Unfortunately, Rey Mysterio is on the sidelines with a torn triceps.
On Monday evening, WWE issued a statement on its website to confirm the news. The injury happened at Sunday’s pay-per-view event when he took part in a tag team contest.
Rey teamed up with his son Dominik to defeat the team of Seth Rollins and Murphy at this show.
“Rey Mysterio suffered a torn triceps during his match at WWE Payback Sunday night, WWE.com has learned.”
WWE had announced last week that the former WWE Champion was slated to compete against Rollins in a singles match on Monday’s episode of RAW on the USA Network. However, plans had to be changed due to this injury. As a result, WWE moved Dominik into a match against Rollins.
The winners of not only this match but two other matches would then compete in the main event of the show in a Triple Threat match to determine who would challenge Drew McIntyre for the WWE Title.
This will serve as the top match of WWE’s next pay-per-view event, Payback, which takes place on September 27th from the WWE ThunderDome.
Roman Reigns is heeling it up on both WWE television and social media.
A fan was complaining on Twitter about how WWE is shoving the Universal Champion down the throats of people once again.
The fan wrote, “Roman being forced down people’s throats again…..such an overrated performer. The belt has changed hands so many times it just has no prestige. Rubbish.”
Reigns responded to the fan with, “Only reason I’m down your throat, is because you keep your mouth open. I’m the best performer of this generation period and the title is finally in the right hands for it to hold true value.”
Reigns made his return at SummerSlam after the main event before aligning himself with Paul Heyman as his advocate.
At this past Sunday at the Payback pay-per-view event, he beat Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman in a No Holds Barred Triple Threat Match to win the Universal Championship. He did so in heel fashion by coming out at the end of the match after Strowman and Wyatt had collapsed the ring.
The reason for the alliance between Heyman and Reigns is due to WWE needing to justify Heyman’s big-money deal as he hadn’t been on television since WrestleMania.
All Elite Wrestling has announced a new match for their upcoming All Out pay-per-view event and it’s certain to be an extreme one.
It was confirmed on Monday night that the bout between Matt Hardy and Sammy Guevara will be a Broken Rules Match. This comes after the two stars have been in a heated feud on television and even on social media.
The heat was turned up when Hardy got busted open when he took a chair shot to the face a few weeks ago. Fast forward to last Thursday’s episode when Guevara was bloodied during a Tables Match against Hardy.
The AEW All Out pay-per-view event will take place on Saturday, September 5, 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place.
AEW World Heavyweight Champion Jon Moxley vs. MJF
Mimosa Mayhem Match: Chris Jericho vs. Orange Cassidy
AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida vs. Thunder Rosa
AEW Tag Team Champions Kenny Omega & Hangman Page vs. FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler)
Dark Order (Brodie Lee, Colt Cabana, Stu Grayson, & Evil Uno) vs. Natural Nightmares (Dustin Rhodes & QT Marshall), Matt Cardona, & Scorpio Sky – Eight-Man Tag Team Match
Darby Allin, Lance Archer, Brian Cage, Ricky Starks, Pentagon Jr, Rey Fenix, The Butcher, The Blade, Eddie Kingston – Casino Battle Royale
“I appreciate the opportunity I had to realize my childhood dream of working in sports entertainment, and I wish WWE well in the future. Now I want to direct my focus and devote my time to my other projects and to my mental health charitable activities and the well-being of my mother and myself.”
WWE confirmed the situation Monday night with a brief statement confirming they have “amicably agreed to part ways.”
WWE and Mauro Ranallo have mutually and amicably agreed to part ways. Mauro’s passion and enthusiasm left an indelible and exciting mark with WWE and its fans, and we wish him the best in his future endeavors. https://t.co/9y99UhfRhl
Ranallo was not present at last week’s NXT and or at TakeOver: XXX event nor did he work the NXT TV tapings from Winter Park, Florida at Full Sail University. This taping included last week’s show as well as this Tuesday’s episode.
