Ranking 10 WWE Pay-Per-View Main Events Post-Lockdown From Worst To Best
9. Payback: The Fiend (c) Vs. Braun Strowman Vs. Roman Reigns (Universal Championship)
Strowman gets pinned by the returning Reigns, thus closing the book on the most arduous main event angle of the year. The Fiend loses the title he really shouldn't have had, via a low blow from Reigns, after seven days of holding it; Strowman takes another pinfall loss that he couldn't afford yet desperately needed, and The Tribal Chief had his prize asset.
Having Strowman attack The Fiend and start the match before Reigns had even made his way out from the back was a bold choice to kick things off. We saw Wyatt's comedy mallet (which gives the match the nod over SummerSlam by itself), and a ring implosion spot before Reigns came down, illogically signed himself into the match, and won.
The match was fine, better than the SummerSlam encounter, and it did kick off the fantastic run Reigns has remained on to the end of the year, but the booking of the Universal title across these months left a lot of rebuilding for Roman to do. The Fiend has been freed up to be spooky and get set on fire, and we're still waiting for Strowman to return and maybe become The Ambulance-Flipper Among Men again.