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WWE Payback 2017 Recap & Reaction

By Robert Lentini
Payback
Photo credit: WWE.com

Kickoff Show:

Enzo & Cass defeated Gallows & Anderson.

Miz TV w/ Finn Balor: Miz made fun of Balor’s long entrance. Miz continued to poke fun at Balor but Finn wound up hitting him with a Slingblade. Balor then celebrated in the ring as Miz retreated.

Main Card:

United States Championship: Kevin Owens (c) vs Chris Jericho

Kevin Owens rolled out of the ring right when it started. Jericho sprinted after him and bounced his head off the ring apron. Back in the ring, Jericho dropped Owens in the face and Owens rolled to the ring apron. Jericho bounced off the ropes and knocked Owens outside the ring. Owens got back in the ring and Jericho greeted him with a flying elbow off the top rope. Jericho then hit a Running Bulldog and went for the Lionsault but Owens got out of the way.

The action spilled out of the ring and Owens whipped Jericho into the barricade. Owens connected with a Cannonball as Jericho was up against the barricade. Owens got back into the ring and Jericho made it back into the ring just before the referee counted to ten. Owens hit a Senton for a two count and then applied a Chinlock in the middle of the ring.

Jericho fought out of the Chinlock but was Clotheslined to the mat. Owens went for a pinfall but Jericho kicked out at two. Owens then punched Jericho in the face and brought him to the middle of the ring. Jericho hit a flurry of chops but Owens planted him with a DDT for a two count. Owens then applied another Chinlock and shouted at the referee. Owens kept the hold applied for a couple of minutes and taunted the crowd. Jericho was able to get back to his feet and connected with a kick to Owens’ face. Jericho launched at Owens in the corner but Owens got out of the way and Jericho went flying out of the ring.

Back in the ring, Jericho went for the Walls of Jericho but Owens avoided. Jericho hit Owens with a kick to the side of the head for a two count. Jericho trapped Owens in the corner and hit him with a series of chops. Owens connected with a massive kick to Jericho’s face for a two count. Jericho went for a Lionsault but Owens got his knees up. Owens then hit another Cannonball while Jericho was in the corner. Owens went for a Pop-Up Powerbomb but Jericho countered it into the Walls of Jericho in the middle of the ring. Owens placed his index finger on the bottom rope and the hold was broken.

Jericho became frustrated and started stomping on Owens’ hand. Jericho then slammed Owens’ hand into the steel steps outside the ring. Jericho then trapped Owens’ hand behind the steps and then kicked the steps. Owens rolled back into the ring and started screaming in pain. The official got in Jericho’s way when he tried to attack Owens and Owens poked Jericho in the eye. Owens went for another Pop-Up Powerbomb but Owens couldn’t hit because his hand was in too much pain. Jericho then applied the Walls of Jericho in the middle of the ring and Owens had no choice but to tap out. Jericho is the new United States Champion and is also the newest member of the SmackDown roster.

After the match, Jericho wrote Kevin Owens’ name on a fan’s list at ringside.

Winner & New United States Champion: Chris Jericho

Reaction: Well, I thought Owens was going to win this one and retain. It has been rumored for a while now that Jericho’s current WWE run is coming to an end soon. I wouldn’t be surprised if Owens invokes his rematch clause on SmackDown Tuesday night. The match itself was very entertaining and was a great way to start off WWE Payback.

Cruiserweight Championship: Neville (c) vs Austin Aries

Aries controlled the match early and connected with a Dropkick. Neville rolled to the ring apron to try and regroup. Aries laid across the top rope and mocked Neville. Aries knocked Neville out of the ring and connected with a Crossbody that knocked Neville to the floor. Back in the ring, Aries climbed to the top rope but Neville Dropkicked the ropes and Aries fell to the mat. Neville stomped on Aries in the corner and then launched him into the turnbuckle.

Neville climbed to the top rope and hit Aries with a Dropkick for a two count. Neville taunted the crowd and Aries hit him from behind and Neville fell out of the ring. Neville got back up to the ring apron but Aries slammed his head into the turnbuckle. Aries hit Neville a coupe of chops and then hit with with an elbow on the mat. Aries climbed to the second rope and hit Neville with an elbow to the back. Aries then planted with a Neckbreaker across the second rope and Neville once again fell out of the ring. Aries connected with a Suicide Dive and brought Neville back in the ring. Aries went for a pinfall but Neville kicked out at two.

