How WWE Should Book Payback 2017 (RAW)

Hey everyone! Every month, days before PPV's happen, I share my thoughts on the show and card and how I would book the show that has unexpected swerves, returns, debuts, and a memorable show that would leave fans happy. If you want, you can read some past editions of these by clicking on my name and searching. I have been doing these for every PPV since Night Of Champions 2015. I hope you enjoy, and this is how I would book Payback 2017.

• Here's my post on Payback 2016: https://www.reddit.com/r/SquaredCircle/comments/4hb89v/how_wwe_should_book_payback_2016/

PRE SHOW

• We get the usual panel. A Social Media Lounge segment with The Hardys is announced earlier in the day. #AskHardys. The panel discusses and hypes up the matches and give their predictions. We get some video packages.We get the MizTV with Balor. It ends with Balor setting up to be hitting a Coup De Grace on Miz,but Miz moves as Finn jumps and nails the SCF. Miz should stand tall here. We get to our kickoff match.

KICKOFF MATCH: Enzo Amore & Big Cass vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson

• Oh no. It's the Payback curse for Enzo. Hopefully he doesn't get thrown into the bottom rope this year. Lucky for him Simon Gotch was released. Enzo and Cass are out first with their usual schtick followed by The Club. The match goes 10 minutes, and Cass gets the win after Enzo runs and clotheslines Gallows over the top and they both fall to the mat. Cass nails Anderson with a Big Boot and then hits the Empire Elbow.

WINNERS: Enzo Amore & Big Cass

• We get the SML with The Hardys and then the panel gives their final predictions.

MAIN SHOW

1ST MATCH: The Hardy Boys (c) vs. Sheamus & Cesaro (RAW Tag Titles)

• We get the opening video package for the PPV and pyro. The Hardys are out first to a big pop and Matt changes between 38 gimmicks, normal and broken. Cesaro and Sheamus are out next and we get formal ring introductions. Jeff and Sheamus start things off. The match goes 15 minutes. A big spot in the match is when Cesaro and Sheamus both whip the Hardys into corners and Sheamus nails a Brogue Kick on one each time, and Cesaro uppercuts one each time into the corners. Finally Sheamus throws Matt out of the ring and Cesaro throws Jeff up in the air for the Very European Uppercut. Jeff folds back on his neck and his legs drape over the middle rope, but it looks like Cesaro got the pin. The match ends when Sheamus is on the apron and Jeff knocks him off with a Whisper In The Wind, hanging on to the top rope. Matt nails the Twist Of Fate in the ring and then Jeff jumps up on the top rope and hits the Swanton. Matt does the Delete motion to the count of the ref and the Hardys retain the titles. After the match, the two teams shake hands again. I've seen lots of people saying that Sheasaro should turn heel after they lose here, but I don't think that should happen yet. There aren't many face teams on RAW at the moment.

WINNERS and STILL RAW Tag Team Champions: The Hardy Boys

• We get an ad for Tapout.

2ND MATCH: Seth Rollins vs. Samoa Joe

• Very excited for this. Rollins is out first followed by Samoan Joseph. The match goes 12 minutes, and Joe targets Seth's knee the entire time. The match ends when Joe whips Seth into the ropes and runs off the ropes and hits a Superkick. Joe is knocked down and Seth goes to the apron and prepares for his Springboard Knee. Joe wobbles up and Seth jumps off the top rope, but Joe grabs Seth before he jumps and runs and nails the Muscle Buster. Joe gets a CLEAN win over SETH ROLLINS. Joe would look unstoppable, and Rollins can more than come back from a loss here.

WINNER: Samoa Joe

• We get a backstage interview with Miz & Maryse. Miz talks about laying out Balor with the Skull Crushing Finale in the Pre-Show MizTV, and then Dean Ambrose runs in and tackles Miz. Ambrose nails Miz with a Dirty Deeds on the floor.

3RD MATCH: Bayley (c) vs. Alexa Bliss (RAW Women's Title)

• Alexa is out first followed by Bayley. The match goes 13 minutes. The match ends when Bliss goes and unties a turnbuckle pad in a corner, and the ref is distracted and goes to tie it back on. Alexa takes advantage and slides outside to grab a steel chair. She whacks Bayley over the back with it and then nails a DDT on the chair and then slides it to the outside. She hits a Twisted Bliss and gets the pin. Alexa appears to be the new champ. The next night on RAW, the ref would review the ending with Angle and determine that the match ended in DQ due to Alexa's chair shot, and Bayley was still champ. I feel like Bayley should hold the title until Summerslam where she drops it one on one to Sasha Banks, but I also don't feel like Alexa should lose clean, so I thought this would be a sensible finish. The two women would have a rematch at Extreme Rules in an Extreme Rules match. I'll have my full card for Extreme Rules, the next RAW PPV at the end of this post.

WINNER: Alexa Bliss (decison reversed next night on RAW; so Bayley ends up still champion)

• We get an ad for Extreme Rules and shows coming to the WWE Network. We see Kurt Angle on the phone backstage and Finn Balor walks into his office. Angle makes an impromptu match between Balor and Miz later after the events on MizTV.

4TH MATCH: Neville (c) vs. Austin Aries (Cruiserweight Title)

• Aries is out first followed by Neville. The match goes 13 minutes. Since Neville won at Wrestlemania, I'd think this means Aries has to win the strap here. Neville has been a fantastic champion, but it's Double A's Time. The match ends when Neville hits a Frankensteiner on Aries and then goes up for the Red Arrow. Neville jumps to the skies but Aries rolls out of the way and Neville crashes and burns. He stumbles up and Aries goes off the ropes for the Discus Fivearm. Aries locks in the Last Chancery and Neville gets to the ropes. Aries pulls him back to the middle of the ring and Neville taps out.

