Payback Review and Reactions

Hello everyone and welcome back to Talk Wrestling World, I hope you are all well and good. It's the night after an eventful Payback pay per view witch means it's review and reactions time yet again. In today's blog post I will be taking you back to all of last nights action giving you all the information and results ans telling you what I personally thought of the entire show from start to finish. I will be answering questions such as; did we see a new divas champion crowned? Did we get a heel turn? did the anti diva, Paige, make her much anticipated return to action? and is Kane still in the job? I will also be telling you what went down on the kick off show and what I thought of the match that aired then. So there is a heck a of a lot to get through and I don't wanna waste too much time. But before we get into things, as usual there are some brief reminders for you. I will start to upload my NXT Prediction tomorrow. They will be going up for three days and I will then be posting my prediction and support pictures on Wednesday and I will of course be live tweeting throughout takeover. The NXT Takeover Review and Reactions post will be uploaded the following day so on Thursday Morning. Reminders of the blog being uploaded will be on twitter as usual every three to four hours. July will be NXT month on my blog as I mentioned last week so do let me know in the comments or on twitter what posts you would like to see go up in the series and I will be brining you more information next month on the start of my pod cast. I will link bellow any recent posts including my Payback prediction post. Finally,you can let me know what you thought of last nights show and your predictions for RAW by leaving a comment bellow or by tweeting me at @TezangiVictoria.

The Payback kick off show was hosted of course by Renee Young and was joined by the usual faces of Booker T, Byron Saxton and Corey Graves, as the four took us all through the match card, taking a deeper look into everything set to take place on the night. As usual, I have next to nothing bad to say about the kick off panel or the way the show was done at all. Just like always, Renee did an outstanding job getting everyone all ready for the pay per view and of course she looked stunning so, bonus there. The first piece of action we got last night saw was a bonus match which saw R-truth go one on one with Stardust. I will admit I didn't really have any interest in this. The match was never announced and to be honest I haven't really enjoyed any of the work between these two superstars. I  think the WWE really dropped the ball with Stardust and putting him back on track will be difficult. I personally just want to see Cody back.I loved how aggressive was in this match and I was backing him throughout of course. He spent most of the time in control and managing the pace of the match but Truth did get quit a bit of offence. To be fair the match wasn't actually that bad or as bad as I expected anyway. In the end Truth picked up the victory which I wasn't all that happy about but it made a change seeing him actually get a win. Onto the kick off match and as announced on RAW last week, Curtis Axel and Damien Sandow would be taking on former NXT Tag team champions, The Ascension. I wasn't happy about this booking at all. In my eyes both teams needed the win. With Axel and Sandow (firstly I want to say how much I hope these guys won't stay as a tag team because it's not needed and Sandow in particular needs something stronger), they both were in need of a win. With Sandow loosing he's feud with the Miz and having a change up he needed to bounce back strong and a win at a pay per view would of been perfect. In my persona opinion, Sandow has proved once and for all over the past six months how good he is. In the ring, as a character, as a worker and with he's connection with the fans. He has come such a long way over the past thew months and to ruin all that would be a punch in the face to both the fans and Damien. Axel needed a win also for almost the same reasons. Then there's the Ascension. The whole world knows by now how much I love those guys and I have always said, from day one, that I will always support these guys and not a single thing has changed. It makes me so mad that the WWE are treating them so badly. They were honestly better off staying down in NXT because their treatment on the main roster has been terrible. I do plan on doing a full blog post on that so if that's something you would be interested in let me know. I hated that they were booked for this match. They really needed a win last night, mainly because of the number of losses they have been picking up and the lack of TV time, and being a fan of all four of these superstars made it really hard to take a side but in the end I had to go with the Ascension. Now, the one thing that did put a huge smile in all of this madness was the amazing entrances from Sandow and Axel. I actually cry laughed at this point of the show. The early stages of this match saw Axel and Konnor take to the ring and while we thought it was Konnor in control Axel brought the character and tried to turn things around but the Ascension were able to work as the strong team they are and stay in control. When Sandow was tagged in however, things changed up and the momentum shifted. The closing moments saw the Ascension pick up a much needed win. I think it's safe to say I was happy with this ending. Short, simple match and a good way to get everyone excited for the actual show.

