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The first Payback is in the books, and overall, the show was very predictable, save for the World Heavyweight Championship match. Three titles changed hands tonight, so let’s take a quick look:
Curtis Axel pinned Wade Barrett to become the new Intercontinental Champion. Axel was Barrett’s opponent in a Triple Threat match, along with The Miz. As Miz had Barrett locked in the figure-4, Axel covered Barrett for the pin. Because his legs were tied up, he could not kick out, and Axel became the new champion. In the process, Axel also made history, as he and his father, the late Curt “Mr. Perfect” Hennig, are the first father and son to win the Intercontinental Championship. After the match, Axel paid tribute to his father, saying that it was fitting to win the belt on Father’s Day and pointed to the sky.
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AJ Lee defeated Kaitlyn to become the new WWE Divas Champion. AJ made Kaitlyn tap out to her Black Widow submission and became the new champion. However, a new story developed in the aftermath, as Kaitlyn began crying about the loss. As the hostile Philadelphia crowd chanted “You tapped out!” at Kaitlyn, she was joined by Layla on the stage, who began crying with her. WWE has teased at a storyline and/or feud for these two in the past, but it went mostly forgotten after a few weeks. I am not sure what the plan is for these two divas now, but it seems pretty obvious a storyline of some kind is developing.
Alberto Del Rio defeated Dolph Ziggler to become the new World Champion. Much like the Divas title match, the Philadelphia crowd was very hostile towards ADR as he kicked Ziggler in the head and pinned him to become a two-time World Champion and four-time champion overall. ADR told the fans that everything he has done in wrestling has been for them as he celebrated, but the vicious crowd was not interested and booed him mercilessly. Much like The Miz, ADR is not over as a babyface at all, and fans are not interested in this run, which makes me wonder why WWE put the belt back on him. At the same time, Ziggler is one of the hottest heels in the company and barely had a chance with the title before he dropped it. I really do not understand the mindset behind the decisions for this match, and I really hope that the belt is put back on Ziggler in short order, possibly at Money in the Bank.
In other news, speaking of MITB, WWE announced a huge return for next month’s pay-per-view as former WWE and ECW Champion Rob Van Dam will make his long-awaited return to the company. It had been rumoured for some time, especially when RVD showed up for this year’s Hall of Fame ceremony, not to mention an interview he did with former WWE diva Shelly Martinez where he more or less said he was finished with TNA. For those that don’t know, RVD spent the last couple of years in TNA, winning their World and X-Division Championships during his time there. However, earlier this year, he lost the X-Division title to Kenny King, and was never seen on TNA TV again after that, automatically making people question his future with the company. It will be interesting to see what is done with RVD next month. He is a former MITB winner, so there is always the possibility he gets put into one of the two ladder matches, and may even possibly win the one he is in. However, he may also be brought into a role similar to Chris Jericho‘s – that of an elder statesman whose role is to help get some of the younger talent over. Although still healthy with a couple good years left in him, at 42 years old, he is no spring chicken. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next month or so.
Another return is scheduled for tomorrow night on RAW, that being former World Champion Mark Henry, who hasn’t been seen since Extreme Rules. Henry took a brief period of time off to nurse a knee injury that had been bothering him. The injury didn’t require surgery, however, so Henry has been cleared to go back to work. However, that may not happen. Although it may be a storyline, Henry teased he would be announcing his retirement via Twitter, posting the following:
Whether you loved or hated me in my career.I was all ways there for you.i appreciate u all. Good or bad I will live forever with u the fans.
I found a place. #raw #wwe I have spoke to my family and hope to talk to all of you fans tomorrow live from Grand Rapids. Guys Father Time is undefeated.
There is a very strong possibility this is legitimate. Henry has been with WWE non-stop for 17 years, and has suffered numerous injuries. While injuries are common in wrestling, men his size are more susceptible and prone to injury than smaller men and women. If he does not retire tomorrow night, there’s a good chance this will still be his last year in pro wrestling.