At TakeOver, Corey Graves filled in for Ranallo while Wade Barrett replaced him at the last set of tapings. The reason for his absence was due to him needing to fly back to Canada to tend to a family issue.
It was reported on Monday that Barrett is in talks with WWE about a full-time return to the company. Whether that has anything to do with Ranallo’s departure remains to be seen.
Mauro Ranallo Talks Pop Culture References and Tegan Nox Botch
Brock Lesnar is a free agent after he and WWE failed to come to terms on a new agreement. The news was first reported by PWInsider.
As of this writing, Lesnar’s bio remains live at the WWE website. However, his page has been pulled from WWE Shop and WWE is no longer selling Lesnar merchandise.
Brock Lesnar’s most recent appearance for WWE took place at WrestleMania 36 back in April, where he dropped the Universal Championship to Drew McIntyre. Lesnar has been one of the highest paid and most prominently featured performers since returning to WWE back in 2012.
As seen on WWE television this past week, Lesnar’s advocate, Paul Heyman, has aligned himself with new Universal Champion Roman Reigns. In light of the news that Brock Lesnar is no longer with WWE, the company’s decision to pair Heyman and Reigns together indicates they do not expect Lesnar back in the fold any time soon.
The former WWE & UFC Champion is legally able to gauge interest from All Elite Wrestling, should that be an avenue he wants to explore. Lesnar instantly becomes the hottest free agent in all of professional wrestling, but it remains to be seen if AEW is willing to meet the sky-high price tag Lesnar is sure to command on the open market.
WWE purchased independent wrestling promotion EVOLVE this summer. Some of the promotion’s events are already available on the WWE Network.
According to a recent report from PW Insider, WWE has signed 5 wrestlers from the promotion and assigned them to its developmental program:
Josh Briggs
Anthony Greene
Brandi Lauren
Curt Stallion
Leon Ruff
WWE Signs EVOLVE Stars
Josh Briggs is a 6ft 8 270lbs monster and the last holder of the EVOLVE Championship. He debuted in late 2016. Briggs defeated Austin Theory to win the EVOLVE title back in November.
Anthony Greene is an 8-year pro from the New England area. He was trained by Spike Dudley and Ryan Waters.
Brandi Lauren is a 23-year-old from Tampa who has been used as an extra at WWE shows over the past few months. She was trained by Jay Lethal and made her debut in 2016. Lauren also worked some tapings for Impact Wrestling in 2017/18. Also in 2018, Lauren worked an NXT taping and lost a match to Lacey Evans. Her Instagram account sometimes features cameos from Joey Janela:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDpPEyKJzJ4/
Curt Stallion is a 7-year pro out of Texas. He’s had matches with several wrestlers now signed to WWE while in EVOLVE. He’s wrestled Jake Atlas, Dexter Lumis, and Matt Sydal in the promotion.
Leon Ruff is a 23-year-old who made his debut in 2017. News of his signing was reported in late July. He once held the EVOLVE tag titles along with AR Fox. Ruff worked 9 matches for WWE during the pandemic era before news of his signing was reported. His last match was a loss to Drake Maverick on the July 21st episode of 205 Live.
Lawler previously tweeted to reveal that he had filmed the interview with Austin. The interview was done on Saturday, August 22nd, during WWE’s SummerSlam weekend.
This will be the 8th “Broken Skull Sessions” interview on the WWE Network. Austin’s other episodes are with Mark Henry, Ric Flair, Bret Hart, The Big Show, Kane, Bill Goldberg, and The Undertaker.
Wade Barrett returned to WWE recently to work at the NXT commentary booth last week. Mauro Ranallo is out dealing with a family issue at the moment.
According to multiple sources, WWE and Barrett are currently negotiating an agreement that would see him return to the promotion full-time as a commentator.
Barrett’s Superstar Profile has already been added back to the NXT section of WWE.com:
The 40-year-old former Nexus leader with WWE from 2006 through 2016. Barrett joined the broadcast team for episodes of NWA Powerrr in December of 2019.
