In what can be described as a pay-per-view full of excitement and quality, WWE Payback delivered in many ways, while it did not, in some. The first edition of what could now become an annual pay-per-view could be called a success despite its many moments of mediocrity. Payback was a great pay-per-view, wrestling wise, as it featured a plethora of excellent matches, including the pre-show or the 'kickoff', staring Damien Sandow and Sheamus, and also the main event, which was the Three Stages of Hell match, for the WWE Championship, which had John Cena facing Ryback. Were all the matches good? Or did the pay-per-view lack something? Read on, as I present the review of Payback. My predictions for the event were as follows: AJ vs Kaitlyn: AJ Dean Ambrose vs Kane: Dean Ambrose Reigns/Rollins vs Orton/Bryan: The Shield CM Punk vs Chris Jericho: Chris Jericho Axel vs Barrett vs Miz: Curtis Axel Alberto Del Rio vs Dolph Ziggler: Alberto Del Rio Ryback vs John Cena: John Cena Was the event wonderful? Or was it not worth watching? Let's find out now...
Curtis Axel vs The Miz vs Wade Barrett
Overview: One of the best openers of 2013, these three superstars had a great match which lasted for nearly ten minutes, with every superstar getting multiple near falls, and two counts. The Miz was dominating most of the match, and when he locked Wade Barrett in the Figure Four Lock, everyone expected him to lose the championship to the Awesome One. However, Curtis Axel cleverly sneaks up and pins Wade Barrett to become our new Intercontinental Champion.
Author's Thoughts: The perfect way to start a pay-per-view was to get these three together and have them battle each other. The Miz and Wade Barrett certainly impressed here, but Curtis Axel was the man who stole the show in this bout. While some fans might critique him, he is one of the most technically gifted wrestlers, and along with Paul Heyman, he will have a bright future.
The Miz did not win the Intercontinental Championship, and boy, am I glad. Now, Axel can reach to new heights with the championship, while the Miz and Wade Barrett can finally proceed towards the main event. An Axel/RVD feud seems like money to me, and when RVD returns, I hope the WWE use him properly. Curtis Axel has won the Intercontinental Championship on Father's Day, as a tribute to his father, and it was simply perfect.
Match Rating: 3.5/5