The Payback Prediction Post

There is also no Mel Gibson here.

There is a pretty solid card for Payback tonight, so let’s throw down some predictions.

Matt:  I’m currently in the pregaming stage, as I am for any WWE PPV Event.  Tonight’s beverage of choice:  Sweetwater IPA, Atlanta, GA

Kalisto V Ryback for the United States Championship XVI

Matt: I don’t know that they have had this match 16 times, but it feels that way, at the very least.  There’s also the fact that you can sub Kalisto and Sin Cara for one another and they have easily had this match 16 times.  I think this is finally the one where they let Ryback grab the belt, but I’ve been wrong before.  I feel like this has become pretty stagnant, so it’ll be nice for Cena to get back to the grind and bring us the US Open Challenge back here in under a month.  Ryback

Jeremy:  I’m not going to spend too much time on this one.  I’m thinking Ryback so he can can lose the US Title to Apollo Crews at Extreme Rules or Money in the Bank.  I don’t like that outcome, but I feel like it’s likely.  Ryback

Dolph Ziggler V Baron Corbin

Matt:  I don’t know if I’m more excited for this match or the Sami Zayn/KO bout.  I am really excited that Ziggler seems to be getting the push he is getting again, and I have grown into quite a Baron Corbin mark.  He is a great heel character.  I like him a lot and he’s good in the ring.  I’m taking Ziggler here because they’ve let Baron beat the ever loving shit out of him lately, probably going to deliver a Famouser on the outside or something.  Ziggler

Jeremy:  Corbin tends to lose his matches at Takeover after looking dominant on NXT TV.  I feel like we are getting the same thing for WWE PPV.  Ziggler will make him Baron look strong but will eek out a win here.  I also choose Ziggler.

Sami Zayn V Kevin Owens

Matt:  I think one of the things I’m most excited about for this show is the fact that there are this many matches, and none of them are like 10 people tag matches or stipulation matches or anything of the sort.  It’s just great wrestling.  The program has been on this path since Wrestlemania, focusing on the talented roster and getting in ring time for these guys.  Sami and Kevin Owens are great performers.  Sami is so exciting in the ring and you never know what you’ll get next from KO.  I don’t want to pick against KO, in most scenarios, but Sami walks away with the face win here, which will help get him a title push, at least for the IC belt, in the next month or two.  Sami

Jeremy:  I think this has the potential for a 5 star match with Sami walking away with the win.  This isn’t it though.  You can mine this feud for years.

Dean Ambrose V Y2J

Matt:  I don’t know how to pick this one, I really don’t.  As much as I like Ambrose, he is in this weird PPV purgatory right now where he’s a marquee name on the card but he doesn’t get the win.  It’s not just him, they do that with a lot of these guys.  Dean Ambrose seems stuck in the Bray Wyatt mold right now.  Maybe, just maybe, Y2J lets this one drop, because he sure didn’t take a pin from one of the greatest working wrestlers in the world in AJ Styles, but that was Mania.  Maybe this is finally going to be Y2J doing what he’s meant to do and helping push the next generation.  I’m going to take Ambrose.

Jeremy:  The Brock match didn’t do what it was supposed to do and everyone seems to be pissed that Jericho went over Styles at Mania.  I expect this match to right the wrongs from Mania.  I expect Ambrose to win.  If Jericho wins, it won’t be a clean pin or tap.

The Realest Guys in the Room V The Vaudevillians (To determine the Number One Contenders for the World Tag Team Championship)

Matt:  How you doin’?  I can’t even talk about Enzo anymore without getting so giddy I can’t focus.  The VVs win this one, but I think it’s more to do with The New Day needing a heel team to face at Extreme Rules.  Also, I don’t know that they really want to put New Day opposite Enzo right now, because Enzo is flying high as a kite with the audience, it would crush their attempts to spin New Day into a face faction.  I’m picking the VV to win, but I’m not happy about it.  And don’t think it’s an indictment of me not liking them.  I think they’re talented in ring performers and Simon Gotch is a bad ass in his own right on a microphone.  He plays that gimmick like a champion.  But there’s not a living soul right now I’m higher on than Enzo Amore, so I want to see him win every match ever.  Vaudevillians

Jeremy:  Vaudevillains  I think it helps them more to win, gives New Day credible heels to face for the titles, and saves Enzo and Cass for a bigger PPV, like Summerslam.  I won’t be disappointed if Enzo and Cass are your new #1 contenders either.

