A little late, as my parents were visiting for the weekend and it was tough to find the time, but here are my Payback predictions!
United States Championship Match - Kalisto (c) Vs. Ryback
Once again the US Championship is relegated to the pre-show, continuing the WWE's tradition of utterly not giving a shit about the belt unless John Cena is holding it. I don't have a lot of hope for this match, to be fair. This rivalry has gone on for an ungodly amount of time and I don't think anyone really cares about it. Kalisto has been treated like a jobber for months now even as he's held the title, and Ryback just generally sucks. That said, their match at 'Mania was actually solid, so maybe this one will be similar. The problem is that, unlike at Wrestlemania, I expect the booking tonight to not be literally the worst ever, which will mean this match won't look good by comparison like their 'Mania bout did. Anyway, it's time to shit or get off the pot with Ryback. If he doesn't win tonight, what the fuck was the point of this whole feud?
Winner: Ryback
Dolph Ziggler Vs. Baron Corbin
Remember two years ago at Survivor Series when Dolph Ziggler appeared to be on the verge of ascending to megastar status, and all he needed was a little nudge? Yeah, neither does the WWE. I just can't bring myself to care about Dolph Ziggler in 2016, and I think that's a feeling felt by the majority of WWE fans. He's not a bad wrestler, but he's been overshadowed by the influx of indie guys that have come in already better, and his HBK mimic schtick has gotten more than a little tired by now. On paper, there's no sense in having Corbin lose his first feud, so I'll go with that.
Winner: Baron Corbin
Tag Team Number One Contender Match - Enzo & Cass Vs. The Vaudevillains
If nothing else comes out of this event, at least the WWE tag scene finally feels relevant again! There are actually more than two teams that feel like they matter! I'm similarly impressed with how the WWE hasn't booked the Vaudevillains like jokes yet. I figured they'd be jobbers from the word go, and Vince's restraint here has been remarkable. Picking the winner of this match is tough, though. On the one hand, Enzo & Cass seem like the obvious choice, but I also feel like they have unfinished business with the Dudleys, and that some interference and a subsequent "starter feud" may be in play. This would allow the Vaudevillains to feud with New Day (and lose) in the short term while Enzo & Cass are built up to take the titles from them a few months down the line, maybe at Summerslam? In fact, I'm going to go with that because I think it's the best choice.
Winner: The Vaudevillains
Dean Ambrose Vs. Chris Jericho
So, I guess this is happening. It really is a shame how the WWE is misusing Ambrose. He's the most over guy in the company, and instead of embracing that and pushing the hell out of him they feed him to Brock Lesnar in a surprisingly shitty 'Mania match and then have him feud with Dad Jokes Jericho. I like both of these guys well enough, but I'm just not excited about this match or this feud.
Winner: Dean Ambrose
Intercontinental Title Match - The Miz (c) Vs. Cesaro
I'd actually expect this match to be pretty entertaining. Cesaro is one of the best in the WWE when it comes to in-ring action, and Miz is passable. I certainly think Cesaro can carry him to a great match. The real question is whether or not the WWE is ready to give him a run with the belt. Obviously they should, because Miz isn't elevating it in any meaningful way. But the WWE's refusal to push the guys we love goes bone deep, and I get the feeling that Miz will win via some interference from the wife.
Winner: The Miz
WWE Women's Championship Match - Charlotte (c) Vs. Natalya
The main problem I have with this match is that we've seen it before. And I don't mean that in the sense where we've seen most WWE match-ups before because they refuse to put people together unless they've already wrestled six hundred times. No, I mean we saw Charlotte and Natalya wrestle with Ric and Bret at ringside during a Takeover. It just seems kind of lazy, especially when you remember that Natalya has done absolutely nothing to deserve a title shot. The fact that this is the only women's feud going on right now is a little depressing.
Winner: Charlotte
Kevin Owens Vs. Sami Zayn
We can probably go ahead and call this the match of the night right now. Unless they're only given like five minutes, which would be insane, these guys are going to deliver. Nothing else really needs to be said about this match. While this is Sami's first feud in the WWE, I think the smart thing to do is give the win to Owens. These guys will be going at it again, and you can't have the underdog babyface win the first match in a feud like that.
Winner: Kevin Owens
WWE Championship Match - Roman Reigns (c) Vs. AJ Styles
While it's nice to see Styles getting a championship match so early in his WWE run, it would be nice if it were in a match he had any chance of winning. The fact that the outcome to this match is basically etched in stone is a bit sad, because otherwise it might be exciting. Sure, there's the prospect of a Bullet Club formation in the WWE, or them (more likely) turning on Styles, but the end outcome has never been more clear. Reigns is walking out of the event with the belt, and that sucks because he's the worst.
Winner: Roman Reigns
