WWE Payback 9/3/2023

WWE Payback 9/3/2023

Steel Cage Match - Trish Stratus vs Becky Lynch

Trish tries to leave and is stopped. Trish hits a slap then has her head banged off the buckles. Becky running slaps her then hits exploder suplexes. Trish throws Becky back on the mat then goes to escape. They fight up top and Trish is pushed down. Becky is thrown into the cage multiple times then takes a spinebuster. Trish rubs her face on the cage and then is thrown into it.

Trish's head is rammed into the cage then Becky goes for the armbar. Trish bridges out of a lariat and is legdropped while doing it. Becky spin kicks her in the gut and then throws her into the cage again. Becky bangs her head into the cage several times then Becky leg drops her as she hangs over the top.

Trish gets her handstand hurricanrana blocked on the ropes and Trish pulls herself up on the buckles. They trade shots then Becky powerbombs her for 2. Trish hits a widow's peak for 2 and Becky hits a twist of fate for 2. Trish hits the stratusfaction bulldog for 2. Trish goes to escape the cage but is stopped. Becky bangs her head off the cage then Trish hits a top rope bulldog for 2.

They fight up top and Trish hangs off the top of the cage. Becky hits a top rope superplex for 2. Trish goes to exit through the cage door and a tug of war happens between Becky and Zoey Stark, who came down to help Trish. Becky has her head banged off the door by Zoey then Becky uranage's Trish for 2. Zoey stark then breaks up a pin attempt and helps out Trish. Becky urange's Zoey and pulls Trish down from the cage. Beck top rope uranage's Trish and wins it.

It was a really good effort by the girls. Not 100% clean but they really went all out here and really put out a ton of effort. They made it seem like they hated each other and it was way better than it had any right to be. It may have even been the best match Trish was ever involved in. 

Trish and Zoey Stark argue after. Zoey closes the cage door when told to leave. Trish pokes her then is flipped into a knee.

John Cena came out to talk. Cena said the first match was awesome and said he has done everything but be a host. He said he wants to be the special guest ref between LA Knight and The Miz. Miz came out and accused him of pandering. He said Cena sucks as a host. Cena asks him for advice and Miz says not to make yourself a special ref in his match. He also told him not to be a mermaid in the Barbie movie. Cena says he doesn't like him but respects him. He asks for advice. Miz says he has lots of experience and says Cena needs to be more involved. Miz asks him what he's wearing and says he dresses like a teletubbie. He said he needs to take charge and Cena says, like being the special ref in his match. Miz says John doesn't even have a referee shirt and then he is given one. Cena and Miz argue over whether he is the special ref or not then LA Knight is brought out.

Special Ref - John Cena: The Miz vs LA Knight

Miz stalls outside before getting it then runs out as soon as it starts. Miz walks up the entrance way and LA hits shots on him and brings him in. LA takes him down and they trade punches. LA hits some punches and back elbows him. LA underhook suplexes him then Miz top rope double axe handles him. LA powerslams him then hits mounted punches.

Miz rolls out and LA dropkicks him through the ropes. Miz has his head banged off the steps and commentator's table. LA is pulled into the table then has his head banged off the rails. Miz is back body dropped over the rails then thrown over them into ringside. LA then jumps off the rail for a lariat.

Cena pulls Miz off of LA then LA lariats Miz. LA stomps Miz and Cena pulls LA off twice. Cena and LA argue then Miz nails LA from behind. LA is stuck on the 2nd rope then Miz codebreakers him for 2. LA is pulled down from the apron and bangs his head off of it.

Miz hits kicks while he's on his knees. LA ducks a kick and throws him up high for a backdrop. LA hits punches on Miz and jumping neckbreakers him. LA then 2nd rope bulldogs him. LA running boots him in the face for 2. LA running knees him then Miz ddt's him. Miz then hangs on for another ddt. LA hits an interesting twisting bridging ddt. Miz rolls him up and puts his hand on the ropes. Cena kicks it off then he argues with Miz. LA nearly hits Cena and takes a skull crushing finale for 2. LA powerslams Cena then jumping elbows him. LA then hits the blunt force trauma and wins it.

Neither LA or Miz are great workers, so we weren't getting a classic here. I don't think they botched anything but it was just average. Cena did a great job as the ref here and I'd honestly like to see him do it again. I'd also really like to see Cena vs LA.

LA asks Cena if they are going to do this now when they go face to face and Cena offers to shake his hand. LA said he almost made him lose the match but he shook his hand. Cena then raised his hand.

WWE United States Championship - Rey Mysterio (c) vs Austin Theory

Theory hits corner spears to start and Rey hits upkicks from the mat. Rey hits corner punches then Theory hits a stiff clothesline. Theory slingshot double stomps him then fisherman suplexe him. Rey cradles him and Theory hits a running back elbow. Theory spinning chinlocks him.

Rey is thrown into the buckles chest first then Theory rips up his mask. Rey top rope moonsaults him then spinning headscissors him. Rey bodyslide tornado ddt's him on the floor then hits a top rope la silla for 2. Rey springboard spinning headscissors him then Theory spinning torture rack bombs him.

Rey step up enzugiri's him then Theory rolls into a dropkick. Rey then bounces back off of it and basement dropkicks him. Rey bodysiccsors him then hits a 619. Theory gets his knees up on Rey's slingshot splash then Rey rolls him out of the electric chair to win it.

The crowd was either not mic'd well or quiet here. The match was good though. Rey's incredible for his age and history and Theory was a good partner to go along with him. Rey made various flying moves look easy here.

