ Styles' abilities to date under his current employer. His Royal Rumble debut excited fans, and his warm-up feud with Chris Jericho was engrossing—but his first main event will be decisive.

It's easy to imagine that a showdown with champion-in-waiting Roman Reigns was one of the reasons Styles was signed at the beginning of the year. It's a bout that's sure to raise the interest of fans worldwide, not to mention an opportunity for Reigns to have a truly excellent match.

Credit: WWE.com

Over the past few years, Styles has developed a reputation as one of the best big-match performers in the world. He's expected to be able to wring a memorable encounter out of just about any opponent, even a divisive and largely unproven three-time world champion.

Ever since the days of The Shield, Reigns has been able to get by on his charisma and look, but his in-ring abilities have never been a particular strength. Styles should be able to cover for that weakness, which is crucial in what's likely to be the first defence of a lengthy reign.

Styles can insert himself into the main event picture just by making Reigns look like the total package at Payback—he's one of a short list of athletes who can get a crowd invested in a match instead of just booing the champion.

The consequences of his match with Reigns not living up to expectations could be catastrophic. Historically, WWE hasn't done right by competitors who made their names elsewhere. The pressure is on for Styles to deliver because his opportunities might dry up if he disappoints.

With that said, you only have to look at the big matches Styles wrestled just before signing with WWE—fighting Jay Lethal at Ring of Honor's Final Battle 2015 show in Philadelphia and Shinsuke Nakamura at NJPW's Wrestle Kingdom 10 in Tokyo earlier this year—to see why he's being given this spot.

Who do you think is under the most pressure to deliver at Payback? Let us know in the comments section below.