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.