Barrett was the winner of season 2 of NXT back when the program was a reality game-show style competition. He would then serve as the leader of the Nexus faction beginning in 2010. Barrett would go on to be a 5x Intercontinental Champion. He also won the King of the Ring tournament in 2015.
Wade Barrett WWE Return Reportedly In The Works
Shortly after Barrett made his WWE return as a commentator on NXT, his former stablemate in the Nexus, Bray Wyatt/Husky Harris, commented on his return.
AEW star Lance Archer recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. The ‘Murderhawk Monster’ answered a litany of questions on the show, mostly surrounding AEW’s recent television night moves and how the company have appeared to ‘retain’ their audience.
Lance Archer would also discuss the ‘Demogod’ Chris Jericho. Archer would talk about Jericho’s recent character nuance where he would tout his ratings success; saying how backstage Jericho doesn’t actually ‘broadcast’ the success to the whole locker room but just as an aside if you spoke to him directly.
The ‘Demogod’ character plays on AEW’s success in the 18-49 demographic. The 18-49 demo has been referred to by numerous members of AEW staff as a measuring stick for success; it is the pivotal demo for advertisers and AEW have consistently drawn well in this range, mostly bettering Wednesday night rivals NXT.
“I think if you had your own personal conversation with him [Jericho]? Yeah absolutely” Lance Archer began on the show, discussing the ratings success and Jericho’s approach to it. “It’s not a situation where I think; we’re not all coming together and having a big meeting and going rah rah rah ‘here we are’ and whatnot.”
“Because everybody’s very focused on doing the very best they can at what they’ve got on the show” Lance Archer continued. “If you need to speak to him [Jericho] or anybody that has that information? He will absolutely let you know and keep you abreast of what’s going on and what needs to be done. And he absolutely is one of those locker room leaders when you start talking about it that way.”
Do you like Chris Jericho’s new shtick as the Demogod? Let us know in the comments.
WWE Hall of Famer and co-host of Busted Open Radio Bully Ray recently commented on an ‘under-utilized’ talent in NXT. Namely, backstage member of staff Jeremy Borash.
Borash was previously part of TNA/IMPACT Wrestling, and would’ve had a fair amount of dealings with Bully Ray. The ECW legend would state how NXT needs to work on getting fans to ’emotionally invest’ in characters, and how Borash’s recent work with Io Shirai’s video packages would work wonders for the rest of the locker room.
Bully Ray on Emotional Investment
“When it comes to emotional investment? A lot of guys don’t get you emotionally invested with moves” Bully Ray began on the show. “Remember, if you think you’re emotionally invested in somebody? You’re probably just ‘responding’ to the move, and not the person. Emotional investment is all about the person, so emotional investment normally comes on the microphone.”
“That’s what I want to see more of in NXT” Bully Ray continued. “I want to see more of these guys and gals speaking from the heart. And they have something there at NXT, they have a weapon there that I think is under-utilised when it comes to tapping into the emotions of wrestlers.”
Bully Ray would then name Jeremy Borash as someone who needed to work more with NXT talent to help produce more related segments. “That weapon is Jeremy Borash. I think Borash does a phenomenal job of putting together these packages, the stuff that he is/has been doing with Io Shirai? The packages they’ve been doing with her are off the charts.”
Ray would also praise Borash’s work on the Boneyard Match from this past WrestleMania. “The stuff that Borash was behind when it came to ‘Taker and AJ Styles? The Boneyard Match? That’s all Jeremy Borash. Don’t let anybody else fool you, don’t let them smoke and mirror you. It’s Jeremy Borash because Borash was right by Matt Hardy’s side during all of the Final Deletion stuff. He understands all of this newer stuff that gets guys and gals over. I wish they were tapping into him a little more when it comes to letting people talk.”
