Welcome to POST Wrestling’s coverage of WWE Payback from the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida with WWE’s quick return after last weekend’s SummerSlam event.
Wai Ting and I will host our WWE Payback POST Show LIVE immediately after the pay-per-view for Double Double, Iced Capp & Espresso members of the POST Wrestling Café.
The kickoff show begins at 6 pm Eastern.
*WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns def, The Fiend Bray Wyatt (champion) & Braun Strowman in 12:39 to win the Universal title
*Rey & Dominik Mysterio def. Seth Rollins & Murphy in 15:58
*Keith Lee def. Randy Orton in 6:40
*WWE Women’s Tag Titles: Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax def. Sasha Banks & Bayley (champions) in 10:19 to win the tag titles
*Matt Riddle def. King Corbin in 10:57
*Big E. def. Sheamus in 12:17
*WWE United States Championship: Bobby Lashley def. Apollo Crews (champion) in 9:25 to win the title
*Kickoff Show: Ruby Riott & Liv Morgan def. The IIconics in 9:02
The kickoff show began with Charly Caruso hosting the panel consisting of Booker T., JBL, Peter Rosenberg, and the returning Jerry Lawler. The whole hour is live from the Amway Center.
R-Truth interrupted the panel and apologized for being late. He thought it was Raw Talk, everyone laughed. He was looking at his 2019 calendar (which means he would have thought it was a Friday).
WWE put out a tweet announcing that Drew McIntyre’s “injury” has been diagnosed as a hairline jaw fracture as a result of Orton’s kicks to the skull.
They discussed Big E. and The Miz’s follow-up segment on this week’s episode of Talking Smack. Booker T. took the tact of arguing Big E. does do too much comedy and JBL threw it back at him by bringing up the spin-a-roonie and how it didn’t hinder his success.
They threw to Tom Phillips, Samoa Joe, and Byron Saxton ringside.
RUBY RIOTT & LIV MORGAN VS THE IICONICS
The IIconics cut a promo mocking their reunion and how it Riott and Morgan won’t last together.
Riott was thrown into Morgan’s knees. Later, Riott blind-tagged into the match implying the two were not communicating. On the floor, Billie Kay hit Shades of Kay on Riott and got the advantage of Riott in their corner.
Morgan was shoved off the apron by Royce, but she was distracted with Kay on the floor, therefore, they tried to convince Morgan that Riott nailed her. Morgan is upset and considers leaving but returned and tagged in.
Morgan made a big comeback until she slipped on the second rope as he attempted a kick. Morgan continued with a double stomp to the back for a two-count.
The IIconics hit Riott with Déjà vu, Morgan saved and dragged Riott to the corner for the tag. Morgan stopped Déjà vu and hit the slingshot flat liner to Royce off the middle rope. Riott and Morgan double-teamed Kay with the double knees from Morgan and Riott Kick to win the match.
WINNERS: Ruby Riott & Liv Morgan in 9:02
The story was that Morgan didn’t fully trust Riott but in the end, she did and they overcame The IIconics. Morgan had a good comeback when she got the hot tag, save for the slip, but didn’t impact the flow of the sequence too badly.
They desperately need to build up some teams in the women’s division and this may signal the end of this program and position Morgan and Riott for something more substantial.
Morgan and Riott spoke with the panel afterward, Riott explained The IIconics have been playing with them but this is the beginning for them. Ruby said, “I Riot to Liv”, and Morgan added “I Liv to Riot”, which is a back-and-forth every pair of friends should have.
Charly called The IIconics “a pain in the ass”.
Booker T. noted that Anderson Silva was dominant and then ran into Chris Weidman, perhaps Keith Lee can do the same to Randy Orton tonight.
Then, in the funniest bit of the pre-show, Jerry Lawler repeated the tweet diagnosing Drew McIntyre with a hairline jaw fracture and Charly had to react in real-time to the new storyline injury.
APOLLO CREWS VS BOBBY LASHLEY FOR THE UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP
MVP cut a promo saying Crews got the biggest win of his career last week. The last time he faced Bobby Lashley, Crews was injured at home for a month and after tonight, Crew will be a permanent stay-at-home Dad.
MVP and Shelton Benjamin were ringside for the match.
Crews threw a dropkick that didn’t appear to land but Lashley still reacted to it. Lashley was knocked to the floor and hit with a moonsault off the apron. MVP and Benjamin confronted Crews, but they broke the count returning to the ring.
