Live from Chicago, one of the loudest and most passionate wrestling cities in the world, WWE Payback 2013 featured a strong card from top to bottom. In the main event, John Cena and Ryback turned in their finest offering to date in a rare Three Stages of Hell match. After months of feuding, their feud over the WWE Championship came to an end in a violent, brutal brawl that culminated in an Ambulance match. The World Heavyweight Championship match was the gem of the show, with Dolph Ziggler making the first defense of his title, battling former champion Alberto Del Rio in singles competition. After recovering from a concussion that had sidelined him for months, the Show Off returned to the squared circle and found himself on the receiving end of a targeted attack by Del Rio. Despite showing tremendous guts and resiliency, Ziggler's title reign came to an end following a stiff kick to the face. The Chicago fans, just as they had done 16 years earlier at WrestleMania, necessitated a double turn that changed the fates of both competitors for the next year to come. With a strong match between AJ Lee and Kaitlyn for the Divas Championship and a spectacular Triple Threat match for the intercontinental title between Curtis Axel, The Miz and Bad News Barrett, the card ranked easily as one of the best of 2013.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
