Before Monday Night Raw and SmackDown Live are split for good, we get a little bit of the SmackDown roster in tonight’s “Raw-exclusive” Pay-Per-View, Payback. While Brock Lesnar isn’t defending the Universal Championship tonight, there are plenty of big matches to make up for it. Roman Reigns returns to get revenge on Braun Strowman, Alexa Bliss challenges Bayley for the Raw Women’s Championship, and Randy Orton faces Bray Wyatt in the first-ever House of Horrors match.
Enzo Amore & Big Cass vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson
These two teams have never been close to being on good terms, but things escalated last week. Enzo and Cass were teaming up with Seth Rollins to take on Samoa Joe, Luke Gallows, and Karl Anderson. Before the match, Enzo was assaulted badly enough where Finn Balor had to replace him for the match. Tonight, Enzo and Cass have a chance to get back at the former Raw Tag Team Champions.
Gallows and Anderson set up Amore for the Magic Killer, but Big Cass clocks Anderson with a big boot. Amore takes advantage of the disoriented Luke Gallows, rolling him up for the victory. Winners: Enzo Amore & Big Cass
Predicted Winners: Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson (0/1)
MizTV feat. Finn Balor
Since WrestleMania, Finn Balor returned to Raw from injury, while the Miz was “shaken up” from SmackDown Live. Balor has won all of the matches he’s competed in since his return, but he hasn’t said a single word. The Miz does a good job of getting good promos out of his guests, so the portion of the WWE Universe that didn’t watch NXT might finally get a reason to care about the first-ever Universal Champion.
Finn Balor decides he doesn’t want to attack the Miz because he’s “not worth it,” but the Miz angers Balor enough to change his mind. After a Slingblade and dropkicking the Miz into the corner, Balor walks away. The most important thing of note in the interview is that Balor wants to regain the Universal Championship, which is held by Brock Lesnar.
Kevin Owens (c) vs. Chris Jericho – United States Championship
While Kevin Owens held the Universal Championship, he became friends with Chris Jericho, but it turned out that he was only using Jericho as a tool. After Owens kicked Y2J to the curb, Jericho would get back at him by helping Goldberg defeat Owens for the Universal Championship. Owens would then win the United States Championship at WrestleMania, and Jericho has his rematch. If Y2J wins, he is also added to SmackDown Live.
Kevin Owens escapes the Walls of Jericho once, but he couldn’t a second time, and he has to tap out. Jericho wins the title for the second time and is now a member of SmackDown Live. Winner, and NEW United States Champion: Chris Jericho
Predicted Winner: Kevin Owens (0/2)
Neville (c) vs. Austin Aries – WWE Cruiserweight Championship
Austin Aries unsuccessfully challenged Neville for the Cruiserweight Championship at WrestleMania, but he regained his #1 Contender’s spot after winning a Fatal Four-Way match on 205 Live. After feuding with Neville and TJ Perkins over the past few weeks, Aries has another shot to capture the title he was screwed out of.
Austin Aries has Neville in the Last Chancery, but the King of the Cruiserweights grabs the referee and pulls him to break the submission. Austin Aries wins the match, but the Cruiserweight Championship stays with Neville. Winner (via disqualification): Austin Aries
Predicted Winner: Neville (0/3)
The Hardy Boyz (c) vs. Sheamus & Cesaro – Raw Tag Team Championships
At WrestleMania, the Hardy Boyz returned and shocked the WWE Universe by capturing the Raw Tag Team Championships. After they successfully defended the titles against Gallows and Anderson, Sheamus and Cesaro won a #1 Contender’s Match. Sheamus and Cesaro lost the Matt and Jeff, respectively, in singles action over the past two weeks so tonight’s not looking good for the challengers.
Sheamus hits Matt Hardy with a tilt-a-whirl powerslam and goes for the cover, but he didn’t see Jeff Hardy tag himself in. Jeff hits Sheamus with a Swanton Bomb to give his team the victory. Winners, and STILL Raw Tag Team Champions: The Hardy Boyz
Predicted Winners: The Hardy Boyz (1/4)
While Matt and Jeff Hardy celebrate their victory, Sheamus and Cesaro attack the champions and leave them laid out.
Bayley (c) vs. Alexa Bliss – Raw Women’s Championship
After winning the Raw Women’s Championship on an episode of Monday Night Raw, Bayley went on to successfully defend it twice, including the Fatal Four-Way match at WrestleMania. Alexa Bliss, a former two-time SmackDown Women’s Champion, won her first match on Raw to become the new #1 Contender for Bayley’s title.
Bayley hits her head several times throughout the match, including right on the ring post. Right after escaping a roll-up, Bliss hits Bayley with a DDT for the victory, becoming the first woman ever to hold the Raw and SmackDown Women’s Championships. Winner, and NEW Raw Women’s Champion: Alexa Bliss
Predicted Winner: Alexa Bliss (2/5)
Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton – House of Horrors Match
Not much has been revealed about the House of Horrors Match. What we do know is that it won’t be for the WWE Championship, it will start in Bray Wyatt’s “House of Horrors,” it will end in the ring, and there are no disqualifications. Wyatt could’ve cashed in his WWE Championship rematch, but it doesn’t seem like he cares about regaining the title he lost at WrestleMania.
Randy Orton appears at the house, and they fight into the kitchen where Bray Wyatt drops a refrigerator onto Orton. Wyatt takes the limousine that Orton took to the house, and the show moves on while they make their ways to the arena. To be continued….
Seth Rollins vs. Samoa Joe
About a month before WrestleMania, Samoa Joe made his debut on Monday Night Raw to essentially be Triple H’s bodyguard. Joe attacked Rollins from behind and injured his knee while taking him down for the Coquina Clutch. Now that Rollins finally took care of Triple H at WrestleMania, he can return to getting back at Joe for injuring him.
Samoa Joe locks in the Coquina Clutch, but Rollins shifts his weight, turning it into a cradle. Joe couldn’t figure out how to untangle himself and the referee counts to 3. Winner: Seth Rollins
Predicted Winner: Samoa Joe (2/6)
Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton, continued
Conveniently, Bray Wyatt makes it back to the arena right after the previous match ends. Wyatt makes his usual entrance to the ring and when the lights come on, Randy Orton appears out of nowhere.
Orton hits Wyatt with an RKO when the Singh Brothers attack him from behind. Orton fends them off, but Jinder Mahal attacks the WWE Champion from behind with his own belt, serving him up to Bray Wyatt on a silver platter. Wyatt hits Sister Abigail to get the assisted victory. Winner: Bray Wyatt
Predicted Winner: Bray Wyatt (3/7)
Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman
A few weeks ago, Braun Strowman attacked Roman Reigns in the backstage area, then when Reigns was in an ambulance, Strowman tipped it over. Reigns hasn’t been seen since, while Strowman took the next two weeks to lay waste to Golden Truth, Big Show, and Kalisto.
After powerslamming Roman Reigns for a final time, Strowman gets the pinfall victory. After the match, he slams the steel steps into the ribs of Reigns, forcing an injured Reigns to be escorted to the back by officials and EMTs. Winner: Braun Strowman
Predicted Winner: Braun Strowman (4/8)
