WWE Payback 2016: Predicting Most Likely Swerves at PPV

WWE Payback is coming on Sunday, May 1. WWE's follow-up to WrestleMania is unlike any card in recent history, including new faces and new storylines. This is what many fans have been begging for—the opportunity to see something different from Vince McMahon's company.

Things are not what they were before.

The Authority is seemingly out of power, as Shane McMahon has taken over on Monday Night Raw. No one saw this situation coming, especially after Shane's Mania loss to The Undertaker. The angle might be temporary, but it's been a welcome change of pace for fans.

Sami Zayn and Apollo Crews have become fixtures on the main roster. As has Baron Corbin. Enzo and Big Cass are also in the mix, and Cesaro is back in action after an injury layoff. AJ Styles is a world title contender, and Brock Lesnar has once again disappeared.

This is not the pre-WrestleMania WWE.

But while the landscape has changed, many things remain the same. This will be true at Payback, which is perhaps not meant to change the future of WWE. Titles may have changed hands back on April 3, but that does not mean they will on May 1.

Sometimes, the likeliest of endings is what fans get. Some may not be happy about that, but others perhaps can't wait to see what happens next. As with the state of the company since WrestleMania, there is a little something for everyone at Payback.

The Dudley Boyz Cost Enzo and Big Cass the Win

Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady have been tearing the house down since debuting on WWE's main roster earlier this month, and they've done it all simply by speaking.

The team that cut one wild-eyed promo after another in NXT is doing the same on Raw—and it's being met with overwhelming fan approval. People love the duo, and they have become the hottest act next to The New Day.

Every time Enzo begins, the crowd immediately buys in. They hang on his every word, and they do the same for Big Cass. They may be a mismatched pair, and their catchphrases may be all their own, but everything they do is getting over.

Much like Too Cool and The New Age Outlaws before them, Enzo and Big Cass are succeeding despite not being a stereotypical tag team. At first glance, this should not be working. But it's working so well that fans expect they will shuffle into Payback and win their match against The Vaudevillains.

But The Dudley Boyz may have something to say about that.

The two teams have had a few confrontations, and The Dudleys eventually fell. For Enzo and Cass to defeat such a legendary team on their first attempt is a big deal. Perhaps it's a little too good to be true.

Bubba Ray and D-Von can still go in the ring, and they could have had a nice feud with Enzo and Cass. But that was not to be, and The Dudleys seem to be out of the picture entirely. However, that could lead to some major interference at Payback.

Everyone seems to assume Payback will be Cass and Enzo's night, but no one assumes The Dudleys will just let it go.

The Dudleys could interfere, costing Cass and Enzo their shot at the WWE Tag Team Championships. This would give The Vaudevillains the win and set up a small feud between The Dudleys and their victims. 

The New Day is red-hot, and pitting the team against another red-hot babyface duo might sound like fun, but it might do more harm than good to Enzo and Cass. These two will become the tag team champions at some point, but they may have to wage war with The Dudley Boyz first.

Charlotte Escapes with the Women's Championship

Charlotte is the face of women's wrestling in WWE.

She's got the look, she's got the athleticism and she's got the championship pedigree to back it up. She has a lot of career ahead of her, and she's dedicated everything she has to succeeding in WWE.

She's also got The Nature Boy backing her every play.

Ric Flair has become an asset for Charlotte. When crowds began to tire of her championship journey, Charlotte appeared to be in trouble. Sasha Banks seemed to be the new favorite, and she was overshadowing Charlotte in nearly every way.

But the moment Charlotte turned heel and used her father to get over, everything changed.

Now fans boo because Charlotte is a heel, not because she's a babyface struggling to connect. Ric has had a positive impact because, even though he is eternally popular, he is also easily hated. The crowd plays along every time, and Charlotte just gets dirtier every time out.

It's happened so much that Charlotte's opponent has felt the need to call in reinforcements.

Bret "The Hitman" Hart will accompany his niece Natalya to the ring at Payback. This is being done in an effort to counter Ric's presence, and it is giving many fans hope that Charlotte will stumble and lose the Women's Championship.

But this is probably not going to happen.

Natalya is a great worker and deserves the spotlight, but the company has made no move to suggest this is legitimately going to happen on a full-time basis. Natalya is likely in this match for Charlotte's sake and will give her the rub in the end by doing the job.

The two legends outside the ring will cancel each other out, which will open the door for Charlotte to get the win. The odds appear to be in Nattie's favor in this one, but that will make no difference for Charlotte in the end.

The Bullet Club Reforms

There is a feeling in the air.

That feeling has to do with The Bullet Club, New Japan Pro Wrestling's most popular faction, making its debut on WWE programming. While nothing has been confirmed by any of the players in the drama so far, all signs point to Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows making their presence felt at Payback, and they may not come alone.

Most of the speculation has centered on AJ Styles saying he is the man pulling the strings behind the scenes. This makes sense on a lot of levels, especially since both he and Roman Reigns are babyfaces going into Payback. Why not switch it up and turn AJ heel along with Anderson and Gallows?

If it happened, it would surprise no one, and The Bullet Club would instantly get over.

But the group's founder, Finn Balor, recently lost the NXT Championship. Finn is the face of NXT, and there has been no indication that is going to change, but it seems to be too much of a coincidence. Maybe he will arrive with Anderson and Gallows at Payback, reform The Bullet Club with AJ and leave Roman lying in the middle of the ring.

The fact is any combination of The Bullet Club would get over in WWE, especially if the faction targeted Reigns. But WWE would probably go with Roman winning in the end, and he won't lose the belt to Styles at Payback.

None of that would change the excitement generated around a Bullet Club debut at Payback. It's a gimmick that could work on every level and provide enough storylines to possibly run through the rest of 2016. Fans want something different; Payback could bring that welcome change.

Tom Clark can regularly be found on Bleacher Report. His podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online here.