The first match of the night was one of the matches I was most looking forward too, coming a feud I have been enjoying the most, as the second pay per view match between Sheamus and Dolph Ziggler took place. I went into a lot of detail when I did my prediction post for this match. I made it very very clear that Sheamus really needed to pick up a clean win last night and nothing changed. I felt the exact same way throughout this match from start to finish. For me it was a no brainier, Sheamus had to walk away with the win. The early stages of this match saw Dolph Ziggler take control really keeping the momentum going and the fact the crowd were right by he's side as usual it meant he used that to he's advantage also, keeping the speed really nice and fast. But as soon as Ziggler suffered a small injury Sheamus played on it and and used that to ware down Ziggler and bring the match back to he's side of things. The match slowed down at this point and we saw Sheamus really showcase that power he has, making sure everyone knew he was the bigger, stronger guy of the two.We really saw Sheamus work the crowd and proved why he is one of my favourite heels right now. What we got was a nice mixture of speed and strength and the two really brought out the best in each other. I was really into this match way more than I was expecting to be. It became very intense very quickly and Sheamus was able to stay in full control and really showcased that barbaric style that we all knew back in two thousand and nine and ten. The fact he cut open Ziggler really showcased that and he was able to come across as that dominate force that I have been talking about. We saw the Sheamus people need to be scared of and I was so glad he got this win and how he got the win. He was dominate throughout, barbaric, intense and dangerous. He played the perfect heel and pulled the match together well. It would of been nice if the match was a little longer but Loved the start of this and how it was done. Great match and good start to the show.

Up next, tag team action and yet another match that I was really looking forward too as the New Day defended their tag team gold against the former tag team champions, Cesaro and Tyson Kidd in a two out of three falls match. You guys know how much I've been loving the action from the tag division lately. I have had nothing but positive things to say about most of the teams on the main roster witch means a change. I'm a huge huge fan of both these tag teams and so once again it was hard to take a side but for storyline purposes I had to side with the New Day on this one, but I was really looking forward to this and I had high high standards/expectations for this one, especially because it was a two out of three falls match. I'm always talking about how much diversity there is when Cesaro, Kidd, Kofi, and Big E all step in the ring and there is always that unpredictability in the tag division witch I love. The start of the match had that battle of the power feel with Cesaro and Big E showcasing their strength, trying to one up each other. Cesaro for me however was an early stand out. He stayed in control and even when things started to turn he quickly got back on top of things and put

himself back in the spotlight. The great team work between Cesaro and Kidd allowed them to pick up the first pin fall. There was so much energy throughout this match and the crowd were really into it witch is always nice to see and hear. In the second round, the New day took control and made very frequent tags to stay in control and on top of things, making it difficult for Kidd to make a tag. I also liked the ringside work between Natalya and Xavier Woods, it just added a bit more to the match. Big E was another stand out for me in this one. He did stuff last night I haven't seen him do before and he brought a lot of character to this match. Both him and Cesaro made sure they were the stand outs and made sure everyone would be left talking about them and trust me they were. The second win went to the new day after Kofi made the cover on Kidd. I will admit, I was actually really on edge during the last round because I genuinely did not know what to expect and I love that and I think we need that in more matches. The team work between Cesaro and Kidd was so strong and so on point that I can't fault it at all or make any complaints. It was such a well put together match and the ending left me speechless. When Xavier Woods got in the ring and made the cover I kinda had nothing to say apart from what the hell. It was a really clever idea. Kidd and Cesaro didn't look weak by the loss and at the same time The New Day were further pushed as top heels. Once again I really liked this ending and how the match was put together.