Becky Lynch is interviewed and Tiffany Stratton walks in. Tiff said she told her she'd be a better NXT champ than her but forgot that she never won the NXT title. Becky says she should focus on her title defense on Tuesday and says maybe she will see her soon.

Street Fight - WWE Tag Titles - Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn (c) vs. The Judgment Day (Damian Priest & Finn Balor)

All 4 hockey fight to start then Priest and Owens head up the entrance way. The heels' heads are banged off the rails and Finn hits Sami with a kendo stick. Finn grabs a terrble towel then throws it down and steps on it. Owens lariats Finn on the floor and bangs his head off the commentator's table. Sami tope con hilos the heels then the heels take garbage can shots.

Owens takes off shirt and has a Terry Funk shirt on underneath. Finn gets a trash can put on his head and is hit with kendo sticks. The heels take control and double team Sami. Owens stomp flurries Priest and chairs him. Finn then chairs Owens. Sami chairs Finn. They fight in the crowd then Dominik Mysterio comes to help out.

Sami and Owens show up in the penalty box with Pittsburgh Penguins jerseys and hockey sticks. Dom grabs a stick then the faces take the hockey gloves off and beat him up. Sami blue thunders Finn on chairs for 2. Priest hits the faces with a hockey stick then suplexes Sami on chairs.

Finn is thrown over the commentator's table outside and hit with a trash can. Owens is lariated over the rail. They brawl in the crowd then Sami flips off a table onto the heels. Owens climbs off rails and top rope swantons Dom through a table. Priest throws a trash can at Owens' head.

Finn is crotched up top and Priest takes a belly to belly into the buckles. Finn is pushed off the apron through a table then Priest takes a stunner and a helluva kick. Jd McDonaugh saves Damien Priest from being pinned then Owens lariats him outside. JD is powerbombed onto the commentator's table then Rhea Ripley spears Owens through the rails.

Finn shotgun dropkicks Sami then Sami exploders him into the buckles. Sami helluva kicks Finn then Dom hits Sami with the MITB briefcase. Finn then picks up the pin.

It went long and the crowd wasn't great here. I don't think they built up some of the spots well enough and the various people popping in and out to interfere didn't help things.

The Grayson Waller Effect with Cody Rhodes

Waller ripped the fans as usual and said Cody needs the Grayson Waller rub. He calls him "kid". Cody then says his big announcement is that Jey Uso has moved to Monday Night Raw. Cody exits the ring and Waller is cautious about Jey. Waller says he's in desperate need of the Grayson Waller rub, then Jey superkicks him and the segment ends. This wasn't good.

WWE Women's World Title Match - Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Raquel Rodriguez

 

Just for the record, I would rather watch anything else than this. Raquel shoulders her over. They grab each other by the arm and lariat each other. Raquel misses a lariat then hits the lariat with the other arm. Rhea dropkicks her in the face. Rhea hits corner spears.

Rhea buttdrops her back then grounded abdominal stretches her. Rhea hits knee to the face then hits a nice dropkick. Rhea then pounds on her. Raquel lariats her in the front and back then hits a fallaway slam. Raquel gets stuck hanging from the top and 2nd rope.

Rhea is on the buckles and Raquel upkicks her, then hits a a delayed suplexed. Rhea headbutts her then drops her on her front body. Rhea then sliding knees her. Raquel falls over on an alley oop. Raquel lariats her for 2. Raquel hits corner spears then Rhea clips her. Rhea grabs her legs and does a reverse cloverleaf then Raquel rolls her up. Raquel slams her.

They trade punches and Rhea is booted out. Rhea legsweeps her then Rhea is powerbombed into the post. Raquel then swings her into the rails. Rhea goes into the post. Dominik Mysterio comes down, holds onto Rhea then is pulled in. Raquel powerslams him then Rhea hits kicks. Rhea hits a riptide and wins it.

It was long and slow. It would have been good with half the time. Dom coming in didn't add anything to this and the crowd brought this down. They also had to have Raquel beat up Dom to push the feminist propaganda. 

John Cena interviews Finn Balor and Damian Priest. Finn says "the champs are here". Priest says they are a family and brothers fight and when they are on the same page, nothing can stop Judgment Day. He says they will always rise and Finn says it's time to celebrate.

WWE World Heavyweight Title Match - Seth Rollins (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

SN = Shinsuke Nakamura

Keiji Mutoh is watching at ringside. Seth side headlocks SN on the mat. Seth hits some punches and gut kicks. Seth hits a bad flying forearm then topes him outside. Seth takes a back body drop then SN works his back. Seth slingshot swantons him then topes him again. Rollins is thrown off th erail onto the announcer's table.

Seth hits slaps then is pulled back onto SN's knee. SN running knees him then kneedrops him off the apron as he hangs off of it. SN enzugiri's him then Seth 2nd rope hurricanrana's him. Seth slingblades him then hits a top rope frogsplash. Seth then rainmakers him for 2. SN 2nd rope knees him. SN hits a sliding german then a reverse slam. Seth then catches him with a superkick. SN rolling armbars him.

Seth deadlift powerbombs him for 2. They trade forearms and SN spinning high kicks him. SN then 2nd rope cradle shocks him. SN kicks him around and knees him. Seth then pedigrees him. Seth curb stomps him the ngets the win.

It was long and slow. There was some story there with Nakamura working the back, but working the back and neck are so generic that it's hard to tell if you are or aren't doing it. I think if they had cut this in half, they could have had a really good match together.

Overall thoughts: It was a long and slow night in front of the usual quiet crowd that is Pittsburgh. The women's cage match was the best thing on the show and I think that says quite a few things about this one. It looked like a B show and it felt like one.