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In a few days, WWE brings us the Payback PPV from Rosemont, Illinois, which will also mark the TV return of CM Punk. More matches have been added this week to fill up the card, and the main event of the PPV will be John Cena taking on Ryback in the Three Stages of Hell match. Although two matches have gone against what I had originally predicted, the WWE possibly is planning two heel turns at Payback, which will definitely shake things around in the WWE.
John Cena vs Ryback for the WWE championship in a Three Stages of Hell match
A Lumberjack match, a Tables match and an Ambulance match are hardly ‘hellacious’ matches, but when you have two guys like Cena and Ryback, you need gimmick matches to make them look good. Besides, these stipulations were chosen to possibly make Cena look like a million bucks coming out of this match, and we will have to see how WWE plans on doing that. Ryback has gained the upper hand over Cena in the past few weeks, which resulted in an all–out brawl between the two competitors this past week on RAW, and both were held back by the Lumberjacks. Will Ryback finally succeed in beating John Cena? Or will Cena retain the title and walk out of Payback still the WWE Champion? We need to wait till the end of the PPV to find out. But one thing is for sure, the fans will make their voices heard on the night.
Dolph Ziggler (With AJ) vs Alberto Del Rio (With Ricardo) for the World Heavyweight championship
Dolph Ziggler finally returns to in–ring competition after suffering a concussion a few weeks ago on Smackdown. Sadly, even Jack Swagger will be out indefinitely due to an injury as Alberto Del Rio looks to win back the World Heavyweight title. ADR defeated Jack Swagger at Extreme Rules to become the number 1 contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. With the champion returning after a concussion, will he be able to fend off a determined number 1 contender? Or will Del Rio prove too hot to handle for the show off? One thing is for sure, this match will be technically sound, as both these performers are great workers, and so we can expect a good wrestling match.
Wade Barrett vs The Miz vs Curtis Axel (With Paul Heyman) for the WWE Intercontinental championship
The challenger Miz already has an upper hand over Wade, and Fandango, who was supposed to be in the match and was rumoured to win the title, suffered a concussion last week which forced the WWE to replace him with Curtis Axel this past week on RAW. This would mean that the newest acquisition of Paul Heyman (who is undefeated so far, although he seldom wins via pin fall) has a chance to win the prestigious Intercontinental title, a championship which his father won more than two decades ago! Mr. Perfect was an amazing IC champion, and winning the title would honour his memory, and that is what Axel will try to do come Sunday. There is a good chance that Barrett will lose the title, as he has been on a losing streak.
The Shield (Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins) vs Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton for the WWE tag team championships
The Shield is red hot, and so is Daniel Bryan. One can safely assume that provided they get nearly 20 minutes like they do on RAW, we will witness yet another amazing match between The Shield and the team consisting of Daniel Bryan. There are rumours of a Daniel Bryan heel turn, which can happen this Sunday!
Dean Ambrose vs Kane for the WWE United States championship
The other member of The Shield, Dean Ambrose, will put his title on the line against Kane. I had initially hoped Ambrose would face Bryan for the US title, but putting Kane in the match would give way for a possible heel turn of either Bryan or Orton. Will Kane defeat Ambrose? Or will Ambrose find a way to put the monster down? We will find out this Sunday at Payback.
Sheamus vs Damien Sandow – Pre show match
Sheamus will take on Sandow in the pre–show match at Payback. With the Celtic warrior getting the upper hand these past few weeks against the intellectual saviour, one would favor Sheamus to pick up an easy victory against Sandow. Will Sandow be able to defy the odds and beat the Great White? Or will Sheamus run through Sandow easily? The pre–show match looks interesting to give way to the main card.
Kaitlyn vs AJ Lee for the WWE Divas championship
After weeks of speculation, AJ was revealed as the one behind the ‘Secret admirer’ angle. As AJ made fun of Kaitlyn, Kaitlyn had the last laugh when she got her hands on AJ. This Sunday, AJ has nowhere to run, and Kaitlyn can get her retribution over the ‘crazy one’. Will AJ finally win the Divas title? Or will Kaitlyn make AJ pay for her actions? This match just became very interesting!
Chris Jericho vs CM Punk (With Paul Heyman)
CM Punk will make his return in his home town as he takes on Chris Jericho. Rumors are flying around that Chris Jericho will be turning heel this Sunday, aligning himself with Paul Heyman as Punk returns as a face. If this is true, we are going to witness an amazing match between two of the greatest performers this business has ever witnessed, with a cliff-hanger ending. I, for one, cannot wait to see how this match unfolds!
