WWE Payback 2014 Preview and Predictions

Not to be confused with that Mel Gibson movie.

Giving their thoughts and predictions on what to expect from the PPV are members of the site @JoeySplashwater, @TimWelcomed and @TomBlackett.

El Torito vs. Hornswoggle in a Mask vs. Hair match on the pre show

Joey:

This was superbly fun last PPV pre-show with the TLC match but the act has started to get stale and Hornswoggle getting his shaved is unlikely to be as fun as everyone jumping through tables.

Interest Level: 4/10
Prediction: El Torito wins.

Tim:

I’m down for this. It’s time to end the feud and nothing ends a feud better than someone getting a haircut. The WeeLC was a show-stealer so hopefully they can have some fun in a regular one-on-one environment. If El Torito wins this I demand he gets brought into the US Title scene AT LEAST.

Interest Level: 7/10
Prediction: El Torito wins.

Tom:

Yes please! I’d be happy to see a mini other than Hornswoggle involved, but last month’s WeeLC was incredible and I’m a mark for any match involving a haircut (with the prime example being X-Pac vs. Jeff Jarrett from Summerslam ’98). Will Drew McIntyre put himself through a table again? God, I hope so.

Interest Level: 7/10
Prediction: El Torito wins, Hornswoggle gets his head shaved and the announcers overreact in a fairly annoying way.

Daniel Bryan/Brie Bella/Stephanie McMahon showdown

Joey:

Daniel Bryan is by far the best wrestler in the world right now. Stephanie is by far the best heel authority figure in wrestling right now. This should be more riveting but Brie Bella’s atrocious acting and Kane just being around sucks the life out of it. I think Bryan will give up the title to spare his wife’s job but Kane will still beat him up and likely tombstone Brie.

Interest Level: 4/10
Prediction: Daniel Bryan relinquishes the title.

Tim:

Eh. I’m not big on talking segments on PPVs but if the title actually gets vacated then I feel this is the place to do it. I’m not expecting this to be entertaining at all but maybe Bryan can pull out an emotional performance and maybe Brie’s acting will be minimized. Plus, I’m incredibly sad that this is where we are at after Wrestlemania.

Interest Level: 2/10
Prediction: Daniel Bryan vacates the WWE World Heavyweight Championship

Tom:

Ooph, no thanks. I think Stephanie McMahon has been frequently great in her role, but I’m not sure that this will do anyone any favours. Raw-style segments on PPV (or whatever we call PPVs in this post-Network age) are always a bit jarring so I could do without this.

Interest Level: 3/10
Prediction: Brie ‘cries’, Bryan acts uncharacteristically misogynistic towards Stephanie and then gives up the title. The crowd chants for CM Punk who posts some boring shit about hockey.

The Usos vs. The Wyatt Family for the Tag Team Championship

Joey:

Luke Harper is amazing and the Usos are fantastic at what they do. This could very well steal the show if a lot of things break right. Expect Harper and Rowan to win the titles here. It could do the belts some justice having them attached to an act that has relevance to the upper card.

Interest Level: 7/10
Prediction: The Wyatt Family wins.

Tim:

This is an exciting match-up! The Usos have solid-to-great matches every time they step in the ring and Luke Harper is astounding, especially with the way his wrestling style accentuates his character so perfectly.

It would be best to put the titles on The Wyatt Family here. As long as they’re involved with Bray (and Bray is involved in the upper-card) the tag belts shouldn’t have them go stale like they and other mid-card titles tend to do to their holders.

Interest Level: 8/10
Prediction: The Wyatt Family wins the WWE Tag Team Championship titles.

Tom:

Yeah, Luke Harper really is terrific and I like The Usos a lot too, even if they have been pushed to the side lately. I think this should be fun!

Interest Level: 8/10
Prediction: The Usos retain.

Rusev vs. Big E

Joey:

Poor Big E.

Interest Level: 0/10
Prediction: Rusev Mero wins.

Tim:

I think a quote from Dennis Miller’s  upcoming provocative book, Wrestling Rant Zone, can sum this match up pretty well. So I’ll just use that for my match preview:

“Boy, is Strom Thurmond’s ghost booking Rusev? I haven’t seen such a bright future like Big E’s get squandered like this since Aaron Burr was caught trying to annex Spanish territories to be used toward the establishment of an independent republic!”

Interest Level: I really wish I was excited about this so I could give it a Pu10/10… 0/10
Prediction: Rusev wins. The internet gets uncontrollably pervy over Lana.

Tom:

Oh dear.

Interest Level: 1/10
Prediction: Lana is terrific (LOOK I’M NOT PERVING ON HER TIM, I JUST RESPECT HER ABILITIES ENORMOUSLY, IT’S CALLED BEING A FEMINIST, THANKS), Rusev is there, Big E deserves better.

Bad News Barrett vs. RVD for the Intercontinental Championship

Joey:

This should be fine but it’s hard to care about it.

Interest Level: 3/10
Prediction: Bad News Barrett wins.

Tim:

This is bland as hell, bruh.

Interest Level: 1/10
Prediction: Barrett retains that belt.

Tom:

So, here’s an inside look at how these pieces are put together – when Joey lays them out, he’ll just leave ‘CONTENT’ where we’re meant to write our thoughts and predictions. For this match, I just left it as that for the longest time because I’ve got nothing to say. It’ll happen and then everyone will move on with their lives. Maybe RVD does a flip into Barrett’s elbow finisher and that’ll be kinda fun?

