WWE Payback 2017: Braun Strowman Ambulance Tip and Top Moments from Build to PPV

Four weeks removed from WrestleMania 33, WWE Payback 2017 is set to feature all the fallout from the Show of Shows as well as the culmination of several storylines that have been brewing for months on end.

Thanks to the recent Superstar Shake-up and all of the fresh faces and returning stars joining the roster, the overall landscape of Raw has taken a turn for the better in the last month. Thus, that should be a sign that Raw's latest exclusive event will be their best to date.

Since the summer, SmackDown Live's monthly pay-per-views have been more entertaining than Raw's on every occasion, so the pressure is on for the flagship show to deliver on Sunday. Given the card currently on tap, Payback definitely has the potential to exceed expectations and cement Raw as the superior brand.

With the exception of the underwhelming go-home show, the build up to the live special has largely been compelling, with each advertised matchup on the card receiving an ample amount of attention. It has also been a refreshing change of pace from what fans have come to expect in past years during post-WrestleMania season.

Before the anticipated event, we will take a look back at the most memorable moments that have occurred on the rocky road to Payback 2017.

Braun Strowman Ambushes Roman Reigns: Raw, April 10

Braun Strowman didn't take his loss to Roman Reigns at last month's Fastlane pay-per-view lightly. But instead of immediately exacting revenge, he bided his time until an opportune moment arose.

On the April 11 edition of Raw, Strowman viciously attacked Reigns in the backstage area and wasted no time in inflicting pain upon him. Unable to defend himself, Reigns was relentlessly tossed around like a rag doll, delighting the fans in attendance, which encouraged Strowman to do further damage. 

However, the worse was yet to come for Reigns, as Strowman subsequently strapped him to a stretcher and pushed him off a loading dock. Before medical staff could attend to Reigns, Strowman continued his onslaught inside the ambulance and then pushed the vehicle over on its side with Reigns still inside.

Needless to say, it was an incredible feat of strength that instantly solidified Strowman as the single most dominant force on Raw in Brock Lesnar's absence. A violent assault that was intended to turn fans against Strowman instead caused viewers to view him as a hero for putting The Big Dog on the shelf indefinitely.

Regardless of what these two rivals have in store for fans at Payback, nothing may come close to topping this awesome angle. It brought a sense of unpredictability back to the program—a sense that has long been missing.

Austin Aries Earns a Second Chance Against Neville: 205 Live, April 4

There is no arguing that Austin Aries was mere seconds away from capturing the Cruiserweight Championship from Neville on the WrestleMania 33 Kickoff show. Unfortunately for Aries, Neville was just one step ahead of him that night, raking his injured eye before putting him down with a Red Arrow for the win.

Shortly thereafter, the ever-resilient Aries announced his intentions to continue chasing the championship and entered a Fatal 4-Way match on the April 4 edition of 205 Live to crown a new contender. Other combatants included Jack Gallagher, TJ Perkins and Mustafa Ali.

Each of the four fan favorites had an equal chance of coming out on top, but only one of them could earn a shot at the strap at Payback. Although the Cruiserweight division is often criticized for not featuring fast-paced action, this matchup was full of exciting moments, with each individual having a strong showing.

In the final few minutes of the matchup, Perkins and Gallagher were battling it out, and before either of them could capitalize, Aries emerged and knocked out Perkins for the winning fall. It was a hard-fought victory for The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived that proved he is indeed the most worthy challenger to Neville at the moment.

Perkins eventually reached his breaking point and formed an alliance with Aries, so it will be interesting to see how he factors into the finish of Sunday's Cruiserweight title rematch.

Alexa Bliss Emerges Victorious in Her Raw Debut: Raw, April 17

Raw's women's division was shaken up in a major way coming out of WrestleMania 33, with Alexa Bliss and Mickie James debuting as part of Team Red on April 11. Both of them instantly staked their claims at Bayley's Raw Women's Championship, along with Sasha Banks and Nia Jax.

Once that segment descended into chaos, a Fatal 4-Way was announced for the following week in which all four women would clash in a No. 1 contender's match for the title. Unsurprisingly, they had fantastic chemistry together that resulted in a very fun matchup.

Not only was the in-ring action entertaining, but the outcome was unpredictable, as any one of these ladies could have realistically emerged victorious and gone on to face Bayley for the belt. That added to the excitement of the bout, but of the four potential championship challengers, it was evident Bliss had the most to gain from winning.

The former SmackDown star shined on Tuesday nights and was determined to translate that same success over to Raw. Plus, she had the hometown advantage, with this episode of Raw emanating from her stomping grounds of Columbus, Ohio.

As the contest came to a close, Bliss removed Jax from the ring and pinned a downed Banks to punch her ticket to Payback. It was an exceptional effort from all involved and a sign that the division is now stronger than it was before with all of the new blood being added to the mix.

Seth Rollins and Samoa Joe Engage in a War of Words: Raw, April 17

Seth Rollins' sights may have been set on Triple H going into WrestleMania 33, but he didn't forget about being assaulted by Samoa Joe earlier this year in an attack that put The Architect on the shelf with an injury for over two months.

However, Joe is no easy obstacle to overcome, especially considering how he has run rampant over the entire Raw roster since his debut in late January. From Sami Zayn to Roman Reigns to Cesaro, he has beaten everyone he has stepped in the ring with.

On the Apr. 17 edition of Raw, he faced his toughest challenge to date in the form of Chris Jericho and was taken to the limit by the former multi-time world champion. A match fans never thought they would see years ago, it was very well-wrestled and was among Joe's best bouts on the main roster to date.

Despite being on the verge of victory on several occasions, Jericho ultimately came up short versus The Destroyer when he tapped out to the Coquina Clutch. After the bout, Joe grabbed a microphone and went off on Rollins, claiming he took pleasure in injuring his knee back in January.

Rollins' retort was relatively short and sweet: His upcoming battle with Joe is as personal as it gets and that payback was a...well, you know. Those few words packed a punch and made viewers want to see them do battle that much more.

The Hardy Boyz and Cesaro and Sheamus Tease Tension: Raw, April 24

The Hardy Boyz' shocking return at WrestleMania 33 and subsequent Raw Tag Team Championship victory sent shock waves throughout the WWE Universe, specifically the Raw tag team division. They successfully defended the twin titles on the next night's Raw against The Club before shifting their focus to the newly crowned contenders of Cesaro and Sheamus.

What has been interesting about this feud is that while both tandems are babyface at the moment, they have been teasing more and more tension with each passing week. This was especially evident on the April 24 edition of Raw when Sheamus met Matt Hardy in singles competition.

During the course of the contest, Sheamus got physical with Jeff Hardy, which then led to Cesaro preventing Jeff from getting further involved. Distracted by this, The Celtic Warrior fell victim to a Twist of Fate from Matt, awarding the tag team champ the victory.

Afterward, Sheamus shockingly had a cooler head than Cesaro and convinced his teammate to show respect to The Hardy Boyz via a handshake. One can only imagine that the bad blood will boil over at Payback and could result in the challengers reaching their breaking points.

If Cesaro and Sheamus do throw the rule book out the window and resort to underhanded tactics to capture the championship, could fans bear witness to the official dawning of "The Broken Hardyz"?

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is a digital 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.