WWE Payback 2016 Matches: Full Card and Bold Predictions for PPV

Bold predictions always make for a fun, zany and sometimes fortuitous way to preview an upcoming event of any kind, including Sunday night's Payback pay-per-view from the historic Allstate Arena in suburban Chicago.

Sunday night, WWE presents one of the most unpredictable cards in recent memory, headlined by a huge WWE World Heavyweight Championship clash between Roman Reigns and No. 1 contender AJ Styles. That match, as well as the other seven that will take place in the Windy City, have the potential to alter the course the pro wrestling empire takes not only in 2016 but beyond.

Here is a look at the card, which will kick off at 7 p.m. on the WWE Network with the Payback Kickoff.

• WWE World Heavyweight Championship: Roman Reigns vs. AJ Styles
• WWE Women's Championship: Natalya (with Bret Hart) vs. Charlotte (with Ric Flair)
• WWE Intercontinental Championship: Cesaro vs. The Miz (with Maryse)
• WWE United States Championship: Kalisto vs. Ryback (Kickoff)
• Tag Team No. 1 Contenders' match: Enzo Amore and Big Cass vs. The Vaudevillains
• Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens
• Dean Ambrose vs. Chris Jericho
• Dolph Ziggler vs. Baron Corbin

With so many questions unanswered and so many possible directions WWE could take its top feuds and Superstars coming out of the May 1 extravaganza, check out these bold predictions for Payback and what they would mean for the company going forward.

Prediction No. 1: Dolph Ziggler Will Defeat Baron Corbin

Credit: WWE.com

Logic states Baron Corbin will roll into Sunday's Payback pay-per-view and dismantle Dolph Ziggler in their singles bout. After all, a lot has gone into portraying Corbin as an unstoppable force since he won the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal back at WrestleMania.

That same logic is not always strong in WWE Creative, and considering The Lone Wolf has left Ziggler lying more times than not, it may take the opportunity to execute its controversial 50-50 booking style at Payback.

Thus, no one should be all that surprised Sunday night when The Showoff upsets Corbin and deals the former NXT star his first main-roster loss.

Would that outcome be completely and utterly counterproductive? Of course, but that has not stopped WWE before. At the Showcase of the Immortals in April, the wrestling world watched Chris Jericho inexplicably beat AJ Styles just one night before The Phenomenal One became No. 1 contender to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. In what realm did that decision make sense other than to utilize a booking method that consistently prevents the creation of stars?

Ziggler is one of those guys always teetering on the brink of main event stardom, and factoring in WWE Creative's propensity for spectacularly stupid choices, the prospects of a win for the Cleveland native are greater than you would think.

Prediction No. 2: Roman Reigns Defeats AJ Styles Clean

Credit: WWE.com

So much energy has been put into hyping Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson as the X-factors in the feud between WWE world heavyweight champion Roman Reigns and No. 1 contender AJ Styles it is almost a certainty they will get involved in the Payback main event in some form or fashion.

Or is it?

While there is no doubt the former Bullet Club members will assuredly make their presence felt Sunday night, it will come after the main event, which means the contest will finish clean—and Reigns will successfully retain his title against The Phenomenal One.

That, the idea of the largely hated babyface champion barreling through Styles with a Spear and moving onto the next opponent, would leave many fans underwhelmed, but would it catch anyone off guard if Vince McMahon and company were to troll the entire WWE Universe by putting their apparent chosen one over the fans' favorite?

Of course not.

Reigns is the pet project, as witnessed several times over the last year, and he takes precedence.

Even if that outcome does present itself, Styles will rebound quickly because of the Bullet/Balor Club drama and the fact he has gotten over to the extent he has in such a short period. He will remain a main event player, if only because he has earned that spot through his work to this point. Still, a spear and clean pinfall are in his future, if only because that is how the company books its top babyface.

Just ask anyone who has been paired with John Cena in a major program over the last decade.

Prediction No. 3: Paul Heyman Is Put in Charge of WWE

Credit: WWE.com

Much is being made over Vince McMahon's decision at Payback and whether he hands over the reins of Raw to Shane McMahon or reverts them to daughter Stephanie and son-in-law Triple H. While this all seems, on the surface, to be pointing to the second brand split since 2002, don't be shocked if neither of the McMahon siblings leaves Chicago with control over the flagship show.

