10 Things That Must Happen At WWE Payback 2017
WWE can give Raw a fresh boost in the post-'Mania season; here's how.
WWE.comFastlane, the last Raw-exclusive pay per view, was seen as one of WWE's weakest shows in a while - topped by that controversially short main event between Kevin Owens and Goldberg. The company's flagship brand sputtered into WrestleMania, and although it regained some momentum thanks to a good series of matches in Orlando (from the back-and-forth storytelling of KO vs. Jericho to the explosive return of the Hardy Boyz), few are convinced that Payback will represent a major improvement.
In terms of sheer workrate, Raw seems to be lagging considerably behind its blue cousin thanks to the 'superstar shakeup', which has seen names as talented as Zayn, Styles, Charlotte, Owens, and Nakamura gathered together on SmackDown. Yes, Raw may still have many of WWE's biggest stars, but it also carries its fair share of problems.
First of all, Payback looks to be a show bereft of Raw's top title, Brock Lesnar's Universal Championship. Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt are set to duke it out in a dubious 'House of Horrors' match, but nobody's quite sure whether the WWE Championship will be on the line - and if not, why not?
Nevertheless, Payback represents a chance for WWE to give the Raw brand a real shot in the arm. It may look like a slightly worrisome show in terms of storytelling, but several good match-ups have already been announced. The in-ring action should take care of itself, and with careful booking, the show could work out very well indeed.
10. Kevin Owens Must Win
Let's stat with the most obvious one: Kevin Owens should absolutely beat Chris Jericho and retain his US Championship. Y2J is widely thought to be spending time with Fozzy soon, meaning that there's no real point to him winning back the title.
Even if Jericho was sticking around full time, it would still make more sense for the younger, hungrier Owens to win again, solidifying his WrestleMania 33 victory and setting up a long, dominant reign.
This result may be a slightly obvious one, with KO already appearing on SmackDown and his 'Face of America' open challenge gimmick already established - but that doesn't mean it's the wrong one.