Aries tried to apply the Last Chancery but Neville caught him and connected with a Jawbreaker. Aries went for the Discus Fivearm but Neville avoided it. Aries knocked Neville to the mat and climbed back up to the top turnbuckle. Neville joined him there but Aries hit him with a Sunset Flip Powerbomb. Aries applied the Last Chancery in the the middle of the ring. Neville grabbed the official and threw him into Aries. The referee then disqualified Neville. Aries won the match but Neville retained his title.

Winner via DQ: Austin Aries

Reaction: This match was solid. Aries will certainly get another shot at Neville in the future.

RAW Tag Team Championship Match: The Hardy Boyz (c) vs Cesaro & Sheamus

Matt Hardy and Cesaro started off the match. Matt Hardy took control and tagged in Jeff Hardy. Matt and Jeff took turns beating down Cesaro for the next couple of minutes. Jeff Hardy hit Cesaro with Poetry in Motion in the corner. Matt Hardy then got back in the match and Cesaro hit him with an uppercut. Sheamus was tagged in and he planted Matt Hardy with a Rolling Senton for a two count. Cesaro was then tagged in and he launched Matt into the corner and hit him with an uppercut for a two count. Matt was then isolated in the corner and Sheamus leveled him with a Clothesline.

Matt was finally able to tag in Jeff Hardy. Jeff connected with an inverted Atomic Drop and then applied an Arm Bar to Sheamus. Sheamus launched Jeff out of the ring and tagged in Cesaro. Cesaro brought Jeff back in the ring and slammed him to the mat. Sheamus was then tagged and continued to beatdown Jeff Hardy. Sheamus climbed to the second rope and connected with a knee to Jeff’s chest. Cesaro got back in the match and connected with a Leg Drop. Jeff Hardy flipped off the top rope onto Sheamus and Cesaro. Jeff was finally able to tag in Matt Hardy and he slammed Cesaro’s head into the top turnbuckle several times.

Matt planted Cesaro with a Running Bulldog for a two count. Matt then climbed to the second rope and connected with an elbow to Cesaro’s back. Matt hit the Side Effect but Sheamus broke up the pinfall. Jeff Hardy knocked Sheamus out of the ring and then hit a Crossbody onto him and both Superstars fell to the floor. Back in the ring, Matt Hardy went for a Moonsault off the top rope but Cesaro rolled out of the way. Cesaro hit a springboard uppercut and then locked Matt in the Cesaro Swing. Cesaro then applied the Sharpshooter but Matt was able to reach the bottom rope.

Sheamus threw Jeff into the barricade outside the ring. Sheamus was then tagged in and he planted Matt Hardy with the White Noise off the second rope. Sheamus went for the pinfall but Jeff Hardy broke it up. Jeff then threw Cesaro over the barricade outside the ring. Back in the ring, Sheamus hit Matt with a DDT for a two count. Jeff was then tagged in but Sheamus didn’t notice it. Sheamus slammed Matt Hardy to the mat and went for a pinfall. Jeff Hardy climbed to the top turnbuckle and hit the Swanton Bomb onto Sheamus’ back for the pinfall victory.

After the match, the two teams shook hands once again. Matt and Jeff then started posing with the titles and Sheamus & Cesaro attacked them from behind. Sheamus hit Jeff Hardy with a Brogue Kick and Jeff Hardy went flying into the ring post. Cesaro then held up Matt Hardy and Sheamus hit him with a Brogue Kick. Cesaro and Sheamus then raised the RAW Tag Team Championships in the ring.

Winners & Still RAW Tag Team Champions: The Hardy Boyz

Reaction: The first three matches of WWE Payback were all very entertaining. Jeff Hardy appeared to lose a tooth or two during the RAW Tag Team Championship match. The attack after the match by Sheamus and Cesaro was also great. I hope this rivalry continues tomorrow night on RAW.

Braun Strowman cut a promo about Roman Reigns backstage. Strowman stated that Reigns was a wounded animal and that he will put him out of his misery later tonight.

RAW Women’s Championship: Bayley (c) vs Alexa Bliss

Bayley’s hometown crowd gave her a big ovation. Bayley controlled the match early and Alexa kept trying to avoid her. Bayley slammed Alexa to the mat and then connected with a knee to the face. Alexa rolled out of the ring and shouted at the San Jose crowd. Bayley connected with a Dropkick to Alexa’s knee and the action returned to the ring. Bayley bounced Alexa’s head off the top turnbuckle six times and Bliss fell to the mat. Bayley charged at Alexa but Bliss punched her in the face.

