8 Things WWE Got Right At WWE Payback 2017
2. Brain Beats Brawn
That headline is most definitely going to be recycled after a Braun Strowman match somewhere down the line.
Seth Rollins handed Samoa Joe his first main roster singles defeat last night, and he did so by lulling the Samoan Submission Machine into a false sense of security. Whilst every Seth Rollins match focusing on his knee is getting old fast, in this match Samoa Joe showed exactly why he is one of the best. His attack on Seth's knee was clinical to say the least, harking back to the old glory days of cerebral wrestling.
This match got the crowd back onside after San Jose was taken out of things by the first half of the House of Horrors match, and they did so by going back to the old pro wrestling well. The babyface showed fire working from underneath, the heel took advantage of a weakness in order to stack the odds against the babyface, but the good guy prevailed by using his brain.
Joe looked great here, and the finish didn't hurt him in the slightest. Joe now needs to win the Intercontinental Championship and hold it forever, whilst Rollins can hopefully begin to start having matches that don't revolve around his knee. Especially if he is going to start using that knee in his finish...