Do you agree with Bully Ray on Jeremy Borash? Let us know in the comments
In January, WarnerMedia and AEW struck a new deal that was also said to include plans for a second television show. Then the pandemic hit and the President of TNT, a noted supporter of AEW, was let go from his position recently. According to recent comments on Wrestling Observer Radio, however, a second AEW show is still in the works and should debut before the end of the year.
“Yep, soon,” Meltzer said in response to a question about if the second AEW show is still happening. “Before the end of the year.”
Second AEW Television Show
It was noted back in January that when the new show does debut, it will not replace AEW Dark.
“When the new show launches, the Wednesday tapings would expand and also include matches taped for the streaming show Dark, which would not be going away,” wrote Dave Meltzer. “This means there will be about four hours a week of the product being taped.”
Although the former President of TNT, Kevin Reilly, is no longer with the company, he also spoke about a second AEW show back in January. Reilly departed TNT earlier this month.
“Let’s bring it onto the network and make it a place where you truly plant up and coming talent,’” Reilly said about a second AEW show. “I think we’ll start doing more packages there and filming some behind-the-scenes stuff, not for the matches that night but with other talent to plant stories and grow things that could eventually become another show in and of itself.”
Major League Wrestling is coming back. The promotion announced today plans to film new content in October that will begin airing in November. MLW’s Court Bauer spoke to SI.com about the news.
“The hibernation is over,” said Bauer. “We’ll air in November on a weeknight in primetime on Fubo Sports Network, and our content will also be available on DAZN, which includes exclusive content, and Saturday nights on beIN. As for the filming, we’re not going to publicly announce our location. If fans were to show up, it would just cause a wave of complications with the COVID protocol, but we are very excited to return for our fans.”
Bauer also outlined a strict COVID-19 testing protocol for all tapings. The company has hired a COVID-19 compliance officer to oversee the operations. Talent will be tested before traveling to the tapings, once they arrive, and then again before actually participating in the tapings. That is 3 tests each talent will take before actually getting in a ring.
Bauer also noted the name of the show might be changing from MLW: Fusion to MLW: Underground, the name of the promotion’s TV show from its original run. Replays of MLW: Underground have been airing in place of new episodes of Fusion in recent months.
In terms of how the returning show will look, Bauer teased the matches may have a “Raging Bull” feel to them.
“We’re going to have more of a Raging Bull setting,” said Bauer. “We’ve had the luxury to see what works in this era.”
“We spent the whole summer building our business to emerge from the pandemic ready to run on a larger scale,” said Bauer. “It’s now the right time for us to safely get back to work, and our talent is going to put on a great show in our return.”
Matt Hardy recently spoke to Chris Van Vliet and mentioned what he feels WWE would have done with him had he re-signed with the company. The 45-year-old’s last stint with WWE lasted from 2017 until March of this year. Hardy says that had he re-signed with WWE, the company wanted him to move into more of a coaching role.
“Vince and WWE, they already had it in their mind,” Hardy said. “In Vince’s mind, he was ready to move me on from being a talent into working backstage. Being a producer, helping give back and teach other guys behind the scenes. And I’m very happy to do that but a little later on.”
“These last few years that I have to do this physically, I want to do it to the highest level that I can.”
Hardy continued to say that WWE did offer him other roles during negotiations but Hardy figured they had made up their mind about him.
“Even though they offered to do other things after I expressed that was my concern, I know in my head they had already made up their mind how they see me as. So I just knew I needed to go somewhere else.”
Hardy now gets to perform and give back to younger talent in AEW. He has been working with the young team of Private Party so far in the promotion.
“On top of still being able to perform and still do what I want to do in my last few years, I also still get to help back and help young talent as well.”
New Day member Kofi Kingston has opened up about being away from in-ring competition as he heals from an injury during on appearance on WWE’s The Bump. He also acknowledged the singles run his stablemate, Big E, is currently enjoying.
Kingston revealed he feels good as he continues to recover at home. He shared how he has been working on his home gym, which has allowed him to get back into a fitness regime. He added how he isn’t pushing himself too hard right now, explaining how “number one because I don’t want to suffer a setback, you know, and be out for even longer. And number two, I’m spending a lot of quantity and quality time with my family, so I’m just trying to enjoy that.”
