Sean Ross Sapp's WWE Payback Podcast Notes And Match Ratings

Enzo & Cass defeated Anderson & Gallows
5/10

  • Anderson & Gallows' knockoff Bullet Club shirts just work.
  • Confusing spot where Anderson intercepts Enzo trying for a tag, but Cole calls it as a tag.
  • With Big E off Raw and Titus way past his prime, Cass has the best hot tag on the brand. Unfortunately the paint-by-numbers Raw tag matches aren't a good thing
  • Enzo gets the win.
Sol Ruca Advances To Women's Iron Survivor Challenge At NXT Deadline 2024

Backstage crappenings

  • Matt Hardy is using some of the "broken" mannerisms. For some reason, Golden Truth challenges the winner of tonight's match.
  • Golden Truth's last televised win was in October. Ok.
  • Charly Caruso has become really good at her job. We have a kind of awkward Sheasaro segment where she interviews them.

Miz TV

  • Miz is a really good indication that you don't have to win to be a big star.
  • Miz makes fun of Balor for being too small, Balor says he'll beat Lesnar and get his title back.
  • Balor gets the main event swear word.
  • Balor tries to walk away because "Miz isn't worth it." Beats him up anyway.
  • #StopFrontDropkicks2017.

United States Championship Match
Chris Jericho defeated Kevin Owens (c)

7.5/10

  • This is an outstanding match with good heat from the crowd.
  • Our dude Steve Muehlhausen had the scoop on the match order, btw.
  • Wouldn't mind Jericho winning here, then dropping the title in the Tuesday main event.
  • Chris Jericho out here at 46 years old hitting huracanranas.
  • The deja vu of Owens surviving with a single finger is great.
  • I hate Kevin Owens' "prize fighter" gimmick. They're all supposed to be prize fighters!
  • Owens sold the finger on a Pop-up Powerbomb attempt. Wonderful!
  • Jericho submits Kevin Owens!
  • This poses an interesting situation, as Owens is owed a rematch, and AJ Styles is number one contender.
  • Imagine having two storyline authority figures and not having either tweet about it being neat that they get a future HOF'er.

WWE Cruiserweight Championship
Austin Aries defeated Neville (c)
7.5/10

  • Austin Aries is nice and over with the crowd.
  • I like Booker T bringing the Demetrious Johnson analogy to Neville.
  • Aries took an awesome spill off the top rope.
  • Neville's front dropkick is way better than Rollins'.
  • This match just flat out ruled. They worked snug and I believed them.
  • Great crowd.
  • Last Chancery. Wrestlers look foolish not sitting out of moves.
  • Neville gets himself DQ'd. Clever. Turdy finish for a PPV.
  • There's no reason the viewer should respect a ref's authority because the WWE rarely gives them reason to. 

Raw Tag Team Championship
Hardy Boyz (c) defeated Sheamus & Cesaro 
8/10

  • We get some great "delete" chants, as well as "Brother Nero."
  • Jesus, what a spill Jeff Hardy took to the outside.
  • Jeff Hardy busted a tooth out. Jeez.
  • That springboard uppercut from Cesaro is a work of art.
  • Cesaro and Sheamus have beaten the Hardys to shit. They're like 20 years deep, dudes.
  • Super White Noise from Sheamus!
  • Cesaro catches Jeff outside but is sent over the barricade.
  • What a cool finish, where Sheamus doesn't know who the legal man is. Great match.
  • We get an excellent heel turn after the match with an assault on the Hardys.
  • This first hour has been damn good.

Raw Women's Championship
Alexa Bliss defeated Bayley (c)

7/10

  • This is a great place for a coming out party on Raw for Bliss.
  • Bliss' skateboard stomp rules.
  • Bayley scored with a bad ass Saito suplex.
  • There was an awesome sequence where Alexa went 1-for-2 on knee attempts, then Bliss creamed her.
  • Another good finish that ends with a DDT after a post bump. Good stuff again.

House of Horrors match
Bray Wyatt defeated Randy Orton
5.75/10

 

  • When I was 9 I basically thought "WWF In Your House" was going to have a match in someone's house. It should have.
  • LMAO at Randy Orton wearing his gear in the limo.
  • House of Horrors is optimized for my surround sound system, I'll tell you that much.
  • This is fine besides the zoomy camera shit.
  • I hope "All-Star" by Smash Mouth starts playing and Bray says "GOD DAMMIT BO LEAVE MY PLAYLIST ALONE" 
  • A fridge gets slammed on Randy Orton. This is phenomenal and terrible. I had a good time.
  • Back in the arena, Wyatt is in the ring, but Orton is behind him.
  • The Singh Brothers and Jinder Mahal jump Orton, and Wyatt wins.
  • So Bray Wyatt won his non-title rematch and didn't get his title match.

Seth Rollins defeated Samoa Joe
6.75/10

  • I don't envy these two -- the live crowd got taken out of things after they had to watch 15 minutes of the show on the tron.
  • Joe works over Rollins' leg early. Wonder how many dives Rollins will do after.
  • Samoa Joe sentons the knee. You don't see that every day.
  • Dying at WWE cutting off the replay when Rollins screamed "MOTHERFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU"
  • Joe has specialized his offense for Rollins' knee. Cool stuff.
  • Joe hits a dangerous looking powerbomb.
  • Rollins sells his knee, then doesn't, then does, then doesn't.
  • Rollins scored the pin while in the Coquina clutch.

Braun Strowman defeated Roman Reigns
6.25/10

  • Thunderous boos. 
  • Reigns selling a beatdown from three weeks ago, good. 
  • Strowman awkwardly runs in to Reigns in a really green spot.
  • Strowman beats the brakes off of Reigns.
  • I really fear the direction of the company if they try to force the "Reigns overcomes the odds valiantly, he's a babyface, but you guys think of him as a heel hehehahahahoho" narrative.
  • Strowman posts off the shoulder every time he's going to kick out. 
  • Strowman powerslams and wins!
  • Huge stair attack after the match!
  • Brock Lesnar got legitimacy by winning NCAA and UFC titles. Braun gets it by tearing up all kinds of shit and I'm super cool with that.
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