Crews was dumped chest first onto the top rope and fell to the floor and was subsequently run into the post.
Lashley hit the Dominator off his shoulders and Crews kicked out. Crews was selling his ribs from earlier as he hit a crossbody to stop Lashley’s offense. Lashley kicked out after a standing moonsault.
Crews countered the Full Lashley and Crews delivered a pair of German suplexes. Crews hit a frog splash for a near fall and the match was starting to get really good where a live crowd would be into this a lot.
Lashley hit a chokeslam and applied the Full Lashley, which Crews tapped quickly.
WINNER: Bobby Lashley at 9:25 to win the United States Championship
This turned into a very good match by the ending stretch and significantly better than the match Crews had with MVP last weekend. By the time they got to the near falls, this had definitely hit the next level. Crews did a good job selling the ribs and Lashley has found himself after floundering since returning to WWE in 2018.
Crews jumped Lashley after the match and vowed to get the title back.
Kayla Braxton spoke with Paul Heyman and asked if Roman Reigns will sign the contract. Heyman said Reigns stated he would, and she should ask Reigns that question but denied access to him.
JBL approached Keith Lee in the backstage and said he enjoys watching him. He offers him some hedge fund options at $1 million each, Lee said he doesn’t have those resources, but JBL says if he wins tonight, he’ll be on his way. JBL said not to feel bad if he loses to Orton tonight, he’s one of the greatest ever.
BIG E. VS SHEAMUS
Sheamus cut a promo and said that Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods haven’t been holding Big E. back but have been propping him up and now it’s time for him to fall.
Big E. missed his splash on the edge of the apron and crashed to the floor. Sheamus went after the left knee when Big E. returned to the ring.
Sheamus hit the Irish Curse backbreaker and Big E. kicked out and was followed by a half-crab applied by Sheamus and Big E. kicked out of it. It was all Sheamus with his offensive maneuvers until Big E. caught him with a belly-to-belly suplex.
Big E. fired up later in the match and hit the running tackle taking Sheamus off the apron to the floor. Sheamus countered the Big Ending and went for a heel hook and Big E. fought free. Sheamus drilled him with a V-Trigger and got a two-count.
The Brogue Kick was countered with a powerbomb and hit the Big Ending to win.
WINNER: Big E. in 12:17
This was a much better match than I anticipated and they both worked hard. Sheamus was very effective with the knee work and utilizing submissions that Big E. fended off and made several big comebacks throughout the match that displayed a well-structured match for the purpose of Big E. advancing past a credible opponent in Sheamus. There is definitely momentum behind Big E.
Alyse Ashton is backstage with “The Bodacious Barefoot Bro, Matt Riddle”. Riddle said he’s done with the King’s Ransom and people attacking him. Ashton brought up a tweet from King Corbin stating he’ll prove he’s a failure in the ring “just like he’s a failure at home”, and Riddle walked out of the interview.
Shayna Baszler was warming up next to Nia Jax, who repeated they don’t like each other. Jax said they could be champions if they follow her lead, Baszler told her to stay out of her way and they shoved each other. They agreed to “kill the pre-match chit chat”.
KING CORBIN VS MATT RIDDLE
Corbin attacked Riddle with a cheap shot as he entered the ring. The match began with Corbin stomping Riddle in the corner.
Riddle went for a flying kimura and was dumped off by Corbin. Riddle went for a rear-naked choke, which Corbin slammed backward to escape. Riddle sat up from behind to re-apply it and Corbin fought it off.
Corbin slid under the turnbuckle and ran into a head kick. Riddle hit the Bro-ton and a PK and followed with more kicks to the body. Riddle kicked the liver and Corbin sold it big.
Riddle hit another liver shot, the Bro to Sleep, and a Floating Bro and won the match.
WINNER: Matt Riddle in 10:57
Cole and Graves called this a big upset and the biggest win of Riddle’s career, which was a strange characterization.
There was a lot of aggression from Riddle and led to a decent match between the two.
Riddle was backstage stating it was time to “move on”, but then was attacked by Corbin from behind. So, we solved nothing. Pat Buck came to the rescue.
BAYLEY & SASHA BANKS VS SHAYNA BASZLER & NIA JAX FOR THE WWE WOMEN’S TAG TITLES
Jax told Baszler to follow her lead, Baszler immediately tagged herself in and traded kicks with Banks. Bayley was tagged in and Baszler was using her submission skills.
