The WWE event known as Payback is commonly viewed as being mediocre, but that changed on Saturday’s iteration of the show, a pay-per-view in Pittsburgh that especially entertained those of us in attendance.
The opening match was a steel cage match between Becky Lynch and WWE legend Trish Stratus. Although Lynch came out on top, both women managed to create a special match that is sure to be remembered.
After this match, entertainment expectations for the show were set pretty high, and for the most part, it delivered.
Next up was LA Knight vs The Miz with John Cena as the special guest referee. The match itself was just all right, but LA Knight is extremely popular right now and the Pittsburgh crowd loved him. Combine that with the general love of Cena and the talent the Miz has for being hated, and what fans got was a match that was thoroughly enjoyable.
The next exciting match was a tag title match with Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn on one side and The Judgement Day on the other.
This match was a “Steel City Street Fight” that involved trash cans, kendo sticks, steel chairs, and tables. At one point, Owens and Zayne were thrown into the penalty box. The pair exited with hockey sticks and Crosby and Lemieux jerseys respectively.
The most exciting part of this match, though, was when Owens climbed up near the crowd and put Dominik Mysterio through a table from the security guardrails. Surprisingly, The Judgement Day came out on top, becoming undisputed tag team champions.
Concluding the show was Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the world heavyweight championship. The setup for this match was impeccable and Nakamura felt like a truly menacing and powerful villain who posed a genuine threat to Rollins’s reign as champ. Rollins did retain, however. Overall, Payback, usually considered a mid-tier show, was incredible, and the added bonus of being live in Pittsburgh made the experience unforgettable to fans.