He stressed that, when the time is right, he will be back in WWE. Kingston also spoke about how he’s now smarter with his body and won’t be rushing back before he’s ready. He noted that, until he’s back, “Big E’s holding it down.”
Kofi Kingston On Big E’s Singles Run
Kofi Kingston admitted it’s an “awesome thing” to watch his friend succeed and thrive. He confessed it’s weird to watch Big E’s run from home before sharing how it doesn’t feel odd to support and celebrate his friend’s success and growth. According to Kingston, “we’re always supportive of each other, even when like Woods has not been with us.”
He pointed to Big E’s focus and personal drive, stressing his friend has always had these characteristics. Kingston stated how “What we do for ourselves helps the entire group, and at the same time, we’re doing it for the entire group. So when we gave him our blessing, that was us just showing our full support because I think the whole WWE universe, along with us, we all believe that Big E deserves a shot.”
Roman Reigns returned to in-ring competition during last night’s Payback event, winning the WWE Universal Championship. He signed his contract late into the match that was taking place between “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman. He then inserted himself into the fray and, ultimately, won the gold.
According to Paul Davis of WrestlingNews.co, the WWE Universe can expect a lengthy title reign now that “The Big Dog” is back on WWE programming. WWE boss Vince McMahon is said to be firmly behind the push to establish Reigns as champion with the end goal still being to get him to the same level as John Cena.
A WWE source revealed how “Vince is not playing around. He wants Roman to hold onto that belt until WrestleMania at least. Everyone knows the fans will cheer him and we all expect him to be a babyface sooner than later but the games with the silly verbiage in promos are done with. Roman will have more input this time with his promos.”
Roman Reigns returned at WWE’s recent SummerSlam event, attacking both Wyatt and Strowman after their match. It was then revealed on SmackDown that Reigns had aligned himself with Paul Heyman.
Prior to his SummerSlam return, Reigns had been off WWE programming due to coronavirus concerns. He had originally been scheduled to compete against Goldberg for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 36. Reigns would be replaced by Strowman.
Braun Strowman has opened up about struggling with suicidal thoughts in a new episode of WWE Chronicle. During the episode, Strowman recounted his frustrations with his position in the company around Elimination Chamber 2019. He admitted he got to the point where “had enough” and decided to speak directly with Vince McMahon.
Strowman revealed how he “busted in on Vince” and told him they needed to talk. According to him, Vince McMahon then cleared the room, sat down, and spoke with him man-to-man. Strowman described their talk as being almost like a father/son discussion.
“I’m very thankful to have a relationship with him like that because I might not even be here. I don’t even like talking about this out loud but I was thinking about killing myself a couple of times. That I got to that point, I should have talked to somebody sooner,” Strowman admitted.
“I never knew how much he cared about me. I thought I was just a number in a system. That day he made me realize that I’m more important than a number I can’t thank him enough for doing that.”
Braun Strowman lost the WWE Universal Championship to “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt at SummerSlam. He was unable to reclaim the gold during last night’s Triple Threat Match at WWE Payback but is primed for a major push as a top heel on SmackDown.
Bobby Lashley walked away as the new WWE United States Champion following his Payback matchup with Apollo Crews. This win marks the second time Lashley has held the title. In a WWE.com exclusive, Lashley and his Hurt Business stablemates addressed the victory and shared what people can expect next.
When asked what this title win meant to him, Lashley deferred the mic to MVP, who stated:
“Satisfaction. Ask Apollo about satisfaction because obviously he is another satisfied client of The Hurt Business. Our business is hurt, and I think if you talk to Apollo Crews right now, his neck is hurt, his ribs are hurt, and his feelings are hurt.”
Bobby Lashley then stressed how The Hurt Business isn’t a brand, clique, or a group. He urged people to remember that they are, simply, The Hurt Business. He promised how “This is just the first to come.”