Bliss then took control of the match and applied a Chinlock to Bayley in the middle of the ring. The crowd cheered Bayley on as she broke the hold. Alexa slammed Bayley’s head into the second rope and then kicked her in the back. Bayley then stood on Bayley’s back and pulled Bayley’s hair. The referee started his count to five and Alexa counted along and released Bayley at four. Bliss knocked Bayley to the mat once again with a Clothesline. Alexa then once again stood on Bayley’s back and head. Alexa kicked Bayley out of the ring and taunted her.

Bliss followed Bayley out of the ring and slammed Bayley’s head into the ring apron. The action returned to the ring and Bayley Clotheslined Bliss to the mat. Bayley connected with a Suplex and then elbowed Alexa in the back. Bayley hit a Suplex for a two count and then climbed to the second rope. Bayley hit a flying elbow and went for the Bayley to Belly but Alexa countered it and launched Bayley into the turnbuckle. Both Superstars traded punches on the top turnbuckle. Alexa hit a Sunset Flip Powerbomb for a two count.

Bayley planted Alexa with a running knee and once again climbed to the top rope. Bayley hit the Elbow Drop off the top rope but Alexa Bliss kicked out at two. Bayley stomped Alexa in the corner. Alexa then shoved Bayley into the LED ring post. Bliss followed it up with a DDT for the victory.

Winner & New RAW Women’s Champion: Alexa Bliss

Reaction: I didn’t see this one coming as well. I thought Alexa Bliss would become the RAW Women’s Champion somewhere down the line. It just seems pretty quick to take the title off of Bayley. I thought that there would be a title match between Bayley and Sasha Banks before that happened. Alexa Bliss is now the first woman to have held both the RAW Women’s Championship and SmackDown Women’s Championship. The match itself was also very good and Payback has been entertaining so far.

House of Horrors Match: Bray Wyatt vs Randy Orton (Part 1)

Randy Orton arrived at a creepy looking house in a limo. The lights were flickering in an upstairs window as Orton stood outside the house. Orton slowly approached the house and arrived at the front door. Orton looked through the window and Bray Wyatt was staring at him from inside the house. Orton kicked down the door and went looking for Wyatt in the house. Wyatt attacked Orton from behind and slammed him into the wall.

Wyatt launched Orton into a lamp and it shattered. Wyatt welcomed Orton to hell and punched him in the face. The match then turned into an 80’s horror movie for a few minutes. Orton stumbled into a room with dolls of children hanging from the ceiling. Orton ripped one of the dolls down and Wyatt attacked him from behind.

Wyatt disappeared once again and Randy started throwing plates around. Orton then stumbled into a room that resembled Carcosa from True Detective. The “action” then entered the kitchen and Orton slammed into the cabinet. Orton then punched Bray in the head a few times and both Superstars fell to the kitchen floor. The words “we’re here” were written on the dirty refrigerator in the kitchen. Orton then grabbed a pan but Bray booted him right in the groin. Bray then slammed the fridge onto Orton. Bray then exited the house and screamed “follow the buzzards” while kneeling on the lawn. The house turned red and Bray crawled towards the limo. The limo driver then drove away as Bray Wyatt sang.

Reaction: For a match that took place in a crack house, this was still incredibly stupid. I was hoping that this would at least be creative. It wasn’t creative at all. Orton and Wyatt just fought in a creepy house. There was no appearance by the ghost of Sister Abigial. There was nothing shocking or wacky. It was just two men fighting in a house with dolls in it.

Samoa Joe vs Seth Rollins

Rollins controlled the match earlier and hit Joe with a Suicide Dive. Joe battled back and connected with a Suicide Dive of his own that knocked Rollins over the announce table. Back in the ring, Joe targeted his attack on Rollins’ injured knee. Joe then hit Rollins with a kick to the head for a two count. The crowd was completely dead for this match. It is hard to blame them as they just spent ten minutes watching two people fight in a house.

Rollins leaped off the top rope but Joe caught him and slammed him to the mat. Joe then applied a Knee Bar to Rollins in the middle of the ring. Rollins got out of the hold but Joe beat Rollins down for the next couple of minutes. Joe Powerbombed Rollins for a two count. Joe then applied the Texas Cloverleaf in the middle of the ring. Rollins was able to reach the bottom rope to break the hold. Seth battled back and hit the Falcon Arrow. Rollins followed it up with a Frog Splash off the top rope for a two count. Joe applied the Coquina Clutch but Rollins was able to roll through into a pinfall to win the match.

