WWE Payback 2017: Predicting Winners for All Projected Title Matches at Raw PPV

Worlds will overlap as challengers seek to take down champions at WWE Payback 2017.

The April 30 pay-per-view is supposed to be a Raw-branded event, but two SmackDown stars will feature prominently on the card. Kevin Owens will defend the United States Championship. Randy Orton will put the WWE title on the line.

Those Superstars' Team Blue membership makes it easier to project who will take home the gold in their title bouts.

Owens is poised to be to SmackDown what The Miz was to the show in the past year. He's not dropping his championship at Payback. 

And Orton isn't losing either. His defeat would give Raw a glut of gold and leave SmackDown hurting.

Read on for a look at all of Payback's championship matches, as we project who will walk out of San Jose, California, victorious. 

Kevin Owens vs. Chris Jericho (United States Championship)

Projected winner: Kevin Owens

Owens moved to SmackDown during the Superstar Shake-up. He has unfinished business with Chris Jericho, though. 

The blue brand's general manager, Daniel Bryan, announced that the winner of this bout would be a part of SmackDown, meaning that Y2J would follow KO to Tuesday nights.

That's not a probable scenario. Jericho is set to go back on tour with his band in May. And the curator of The List of Jericho isn't advertised for WWE events that month, as Geno Mrosko of Cageside Seats noted. 

Owens sending Jericho out of the company, keeping a tight grip on the U.S. title and remaining a key figure on SmackDown is the logical route.

Y2J doesn't need title wins at this point. His Hall of Fame spot is all locked up. For Owens, meanwhile, feasting on his former friend will help him continue his rise. 

Neville vs. Austin Aries (Cruiserweight Championship)

Projected winner: Neville 

It's not yet Neville's time to end his reign as King of the Cruiserweights.

The high-flying powerhouse has been the centerpiece of the cruiserweight division. Neville's heel run has been electric, and his dominance in title bouts has helped add to that.

Aries may eventually dethrone him, but not at Payback, not on his second try. A longer journey to the mountaintop for A Double would make for a far more dramatic moment. 

Plus, Neville will have TJ Perkins at his side. TJP has recently succumbed to the champ's influence and now serves as his minion. Expect WWE to use that narrative element, giving Aries one more obstacle to overcome. 

The Hardys vs. Cesaro and Sheamus (Raw Tag Team Championship)

Projected winners: Cesaro and Sheamus

A title loss is the moment this lukewarm feud needs.

The two teams have been friendly and respectful toward each other. Animosity has yet to emerge. Should Cesaro and Sheamus embrace their inner villains, though, that will change in a hurry.

A newly aggressive pairing of Cesaro and Sheamus will likely win via underhanded means. The Hardys fall can then be the catalyst for the broken gimmick from their Impact Wrestling days to re-emerge.

Matt and Jeff don't need the titles to be relevant. Their characters and name power can carry them. Cesaro and Sheamus, however, would benefit in a big way by reclaiming the gold.

Bayley vs. Alexa Bliss (Raw Women's Championship)

Projected winner: Bayley

Alexa Bliss earned a title shot by outlasting Sasha Banks, Nia Jax and Mickie James on Monday's Raw. Now just weeks after joining the Raw roster, she will get a crack at Bayley's crown.

It's too early for her to ascend the red brand. WWE will likely want to work her more into the show first. And with less than two weeks until Payback, there's little time to construct a feud between her and Bayley.

This feels more like a warm-up for future battles. 

There's also the likelihood that Banks is the one to take down Bayley. WWE has heavily foreshadowed Banks turning heel and going after the gold.

Whether it's The Boss or Bliss who does the dethroning, though, it's not going to happen right away.

Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt (House of Horrors, WWE Championship)

Projected winner: Randy Orton

In one of the two matches on the PPV featuring SmackDown stars, Orton is a lock to keep hold of his title.

Raw already has the universal champion (Brock Lesnar) on its roster. If Bray Wyatt were to win here, he would add the WWE title to the red brand's collection, leaving SmackDown without a major championship. That makes zero sense. 

Much like Owens vs. Jericho, the timing of the Superstar Shake-up and Payback makes it hard to imagine a title change.

Even though Wyatt will have a home-field advantage in the House of Horrors match—a bout of his own creation—his history of losing in big matches makes it easy to bet against him. Wyatt dropped the decisive matches in feuds against Undertaker, Roman Reigns and John Cena. It looks as if The Viper will soon join that list.