MVP added how he had told everybody in the past that he knew what The Hurt Business could do in WWE. He explained how, “I told you when I first started talking to my man Lashley, when I first started talking to Shelton, I knew what we were capable of. This is step one. I promise you step two is coming.”
Bobby Lashley and MVP also celebrated the title win on their respective social media accounts. Lashley noted how his first and current United States Championship reign were 14 years apart. He first won the belt from JBL on the May 26, 2006, episode of SmackDown.
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Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax have commented on their WWE Women’s Tag Team victory following their bout on Sunday night’s Payback event.
The new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions weren’t shy in demonstrating there is friction between them. This was evident during the photoshoot, which saw both women appear to aggravate the other whilst posing with their new gold. However, it was stressed that if they can coexist as champions, then the WWE Universe can expect a long title reign.
During the shoot, Shayna Baszler revealed how she and Nia Jax have struck up a deal to ensure they keep the belts.
“We made a deal,” Baszler stated, “and as long as she keeps her end of the deal, we’re going to reign forever.” When asked what the deal was, Baszler commented, “I help her do this, she gets off my back.”
Nia Jax then sarcastically shared how “Yeah, we got a deal. For sure, trust me. Partner,” before giving Baszler a shove as Baszler told her to leave her alone.
Former WWE Universal Champion Braun Strowman has revealed the decision behind his shaved head and the process required before he was allowed to. Unsurprisingly, Strowman had to get permission from Vince McMahon and wasn’t able to commit until he got permission.
Speaking on a new episode of WWE Chronicle, Strowman shared how he called up the WWE Chairman and CEO and revealed his intent to “get rid of this crappy hair.”
“He’s like, ‘Well, why?’ Well for one, it looks bad and two, I’m about to get a little nasty. He [Vince] said, ‘Give me a day, I gotta run it through everything to make sure… legalities, licensing and everything. Give me 24 hours, just shoot me a text and I’ll let you know.’ Texted him back the next day, hour or so later he responded with a thumbs up. So it went away.”
Strowman believes the new look is exactly the “refresher” his character needed. He claimed how he intended to get back to being the old Braun Strowman and is ready to once again become The Monster Among Men.
Braun Strowman debuted his shaved head prior to SummerSlam. He lost the WWE Universal Championship to “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt at that event. Despite being unable to reclaim the gold during last night’s Payback event, Strowman is said to be in line for a major push as SmackDown’s top heel going forward.
On a press conference that took place today, New Japan Pro-Wrestling announced that the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships will be vacated. The current champions, Roppongi 3K (SHO and YOH) will be unable to defend them for the foreseeable future, due to an ACL injury that YOH sustained during the New Japan Cup recently.
To crown new champions, NJPW will hold a four-team round-robin tournament over the upcoming New Japan Road tour. Here are the four teams:
Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato
Los Ingobernables de Japon (Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI)
Suzuki-gun (El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)
Bullet Club (Taiji Ishimori & Gedo)
As stated by NJPW, the rules are, “Two points will be awarded to winners, zero to losers with one point each in the event of a draw; after the final league match in Sendai on September 9, the top two point scoring teams will then face off in a championship match on September 11 in Korakuen Hall.” The schedule for tournament matches is as follows (all these events will be live on NJPW World):
September 5:
El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Taiji Ishimori & Gedo
Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato vs. Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI
September 6:
Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI vs. Taiji Ishimori & Gedo
Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato vs. El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
September 9:
Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato vs. Taiji Ishimori & Gedo
Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI vs. El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
September 11:
Final match to determine new champions involving the two teams with the most points
WWE Payback aired from the ThunderDome inside the Amway Center. The Fiend put his Universal Championship on the line against Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns in the main event.