Winner: Seth Rollins

Reaction: The crowd was pretty much silent for this match. Rollins and Joe had the unfortunate task of trying to get the crowd excited following the House of Horrors match. They were not able to do so and the entire match fell flat. I don’t like what WWE is doing with Samoa Joe. He debuted in WWE and I thought he was going to be booked as a monster. Instead, he is hardly featured and is losing matches. I was looking forward to this match and I thought it was a pretty big letdown.

House of Horrors Match: Bray Wyatt vs Randy Orton (Part 2)

Bray Wyatt was shown getting out of the limo and was wheezing. Wyatt stumbled down the entrance ramp with his lantern. Highlights of the riveting house brawl was shown as Wyatt took his time walking down to the ring. Orton raised his hand in the ring and Orton was behind him. Orton hit Bray with a chair and Bray rolled out of the ring. Orton hit Wyatt with a DDT off the announce table. Orton then struck Wyatt with the chair again.

The Singh Brothers attacked Orton from behind. Bray Wyatt went for a Sister Abigail but Orton countered it into an RKO. Jinder Mahal then struck Orton in the head with the WWE Championship he stole on SmackDown. Bray Wyatt then hit the Sister Abigail for the victory.

Winner: Bray Wyatt

Reaction: Everything about the House of Horrors match was predictably awful. Bray Wyatt got the victory but it took a ton of outside interference from Mahal and the Singh Brothers. Ultimately, this match did nothing for Bray Wyatt and I think his character is beyond repair at this point. I thought he was going to be something great in WWE and that doesn’t seem possible anymore. One could only hope that this was the end of the Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt feud. It started out great and then turned into a complete disaster.

Braun Strowman vs Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns came down to the ring and predictably he was bandaged up. Reigns hit a Clothesline off the steel steps outside the ring and knocked Strowman to the floor. Strowman fought back and threw Reigns into the barricade. Strowman then Chokeslammed Reigns onto the announce table and the action then returned to the ring. Braun then slammed Reigns into the turnbuckle and Reigns rolled out of the ring. Strowman followed Reigns out of the ring and slammed into the steel steps.

Back in the ring, Strowman Clotheslined Reigns to the mat. Strowman charged at Reigns in the corner but Roman got out of the way and Braun launched himself into the turnbuckle. Reigns went for the Superman Punch but Strowman caught him. Reigns planted Strowman with a Samoan Drop for a two count. Reigns Clotheslined Strowman out of the ring but both Superstars fell to the floor.

Reigns got to his feet and hit Strowman with a Drive By on the ring apron. Reigns then shoved Strowman into the ring post. Braun then charged at Reigns again and once again ran into the ring post as Roman rolled out of the way. Reigns and Strowman got back into the ring and Roman hit a Spear for a two count. Reigns hit two Superman Punches and went for another Spear but Strowman caught him. Strowman then planted Reigns with a Running Powerslam for a two count. Strowman then hit a second Running Powerslam for the victory.

After the match, Strowman brought the steel steps into the ring. The crowd chanted “thank you Strowman” as Braun lifted Reigns onto his shoulders. Strowman then dropped Reigns onto the steel steps. Strowman then lifted the steps again and slammed them into the ribs of Reigns. Braun then exited the ring as Reigns was bleeding from his mouth. Reigns stumbled his way to the announce table and refused to get on a stretcher. Reigns walked off under his own power as Payback went off the air.

Winner: Braun Strowman

Reaction: Reigns and Strowman put on a decent match to close out the show. It would have made no sense if Reigns won this match. Strowman looked like a monster and Reigns looked good because he put up a fight while dealing with injuries. It is looking like Strowman is in line to get a shot at Brock Lesnar’s Universal Championship in the future.

In my opinion, WWE Payback 2017 sums up WWE perfectly. The show started off really well. The first four matches were very entertaining and then the show fell off a cliff. The House of Horrors match really derailed this show and sucked the life out of the crowd. Samoa Joe and Seth Rollins put on a subpar match in front of a crowd that simply didn’t care. WWE then doubled down on the House of Horrors match as Wyatt and Orton fought again in the ring. Bray Wyatt picked up a rather meaningless victory and once again the crowd didn’t care. Strowman and Reigns put on a solid match to close out the show.

WWE consistently takes a step forward and then almost always takes two steps back. At the very least, RAW should be interesting tomorrow night because of what is going to happen with Braun Strowman, and the Tag Team division. Roman Reigns missed several weeks because of Strowman’s attack on April 10th when he flipped over the ambulance. Reigns should spend the next few weeks selling the injuries he sustained tonight at Payback. Time will tell if that will be the case. Overall, Payback was a PPV that should have been great but the House of Horrors match really hurt the show.

What did you think of WWE Payback? Let us know in the comments below.

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