The Miz V Cesaro (Intercontinental Championship)

Matt:  I don’t really want to type about this one much.  I want Cesaro to win, but then it will crap on whatever creative seems to think they have with The Miz and Maryse, so I’m going to go ahead and just assume Cesaro is beating his ass, Maryse interferes in some way and Miz takes a cheap win.  It sucks because Miz is better than that, but that’s where it’s headed.  Miz retains, not clean

Jeremy:  Yeah, what Matt said.  Miz retains, not clean.

Charlotte V Natalya (Women’s Championship…not that stupid vagina butterfly)

Matt:  I’m intrigued, but only because of the Bret Hart of it all.  The man probably had a chemo appointment this morning, and by the end of the day he’ll have to at least sort of tussle with the Nature Boy.  How I want this match to end?  Natalya and Bret hit simultaneous Sharpshooters.  How this match will end?  I’m banking on interference and Charlotte retaining, and I chose my words there quite specifically.  Charlotte retains, another heel dirty finish

Jeremy:  Yeah, I think it’s going to be a Champion’s advantage disqualification.  I think Ric is going to try some dirty trick but the ref will see Bret’s retaliation and call for the DQ.  Charlotte wins.  For the record, I wish Natalya would win.

AJ Styles V Roman Reigns (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)

Matt:  We all know Roman leaves with that belt.  There’s no way he doesn’t.  The how of it is what makes this match interesting.  Will Anderson and Gallows help AJ, will Anderson and Gallows turn on AJ and join the Empire?  Will Anderson and Gallows be in the process of helping AJ when Dean and Rollins come to his aid, setting up the potential for a BC Balor Club V The Shield reunion squad?  I can’t answer any of these questions, and it is honestly the reason I have interest in this match.  AJ can hold his own in the ring with anybody, I’m concerned with whether AJ is so good he makes Roman look that much worse.  I’m also excited about the possibility that he’s so good he can slow his own pace down to make Roman look better.  Either way this whole thing goes down, we will really be the winners tonight as fans.  Roman, but through shenanigans of some sort, not a clean win

Jeremy:  Definitely shenanigans and Roman will retain.  I’m now thinking it’s too early for Bálor.  I think it’s worth more, both in NXT and WWE, to delay his arrival for a couple months.  I think you have enough questions with Anderson and Gallows and their relationship with AJ, to keep it interesting for awhile.  I’m thinking Roman can hold it together in this match to look decent but the sooner the shenanigans start, the better.

Regarding the Vince McMahon Announcement as to who will run Raw:

Matt:  Not that it actually matters, because we all know who runs the show behind the scenes.  But I see a brand split coming again, and it’s not necessarily such a bad thing, and even if Shane is “given” Smackdown, it can continue to be a conduit for the up and coming call ups from NXT to get themselves cemented with the main roster/casual audiences.  I don’t care how it goes down, I do just hope that it doesn’t end up being a Shane V HHH match, as I don’t want to have to pick sides in that.  Split the Brands, whoever is doing better by …. Summerslam? takes control of the entire program.  I’m good with it, however it goes down, it won’t actually change anything as the company itself seems to be changing for the better anyway, as evidenced by the matchups and call ups and everything else that has been going right of late.

Jeremy:  Yes, I think Shane maintains some sort of control.  I don’t think they’d make a big deal announcing something at a PPV if it was just Steph and HHH regaining control.  If it was going back to Authority control, a tweet announcement would have been totally fine.

Observations on Predictions:

Matt:  I went face heavy early on in this one, with the exception of going ahead and letting Ryback have his moment just to drop that bastard to John Cena in a month’s time.  But I’ve got Sami, Dean, and Ziggler all winning what should be incredible displays of talent all around.  Then, the matches that count for something, all dirty endings.  It’s not my fault WWE and the creative department have lead me to expect this, nor is it my fault that they want us to expect Roman will heel turn any second, just to inevitably disappoint us time and again about this.  You’ll get sweet ass moments from Enzo, KO, and Y2J will call someone a Stupid Idiot a number of times.  You won’t get: Becky, Sasha, any ex-LoN members, or Finn Balor.  Should be a great show.  I’m excited to bring you live coverage as the show happens.

Jeremy:  I also went face heavy.  In fact, all my predictions match Matt with the exception of who Ryback is going to drop the belt to.  I’m bummed that Becky isn’t on the card but it looks like she’s having a relaxing vacation paddle boarding in Florida.  Ryback and Lana is in Cancun.  I’m sure Sasha and the others not working this PPV are taking a well-deserved rest.  So I’m happy for those guys too.  They don’t get enough time off.  I think you have the potential for a couple 4 star matches on this one.

And after the show, tune in for Camp WWE.