Ryback and Bray Wyatt were in action next and I have made it clear from the very beginning that I had no interest in this match or feud. It was the one match on the card I was really not looking forward too. I don't like the feud, I didn't like the build up and for me nothing worked here. My expectations were low for this one, I will admit, but I was expecting some little surprises so I did try my best to pay close attention. For me, there was no question about it, Wyatt had to walk out with a victory over Ryback and it had to be clean. Bray must go back on that road to redemption and get back on track. Payback was the start of that journey. Ryback did take early control of this match and he didn't give Wyatt a second to take a breather and a moment. He really took it to Wyatt but there was nothing at a stand out quality. I was actually surprised at how little offence Bray got. I was expecting to see him in control much more and to see a more a dominate performance in the early stages but that wasn't the case at all. However, when Wyatt did start to gain momentum he pulled some strong stuff out of the bag and grabbed my attention. I personally struggled to get into this match. There was no strong back story and the feud still had that pointless feel to it. I kind of felt sorry for Bray to go from wrestling the Undertaker at Wrestlemania to being in a weak feud and match against Ryback at Payback. I will admit that as time went on and the match grew I began to get more into the match and things did get much much better. It was nice to see things reach a back and fourth stage and with a Bray Wyatt match comes unpredictability so that little fact kept me watching. The final moments saw Bray Wyatt take advantage of an exposed turn-buckle, being able to put in a quick sister Abigail to get a win. Yet again a well put together ending and actually the match was better than I expected.

Up next, it was the final chapter in the Rusev VS Cena sage and I could not have been more happy that the final match between the two of them was up. Don't get me wrong, they have had some really strong matches that I have really enjoyed but it did feel as though this feud had been going on for far too long. Saying that I was surprisingly looking forward to this match. I was expecting a lot and even though I was convinced that Rusev was not winning this match it was still very very important for him. We also had the growing tensions between Lana and Rusev to go on as well and watch out for so it was one to watch for sure. From the very start of the match "we wan Lana" chants echoed through the arena and when Rusev instructed her to sit down the crowd were not very happy. Rusev dominated this match from the get go and really made sure that it was going at he's pace witch was nice to see. We saw him ware down Cena bit by bit, piece by piece and I did like that. I felt it was important Rusev had a strong showing he got that very early on. Throughout the match we would see Rusev go back out of the ring and shout and demand things at Lana. Even when Cena did get some momentum going it was Lana and Rusev who I was interested in and Rusev bounced back well from everything Cena had to hit at him with. For me this was a huge eye opener to how far Rusev has come. He hasn't been in the WWE very long but we have seen such major changes in he's work as a performer, as a character, and as a talent all in such a short amount of time and I don't think he gets enough hype and appreciation for that and what he deserves. This match last night was really well put together and I was entertained throughout despite being pretty tired by this point. Cena's experience really showed but at the same time he let Rusev have he's moment and the match was nicely split. It was much more barbaric than I expected it to be, there was literally some serious, genuine, "oh my god" moments throughout this and I honestly have nothing bad to say about it.Even the length of it was good despite the fact I could of watched this match go on all night, witch is something I hardly say about a Cena match up. The ending of the match was another thing I really liked as Lana came into the ring and said that Rusev says he quits. Cena may have one this match but this was a match all about Rusev. He was the stand out of this match, he proved himself throughout and there was so much going on all at once. Rusev didn't look weak because of the ending and it was all so well put together. No complaints at all.

Divas action next and Brie and the divas champion Nikki Bella was set to take on the team of Naomi and Tamina. I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting all that much from this match but after a great match before I was in a much better mood meaning I was looking forward tot he match way more than I originally was. The Bella's took early control of this match witch I was expecting to see anyway,  for me Nikki was more on point than Brie. She just looked much cleaner in the ring and she seemed to be on serious point last night. Naomi also looked good last night. We saw that viscous, aggressive side that she had adopted and it was nice to see. Brie did spend a lot of time in the ring, a lot more than Nikki and we saw her spend a lot of time in the corner of Tamina and Naomi making it next to impossible for her to make the tag. It was really good seeing just how well Naomi and Tamina work together also and it was that team work that allowed them to get the win last night. I am glad they got the win and the fact that Naomi pinned the divas champion yet again really means a lot for her. I'm actually pretty excited to see where the WWE go next with Naomi and Tamina.