Interest Level: 3/10
Prediction: Barrett retains.

Sheamus vs. Cesaro for the U.S. Championship

Joey:

The match I am most excited about! Sheamus and Cesaro just seem built to bring out the best in each other and while they’ve already had nice matches, I know they have a “match of the year contender” classic in them that would be suited for PPV. The timing is right with all the variables leading to a very weak card , I can see them getting 15-20 minutes and just putting on a clinic.

Interest Level: 10/10
Prediction: Sheamus wins.

Tim:

Match of The Night? When Sheamus isn’t opening his mouth and is going up against someone with in-ring talent, good things are possible. This is pretty much the main reason to watch this PPV and I’m looking for these two to make me pretty happy about spending my time on Payback.

Interest Level: 10/10
Prediction: Sheamus wins.

Tom:

Yeah, I’ll have a slice of this. Cesaro’s great and Sheamus is really pretty good when he’s not fighting dolts, isn’t he? Should be fun, hopefully it gets a nice amount of time.

Interest Level: 9/10
Prediction: Cesaro wins the US Title through screwiness.

Alicia Fox vs. Paige for the Divas Championship

Joey:

I’ll say it. Based off RAW, Alicia Fox > Paige. The Alicia Fox segments has actually made me look forward to a WWE Divas match!

Interest Level: 7/10
Prediction: Alicia Fox wins.

Tim:

Alicia Fox has gotten so much better in-ring and she actually has a character that gets some reaction. Not a huge reaction but more than most Divas get. It is kind of sad that it has come to “crazy females, am I right” to get any sort of reaction But whatever, I guess.

This should be a decent match. I’m still on the Paige hype train though. She’s a good wrestler. I think these two just need some time to show a story in the ring.

Interest Level: 7/10
Prediction: Paige retains.

Tom:

Now that Sandow’s traded his pipe bombs in for a membership card at the local costume store, Alicia Fox is the only one left to really push the boundaries of the Reality Era. Paige is… pretty good, I guess? I don’t dislike her but I haven’t seen anything particularly terrific from her yet. Anyway, should be decent and hopefully Fox will do some mad shit that WASN’T in the script.

Interest Level: 5/10
Prediction: Paige retains and soft drinks go flying everywhere.

John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt in a Last Man Standing match

Joey:

This feud has provided some brutal TV and really should have ended at Wrestlemania. With CM Punk gone and Daniel Bryan injured, the upper card is weak and Cena really shouldn’t be doing this foolishness nor should Bray the karaoke master with his stock being high. I believe the match should deliver given the stipulation and I can see it main eventing but the storyline has been so silly that I’m just not anticipating it at all. Please just be over and start feuding with other people.

Interest Level: 3/10
Prediction: Cena wins.

Tim:

I am so ready for this to be over with. WWE knows how to kill anything and everything. If I have to hear “He’s got the whooooole world…” one more time I think I will lose my shit. Cena can’t be booked appropriately with an up-and-coming star, especially one that has a over-the-top gimmick because it gives his stupid jokes ammo.

This has been awful and has highlighted the problem with Cena’s character and how they handle him. The story has so many flaws and has made both guys look extremely dumb. It felt really good to let all of that out just now…. wooo. Anyway, If your storyline makes me legitimately question why I watch your product you’re probably not writing very good at all.

Interest Level: 2/10
Prediction: Cena wins.

Tom:

I’ll give Cena and Wyatt the benefit of the doubt with this one, even though Last Man Standing matches have been formulaic for a while and this feud’s been the pits so they don’t deserve such kindness.

I’m hoping Bray’s able to liven things up – he has the kind of persona and style that I think lends itself well to no DQ-ish matches and it’s not just the usual series of kendo stick shots around the ring. Anyway, let this be the end of the feud, thanks.

Interest Level: 6/10
Prediction: Cena wins.

The Shield vs. Evolution in a No Holds Barred Elimination match

Joey:

This is going to be awesome. The no holds barred aspect and the elimination style match both are things I enjoy. My predictions for the order of elimination: Ambrose – Rollins – Batista – Orton – Reigns.

My assumption here is that Reigns is built as the underdog getting the fans really behind him believing he can do the impossible of elimination all 3 members of Evolution by himself before Triple H gets the pinfall. I’m sensing a Reigns vs. Triple H match at Summerslam and Reigns losing to Hunter in a less than fair way would provide the easy road to that match.

Interest Level: 9/10
Prediction: Evolution wins/Triple H is the Sole Survivor.

Tim:

I am expecting this to be pretty decent. The Shield will make the exciting moments as usual and the anything-goes aspect will cover up Evolution’s wrestling style because there’s only so much they can do and look okay without being repetitive against The Shield. That said, I’m kind of tired of this like most of everything else WWE is throwing out lately.

I think this will come down to Triple H and Reigns (who I continue to doubt as a singles competitor even though I actively try not to… but that is a discussion for another time) with Triple H getting the upper hand. People boo and stuff.

Interest Level: 6/10
Prediction: Evolution wins.

Tom:

Look, it’ll be good, it’ll set up some fun stuff and this is it for Big Dave for a while, eh? All positives! Really though, as good as Reigns is, it’s Rollins who’s been fantastic in the past few Shield matches and he’s the one I’d love to see as the last Shield member standing. Unlikely that it’ll happen, but I hope Seth gets the chance to emerge as a guy to watch in a big match soon.

Interest Level: 9/10
Prediction: Evolution wins.