What's the story?
WWE Payback is just hours away and current plans will see one new Champion crowned, which will probably surprise most fans.
In case you didn't know
Reports surfaced this week that Payback would not feature any title changes and that it would be a dud of a card, however, as things stand, the plans for Payback do include some key developments.
The Heart of the matter
The plan at the moment is to have Chris Jericho win the US Championship from Kevin Owens in order to get Jericho on to the SmackDown brand, in what will be the biggest surprise on the card (Bliss winning is less of a surprise). His reign will be short lived, as the WWE still want to proceed with an Owens vs. Styles feud. So Jericho is likely to drop the belt on TV.
Fans who follow the WWE betting lines may also be expecting an Alexa Bliss title win. The match was penciled in to be a DQ, with Sasha Banks assisting Bayley. There were then talks to have Alexa win the title due to a Banks error to extend the program, with Bayley regaining the belt later on, after telling Banks to no longer interfere in her matches. But things could easily change, as the finish for this match has been changed several times. But as it stands, Bliss will be Champion.
Other bouts on the card will see Braun Strowman, Seth Rollins, Aries, Enzo and Cass and Bray Wyatt, all emerge with wins.
What's next?
Payback will take place in just a few hours and emanate from San Jose, CA.
Author's Take
It's no secret that title reigns don't mean much in the WWE these days, and Jericho and Owens trading wins won't really hurt either man. What it will do is get Jericho onto the SmackDown brand – a brand clearly weakened by the superstar shake up.
If WWE do go with a Bliss title change, this will not only be a way to extend the feud but also a way to avoid doing a Bayley vs Nia Jaxx program before moving on to Bayley vs Sasha. The WWE were angry that Nia almost hurt Charlotte Flair on Raw 3 weeks ago, which explains why she has rarely been on television ever since. It’s possible that time off TV could be seen as enough of a message to Jaxx and they feel may think she will be fine working with Bayley, whom she has worked with many times previously. I am intigued to see how Roman Reigns loses to Braun, but remains looking strong.
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