Payback 2020 Results
Riott Squad def. The IIconics (Kickoff Show)
Bobby Lashley def. Apollo Crews to become the new United States Champion
Big E def. Sheamus
Matt Riddle def. King Corbin
Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler def. Bayley & Sasha Banks to become the new Women’s Tag Team Champions
Keith Lee def. Randy Orton
Rey & Dominik Mysterio def. Seth Rollins & Murphy
Roman Reigns def. The Fiend, Braun Strowman to become the new Universal Champion
Here are the takeaways from WWE Payback 2020:
Bobby Lashley Captured The US Title
Apollo Crews defended the United States Championship against Bobby Lashley tonight at Payback. MVP and Shelton Benjamin were ringside for the match.
Match Recap: Lashley and Crews locked up in the middle of the ring to start off the match. Lashley showed off his strength by slamming Crews to the mat. Apollo got back up but Lashley knocked him right back down with a shoulder tackle.
Crews connected with a Dropkick and then sent Lashley out of the ring. Apollo hit a Moonsault off the ring apron and started trash talking with Benjamin and MVP. Back in the ring, Lashley took back control and slammed Apollo across the top rope and Crews fell to the floor outside the ring.
Lashley lifted Crews up on his shoulders and slammed Apollo into the ring post. Lashley brought Crews back in the ring and planted him with a Fallaway Slam. Lashley followed it up with the Dominator and went for the cover but Crews kicked out at two. Crews battled back and connected with a Crossbody.
Apollo sent Lashley to the corner and hit him with a Splash. Crews followed it up with a Spinebuster and a Standing Moonsault for a one count. Crews then hit a Frog Splash and went for the cover but Lashley somehow was able to kick out at two.
Crews unloaded some strikes on Lashley in the corner but Lashley escaped and hit a massive Chokeslam. Lashley locked in the Full Nelston for the submission victory. Bobby Lashley is the new United States Champion. After the match, Apollo attacked Lashley and said he is getting his US Title back.
Big E squared off against Sheamus tonight at Payback.
Match Recap: Sheamus absolutely dominated the first several minutes of the match and focused on Big E’ knee. Sheamus locked in the Cloverleaf but Big E was able to reach the bottom rope to break the hold.
Big E sent Sheamus out of the ring with a Back Body Drop and followed it up with a Spear through the ropes. Back in the ring, Big E went for the Big Ending but Sheamus countered into a Heel Hook in the middle of the ring. Big E broke the hold with a few punches but Sheamus caught him with a knee to the face for a near fall. Sheamus went for the Brogue Kick but Big E countered with a Powerbomb. Big E followed it up with the Big Ending for the pinfall victory.
Opinion: Payback is off to a very good with back to back solid matches. I thought Sheamus and Big E had a great match tonight. It was physical and Big E got his ass kicked for a lot of it but still was able to come through at the end. I hope this is just the beginning for Big E and we get to see an awesome singles run in the near future.
Matt Riddle faced King Corbin in the third match of the night. Corbin leveled Riddle with a Clothesline before the match officially started.
Match Recap: The bell rang and Corbin stomped the hell out of Riddle in the corner of the ring. Riddle battled back and applied a Kimura Lock in the middle of the ring. Corbin countered into a Body Slam and rested against the ropes for a moment. Riddle capitalized and locked in a Sleeper Hold.
Corbin escaped and hit a Side Slam for a two count. Matt Riddle caught Corbin with a kick to the side of the head that sent the King out of the ring. Back in the ring, Riddle hit the Broton and followed it up with a running knee to the face for a two count. Matt hit Corbin with a shot to the midsection and the King fell to the ropes. Corbin connected with an awesome Deep Six and went for the cover but Riddle was able to kick out at the last moment.
King Corbin hit Riddle with several strikes to the back but Matt caught him in a Triangle submission. Riddle then hit the Bro to Sleep and made his way to the top rope. Riddle hit the Floating Bro for the pinfall victory. After the match, King Corbin attacked Matt Riddle backstage and beat him down before referees broke it up.
Opinion: I thought the build to this match was bad but Riddle and Corbin delivered a solid match tonight. Corbin’s tweet right before the match was more entertaining that this entire feud.
