10 Things WWE Wants You To Forget About 2023

10. The Boring B-Level PLEs

WWE has developed a rule in this 'Papa H' era: the international B-level Premium Live Events are outstanding or at least elevated by an intoxicating atmosphere, and the domestic editions are solid in the most uninspiring, missable way.

The Payback and Fastlane two-punch combo didn't rock anybody. The shows acted as confirmation that a certain annual Vince McMahon tradition will be maintained under Paul Levesque: WWE will enter a bland period of syndication between SummerSlam and Survivor Series.

Because wrestling is by default generically good in 2023 - you'll rarely see anything that is actively terrible, often in a very amusing way - neither show was technically "bad". Each boasted a cracking Undisputed Tag Team title match, complete with a title change, but that was the extent of the true quality and real importance. Actually, Becky Lynch and Trish Stratus over-delivered at Payback, even if their inspired Steel Cage match didn't need such a long, miserable build.

Elsewhere, the bell rang on LA Knight, Raquel Rodriguez bombed so hard that only a turn might save her, and while Fastlane was moderately better, it offered little new nor must-see. It was a WWE TV show without the ads.

Even Money In The Bank - which somehow contrived to promote a merely fine GUNTHER match - was rescued by the white-hot last 10 minutes of the all-Bloodline tag team headliner.