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Payback is an important pay-per-view in the WWE calendar even though it doesn’t look like one. It falls right before Money in the Bank and at the same time, is one of the major stops before we reach SummerSlam. Despite the importance, WWE is showing no signs of building it up as a credible show.
A lot of things have already been said about the sorry state of the buildup so let’s keep that aside for some time and take a look at the path after Payback. WWE does have the luxury of sowing some seeds in the show which could then later be grown into full blown storylines and here is a look at them.
Revenge of the Brit
Paige’s absence in the divas division has been a big blow so far. WWE tried to bring up the Bella Twins as the top babyfaces of the division but the WWE fans found no reason whatsoever to rally behind the girls. This has affected Naomi and Tamina as well since they could have been more over as heels, if they had someone like Paige against them.
Payback should solve this problem and spark of a feud between Paige and Naomi. Now that Tamina is in the picture, we are bound to see some physical matches after the pay-per-view and if they find a fitting partner for Paige as well, the interest level will rise.
The challenger called Heath Slater
This might sound a bit ridiculous but Heath Slater’s run behind John Cena is indeed an entertaining storyline. Slater has not been able to get near Cena till now due to various reasons and it would be a great moment once he does.
His microphone work throughout the segments have been gold as well and if WWE backs him for just one match, Slater is going to get himself over with the fans.
Anyone fighting against Cena would be cheered from how things stand now and Slater would be no different. Once the storyline is done, WWE could include Slater into the tag team division with an odd pairing.
Tag Team resurrection
The tag team division has been experiencing a new found life lately. We have seen almost all the teams gather up momentum while the new champions, New Day are working their way up the ranks. Another interesting thing about the Tag team division was the teased reunion of Wyatt Family.
The Wyatts have a great reputation in the division and their return will add new flavor. Apart from these, there are also plans of taking away El Torito from the Los Matadores, which is always a great idea to decrease the goofiness. Everything summed up, things are looking bright for the tag division and the time after Payback would be exciting.
Intercontinental Championship hunt
Daniel Bryan’s future is still hanging up in the air. We have no idea about when he will return or whether he will return and it is actually a worse scenario for WWE than it actually looks like. Not having their Intercontinental champion for a long time is hurting the mid card big time.
If Bryan returns at Payback, then the problem would be solved but if he doesn’t, then the company will have to find a new champion soon. They might start the hunt at the show itself since most of the main contenders will be there fighting against each other. And if Bryan returns, then the scenario flips and WWE will have to find a new challenger for him.
Pursuit of Money in the Bank
In case you didn’t know, the pay-per-view after Payback is Money in the Bank. Last year’s Money in the bank winner Seth Rollins ended up being the top superstar at WrestleMania and this shows the magnitude of the opportunity.
There are a lot of contenders in the running for a spot in the match in the next pay-per-view and filtering out the actual superstars should start from Payback itself. Having a Money in the Bank qualifying match at the show would be a solid booking decision. This would start the build up for the show earlier unlike what they did with Payback.