Tonight, I prove that Matt Riddle is a failure in a WWE ring. By the way…he’s already proven that he’s a failure at home. #WWEPayback
Roman Reigns worked his first match in several months in the biggest contest featured on the Payback card.
“The Big Dog” took part in a Triple Threat No Holds Barred Match against Braun Strowman and Bray Wyatt, who was portraying The Fiend character, for the Universal Title.
WWE saved this match for the main event spot at the WWE Payback pay-per-view event in Orlando, Florida at the Amway Center. The contest saw Strowman and Wyatt work the majority of the match.
It was a brawl up until a superplex spot that sent the two big men breaking the ring. Reigns walked down to the ring as he signed the contract on his way. They did a spot where Reigns covered both men, but they kicked out. Moments later, Reigns hit a spear to Strowman for the win and to become the champion.
Although this match only had a one week build, WWE did a big angle at the SummerSlam pay-per-view event. Wyatt had beaten Strowman in a Falls Count Anywhere Match. After the match, Reigns made a surprise appearance by not only spearing The Fiend but also Strowman in addition to whacking Strowman several times with a chair.
Rey and Dominik Mysterio had the chance to get back at their arch-rivals, Seth Rollins and Buddy Murphy.
This tag team contest was booked at the Payback pay-per-view event. It was a back and forth contest with the father and son going over.
The finish featured Murphy accidentally kicking Rollins in the head before Rey hit a sunset flip powerbomb to Rollins into the barricade. Dominik hit the 619 then a frog splash off the top rope to Murphy for the win.
This has been a long term feud that dates back to the original program between Rey and Rollins. Rollins took out an eye of the future WWE Hall of Famer in an Eye for an Eye Match at Extreme Rules.
After being off television for a few weeks, Rey made his return in order to be in the corner of his son when he battled the former Universal Champion in a Street Fight at the SummerSlam pay-per-view event just one week ago that saw Rollins go over.
WWE has already confirmed that Rey will wrestle Rollins in a singles match on this Monday’s episode of RAW on the USA Network in Orlando, Florida at the Amway Center
What are your thoughts on Rey & Dominik Mysterio going over Seth Rollins & Buddy Murphy in this tag team contest? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.
Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler have captured the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship.
The unlikely tag team took on Bayley and Sasha Banks for the titles at Sunday’s WWE Payback pay-per-view event. The match aired in the middle of the card in Orlando, Florida at the Amway Center on WWE’s streaming service.
Baszler and Jax are just the seventh team to hold the titles. The finish of the contest saw an interesting finish as Baszler had Banks in a leg submission while also putting Bayley in a rear-naked choke and in the process, used Banks’ arm to put over the throat of Bayley for the win.
WWE made the match announcement this past Monday night on RAW when Baszler battled SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley in a non-title match. Jax pulled her partner out of the ring and stood with her to stare the champs down.
They would later have an exchange of words and Baszler said she would help Jax win the titles if Jax left her alone and stayed off her back. This led to Baszler slapping Jax and walking off.
Bayley and Banks first won the titles on the June 5th during an episode of SmackDown when they beat Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross.
What are your thoughts on Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler winning the WWE Tag Team Titles? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.
There is a new WWE United States Champion and that’s Bobby Lashley.
WWE had Lashley challenged Apollo Crews for the championship at Sunday’s (August 30, 2020) WWE Payback pay-per-view event.
This is where Lashley connected with a chokeslam and his full nelson finisher in a competitive match to win the title and end Crews’ reign. Post-match, Crews attacked Lashley before running away from MVP and Shelton Benjamin.
Crews dethroned Andrade as the champion by beating him in a match on the May 25th episode of RAW on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center.
This championship match took place just one week after Crews had successfully retained the title over MVP during the pre-show of the SummerSlam pay-per-view event.
Crews has been feuding with The Hurt Business (Lashley, MVP, and Shelton Benjamin) as of late on the red brand.
Time will tell whether WWE continues this feud or goes into a different direction heading into the Clash of Champions pay-per-view event on September 27th.