My British boys were in action next as Bad News Barrett took on Adrian Neville. Over the past couple of months now these two have had some really great matches against one another. Ones' that I have spoken about several times on my blog and on twitter. I know I usually moan when two superstars have several straight matches against one another but because the standard of matches between these two is so high, I cant moan. Plus I am a huge, major fan of both of these superstars. I mentioned on twitter yesterday a thew hours before the show that I couldn't choose a winner between the pair and I couldn't take a side so I was watching this match not particularly rooting for anyone but I think deep down I was cheering for Barrett and hopeing he would walk away with the victory just because I felt like he needed it. But then again they both needed it so it's was hard to call.  From the get go the action was strong between these and I was surprised that the crowd were not as into it at the start as I thought they would be. There were a thew off moments but after wrestling each other so many times they knew each other very well and it made it an easy match to watch and get into for me. Barrett looked strong throughout this match and had an all round solid performance, witch was nice to see also. This wasn't an intense match but it was a good quality, basic, entertaining, pure wrestling match and it was a nice touch to the show. I think what always makes a match is Neville's outstanding selling witch no one can fault. The ending was an interesting one and one that I didn't consider in my prediction post. I was expecting a pin fall ending if I'm honest, but instead Neville got a count out victory. It was interesting because the way it was done meant that the loss meant nothing for Barrett and did him no harm and Neville was still able to get some kind of win. The attack after was a nice touch and pushed Barrett more as a heel and as the king of the ring. The fact Neville was left the last man standing towards the end of the night was important for him so I would say both these men got what they needed.

Finally, main event time, and Seth Rollins was set to defend he's WWE World Heavyweight Championship in a fatal four way against Roman Reigns, Randy Orton, and Dean Ambrose. There was also the fact that if Rollins did not leave Payback still the champion then Kane would no longer be the director of operations. I was really really looking forward to this main event and I had huge expectations. These are four the biggest stars in the WWE right now. These are four superstars the WWE have had faith in from the get go. And as a Shield mega fan the feels were pretty high for me last night. It did feel as though Orton got lost in the build up but there was no doubt he was waking into this and doing nothing. I was sporting my Ambrose shirt last night so I was of course siding with him for the night and he was the crowd favourite of the night. This was by far going to be an interesting one and one to pay close attention to throughout. At the very start of  the match we saw J&J Security to play their role and both Reigns and Ambrose took early control and became early stand outs. Reigns in particular stood out for me because he did stuff that we haven't seen him do and he had that big, dominate, I need this attitude that made me pay close attention to him. There were a

couple of messy moments at the start but nothing major and the match felt very balanced from the start. As I said earlier as  a Shield fan seeing Reigns and Ambrose work together just put a huge smile on my face and always gets the Shield feels going. The general, overall improvements from Roman Reigns were so so visible last night and have been for a thew months, as someone who is not a big fan of he's I will admit that he is doing so so well and really starting to get somewhere. Kane did make several interruptions throughout the match, obviously trying to keep he's job but it did make the match that much more interesting and entertaining. The Shield moment in this match had me marking out like a complete mad person. There so much story telling, story development and pure entertainment. I was literally on the edge of my seat, gripped completely. There were highs, lows, aww moments and moments that my feels all over the place. There came a time in the match were there was so much unpredictability, there was just no guessing what was gonna happen next and I loved it. The ending was not as great as I was expecting but the fact Rollins used a pedigree to pick up the victory was a huge deal and a really clever mood. Hands down the match of the night and an outstanding match. Could not be more proud of all of these superstar.

So, all round it was a great night for me. I rate the pay per view as a whole an eight out of ten. I enjoyed almost every single match and I felt like the booking was strong and actually made sense for a change. There was good order to the show and some great story telling. But that's what I think, I want to know what you thought. Let me know what your opinions are on last nights show by leaving a comment bellow or by tweeting me at @TezangiVictoria.