6 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE Payback 2023 (Results & Review)
Trish/Becky end feud on high note, Nakamura earns main event, tag match goes pure chaos.
Payback probably was the definition of a WWE B-show, a PLE with no Roman Reigns, no Cody Rhodes match, no Bloodline drama, no Brock Lesnar, no Charlotte Flair and no celebrities.
But that didn’t stop WWE from delivering a pretty good show Saturday night, anchored by a better-than-advertised steel cage match, a chaotic tag title battle, and a solid world title main event. Throw in John Cena and a legit surprise appearance/announcement and you have the makings of an enjoyable evening.
Trish Stratus and Becky Lynch deserve probably the most credit on the night, as their feud could be deemed a dismal failure heading into the PLE. They were bumped from SummerSlam and forced to carry on a good month past the point anyone wanted to see this rivalry, which was sputtering by mid-summer already. They turned around and produced a cage match filled with anger, using the cage repeatedly as a weapon and battering each other until they were visibly beaten down.
Probably the biggest strike against this show was the fact it was only six matches deep, which meant a few of them went longer than they should have, missing their peaks by several minutes. This has been a common problem with Triple H at the helm, and it’s something that could be addressed pretty constructively.
Otherwise, a low-expectations show produced, making for a positive experience.
Let’s get to it…