WWE has under contract one of the most gifted talkers in wrestling history—a man who can generate heat just by announcing his name to the audience. That man is Paul Heyman, and Sunday night, he will become the new authority figure on Raw.

Tired of the family infighting, Shane's brazen return and Stephanie's failure to keep the WWE title off of Reigns, Vince will turn to his former business rival to set things right.

Heyman has been criminally underused over the last year, appearing only when Brock Lesnar is gearing up for a high-profile fight and, even then, being given essentially the same thing to do each time: tout how much of an ass-kicker his client is.

The authority-figure role would freshen things up a bit and allow Heyman to interact with guys Lesnar never would because of his placement on the card. More importantly, it would make use of a guy who is incredibly valuable when it comes to putting over new talent, of which there is a wealth following the recent call-ups of NXT stars.

Undoubtedly the biggest long shot of all of these predictions, it would arguably be the most significant for the future of the industry were it to come true.

Prediction No. 4: 3rd Time's the Charm for Natalya

Credit: WWE.com

All things would seemingly point to Charlotte retaining the WWE Women's Championship Sunday night. Her opponent, Natalya, for having the respect of the audience and being as strong an in-ring worker as she is, feels much like a placeholder as WWE Creative gears up for the singles feud between the second-generation champion and "The Boss" Sasha Banks.

Not so fast.

Natalya has repeatedly lost to Charlotte, either clean or through the underhanded interference of the titleholder's father, the legendary Ric Flair. She has become more and more frustrated, turning to her uncle, Bret "The Hitman" Hart to accompany her to the ring at Payback.

With the 2006 Hall of Famer offsetting Flair's potential interference, it is not out of the question for Natalya to force Charlotte to tap out to the Sharpshooter, giving fans a title change and one of those heartwarming family moments WWE likes to tout so much.

Imagine Natalya, her years of hard work finally paying off, celebrating a new championship reign with Bret by her side. WWE could throw that moment into video packages for years, benefiting repeatedly for that one moment in time.

It could also use it to make Charlotte and her father even more hated one night later on Raw, when they collude to take the title back in villainous fashion.

Prediction No. 5: Sami Zayn Beats Kevin Owens, Ends Feud

Credit: WWE.com

Sami Zayn never wins.

OK. That may be a bit hyperbolic given his reign as NXT champion, but by and large, he has earned the Underdog from the Underground nickname for a reason. Throughout his career, he has been the scrappy underdog who gives every ounce of fight he has but, typically, falls just short of emerging victorious.

It has worked for him, strangely enough, with fans eager to throw their support behind him because he reminds them so much of themselves.

Sunday night, Zayn is set to battle Kevin Owens in a match that has been building for well over a year, dating back to their time together in NXT. There, Owens brutalized Zayn en route to ending his championship reign. The Montreal native has never forgotten it. His debut on the main roster saw him unleash his fury on Owens, setting up their Payback war of attrition.

While all signs would point to a screwy finish that extends the program going forward, Sami Zayn will pin Kevin Owens clean after a Helluva Kick.

That's right. The consummate underdog beats the former Intercontinental champion clean in the center of the ring with his trademark finisher. While not the most desirable outcome, it lends credibility to Zayn, who is in desperate need of a quality singles victory in the eyes of the casual audience.

Prediction No. 6: Finn Balor Is Revealed as the Leader of the Bullet Club

Credit: WWE.com

The final bold prediction for Sunday's event centers around the aforementioned Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows and their place in the WWE Universe.

They have so thoroughly been portrayed as friends of AJ Styles it is almost certainly a red herring designed to get fans to buy into relationship before revealing the real reason the former Bullet Club members have invaded Raw and SmackDown. That reason is to inject their brand of danger on the company, with a familiar face leading the way.

Long before Styles was positioned as the face of The Bullet Club in New Japan Pro Wrestling, NXT's Finn Balor (as Prince Devitt) was the leader of the faction. Sunday night, the Demon will emerge from the shadows and change the course of WWE history in the process.

The Irish Superstar will join Gallows and Anderson in beating Styles down and sending a message to the wrestling world that the group, presumably dubbed The Balor Club, is taking over.

Considering the voiceover of all of the Payback video packages has referred to the event as the "first show of a new era in WWE," what better way to ignite that era than with a shocking debut and the formation of a faction that will have fans remembering fondly the days of D-Generation X and the New World Order?

Because what is old is new again.