WINNER and NEW Cruiserweight Champion: Austin Aries

• The announcers plug the theme song for the PPV

5TH MATCH: Finn Balor vs. The Miz

• Balor is out first followed by Miz, and both men are selling their attacks from earlier. The match goes 15 minutes, and Balor wins with a Coup De Grace.

WINNER: Finn Balor

6TH MATCH: Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt (House Of Horrors)

• So, we still have no damn idea what this match is. I assume it will be pre-taped, something like the Final Deletion. I have no idea how long it will be, if they will actually fight live in the ring, or how anything entails. But Bray should definitely win the match that he "created", and get his win back from WM, since it's not for the title.

WINNER: Bray Wyatt

• We go to our Kickoff panel for their thoughts on the show so far.

7TH MATCH: Kevin Owens (c) vs. Chris Jericho (United States Title)

• We get a video package before the match. It goes about 18 minutes. We get formal ring introductions. Owens is out first followed by Jericho. A big spot in the match is where Jericho has Owens in the Liontamer on the English announce table, and Owens powers out and rolls over and kicks Jericho away. Jericho nearly falls off the table but Owens hoists him up and Powerbombs him through the Spanish announce table next to the table they were on. The match ends when Owens nails Jericho with his own Codebreaker and gets the win. Owens retains the title. This wouldn't be Jericho's last match/appearance of this run, though. That would come the next night on RAW. I had this great idea where Elias Samson and Jericho could have a match since they're both involved in music, and Samson tries to join Fozzy but Jericho says no. Jericho says if Samson beats him tonight he gets to join the band. The match happens, and the two have a short fine match. It ends after Samson gets frustrated and does the old Honky Tonk Man spot whacking Jericho over the head with his guitar, shattering it. Samson's first match on the MR being with Chris would elevate him huge. Jericho could be diagnosed with a kayfabe severe concussion, and he goes out putting over a new talent. It would be strange but really fun.

WINNER and STILL United States Champion: Kevin Owens

• We see Braun Strowman warming up in his locker room and then we get a video package for the main event.

8TH MATCH: Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman

• BRAUN STROWMAN IS AN EFFIN MONSTER. I absolutely love how he has been booked. Pitch perfect. Braun is out first and then stares at the stage for a few moments, building up whether Roman is even there or not. Reigns' music hits and he makes his way out. The match goes 22 minutes and the two beat the hell out of each other. I expect this to be 5 stars better than their last 5 star PPV match at Fast Lane. Near the end of the match, Reigns is in the corner and is setting up for the Superman Punch, All of a sudden, UNDERTAKER'S GONG SOUNDS. Wait... Undertaker retired.. right? Why would he cost Reigns again here? The lights don't even go out, just the gong. Reigns is distracted and then runs for the Punch but Strowman catches him mid-air and hits the Running Powerslam for the win. Braun Strowman has beaten Roman Reigns on PPV. This would set him up for Brock Lesnar at Extreme Rules, which again I'll have my entire card for at the end of this post. Braun celebrates and then goes up the ramp. Reigns stays in the ring and he's booed out of the building even after the loss. Reigns goes to leave but the gong sounds again, and the lights go out this time. The lights come back on and it's not Undertaker, BAH GAWD IT'S GOTTA BE KANE. Kane has come for PAYBACK on Roman Reigns at PAYBACK PPV for retiring Undertaker. Kane has an entirely new attire and has his Slow Chemical theme. It's reminiscent of his classic monster attire from 1998. Kane grabs Roman's throat and then CHOKESLAMS HIM THROUGH THE RING. Kane does his pose and then fire bursts up from the hole. I feel like Kane is also around the end of his career, and he deserves one more big match run, even if this isn't it. This feud would make loads of sense, carrying over from Undertaker to "his brother". It would be mostly a placeholder for Reigns for the next month until he enters the title picture again around the summer. The two would wrestle at Extreme Rules in A BURIED ALIVE MATCH. The first in 7 years. It would be really fun seeing it back once, and obviously Reigns would win. The goal would be Reigns continuing to beat all these monsters leading up to his WM rematch with Lesnar at WM34. I've missed Kane anyways. This would of course mean Kane would make the switch from SD over to RAW. I realize that the reason Kane has been out is because he has been coaching at the PC and because he has been running for mayor in Knoxville, and he could risk getting hurt. Kane would not do house shows during this feud, he would only appear on RAWs to build up to the match, and if nessecary wouldn't wrestle on the shows either, just ER.

WINNER: Braun Strowman

MY EXTREME RULES 2017 CARD

• Universal Title: Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Braun Strowman (Hell In A Cell)
• IC Title: Dean Ambrose (c) vs. The Miz vs. Samoa Joe (Falls Count Anywhere)
• RAW Tag Titles: The Hardy Boys (c) vs. Cesaro and Sheamus vs. The Club vs. Enzo & Cass (Fatal 4-Way TLC)
• RAW Women's Title: Bayley (c) vs. Alexa Bliss (Extreme Rules Match)
• Roman Reigns vs. Kane (Buried Alive Match)
• Sasha Banks vs. Mickie James (I Quit)
• Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor (2/3 Falls for No.1 Contendership to Universal Title)
• Pre Show: Cruiserweight Title Battle Royal (Entire 205Live Roster)

Well, that's how I would book Payback. Tell me what you liked and didn't like, and what from this you'd like to see on the show. What are your predictions? Be sure to look out for my "How NXT Takeover: Chicago" and Backlash 2017 should be booked posts the weekend of those! Enjoy Payback, everyone.