Banks pulled Jax off the apron in the corner and they got control of Baszler. Bayley went for a cover as Jax tossed Banks into the ring to break up the cover. Jax took Banks and drove her back-and-forth into the barricade.
Behind the referee’s back, Banks chop blocked Jax’s knee.
Jax went for a leg drop that Bayley avoided and tried for a kneebar that Jax stopped. She dragged Bayley on her leg to tag Baszler.
Banks countered a powerbomb and hit a facebuster on Jax. Bayley hit the top rope elbow and Bank landed a frog splash that Jax kicked out from.
Baszler blind-tagged in, she applied a Muta Lock on Banks while simultaneously applying the Kirifuda Clutch to Bayley – and then used Banks’ arm to choke Bayley as Bayley tapped.
WINNERS: Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax in 10:19 to win the WWE women’s tag titles
Bayley was the legal woman, although there was a major gap in logic with the referee allowing both women to be in the submission together.
It was a really clever finish with the addition of Baszler using Banks’ arm to choke out Bayley.
Charly interviewed the new champions where Jax acted ridiculous celebrating the win.
KEITH LEE VS RANDY ORTON
Lee hit Orton with a running crossbody as Orton rolled out to the floor. Orton started chopping Lee, who was fuming.
After being dumped onto the announcer’s desk, Lee returned and leveled Orton with a Pounce that sent him out of the ring. Lee dumped Orton onto the desk. Getting back inside, Lee was hit with the draping DDT.
Orton went for the RKO and it was stopped with the Spirit Bomb and Lee pinned Orton clean as a sheet.
WINNER: Keith Lee in 6:40
No one will remember the introduction on Raw, this was all about making Lee with no controversy and Orton sold big and lost big.
This was the way to introduce Lee as a star.
Braxton found Heyman and asked if Reigns has signed the contract. Heyman said Reigns has promised he will be in the match and gave the spoiler he would leave as champion.
SETH ROLLINS & MURPHY VS REY & DOMINIK MYSTERIO
Dominik faked them out teasing that Rey would start and outsmarted Murphy and Rollins in the beginning.
Rey and Dominik double-teamed Murphy leading to Rollins entering with Rey to rekindle their feud.
Rollins slid Rey on his chest to the floor where Murphy had his knees up. They have the advantage of Rey until fighting them off to tag Dominik. Rollins caught Dominik’s crossbody attempt and hit a Falcon Arrow.
Murphy was sent into the barricade by Dominik and Rollins missed leaping off the apron. He fought to his corner and tagged Rey.
Rey hit a moonsault off the top on Rollins, he set him up for the 619 and Rollins ducked.
Dominik hit a big tornado DDT on Murphy, Rollins hit Dominik with a sling blade, Rey hit a seated senton, but Rollins caught him with a tilt-a-whirl back breaker. Rey came off the top and was hit with something approximating a codebreaker from Rollins.
Rollins yelled, “I’ll do it myself” before Rey avoided The Stomp. Dominik was taken out as they threw him hard into the barricade. Rollins held Rey for the buckle bomb and told Murphy to “kick him in the head”, but Rey countered it and Murphy kicked Rollins in the head.
Rey slid to the floor with a sunset bomb sending Rollins into the barricade.
Dominik returned with a 619 on Murphy and the frog splash to win the match.
WINNERS: Rey & Dominik Mysterio in 15:58
This was a really fun match and the best match of the show, so far. Dominik worked really well in a tag scenario where you can hide certain elements and build so much around Rey for the hot tag, etc.
Rollins was upset with Murphy after the match and they promoted tomorrow’s match between Rollins and Rey for Raw.
The Clash of Champions promo listed the show for September 20th and then Cole and Graves advertised the correct date, which is September 27th.
THE FIEND BRAY WYATT VS BRAUN STROWMAN VS ROMAN REIGNS FOR THE UNIVERSAL TITLE
Strowman immediately attacked The Fiend before Roman Reigns entered. He hit The Fiend with the powerslam for a two-count.
The Fiend comes back and puts Strowman through the desk with a uranage. Alexa Bliss is shown watching backstage.
The Fiend got the mallet as Strowman threw the office chair at him. The Fiend got the mallet and nailed him in the chest. They continued to brawl on the floor and The Fiend snapped his neck on the ramp.
Strowman knocked The Fiend off the stage. They made their way back to the ring and Strowman went to the top and was stopped and The Fiend hit a superplex causing the ring to implode.
Roman Reigns’ music hits and signs the contract. He is carrying a chair and calls for a referee, but The Fiend kicks out. Then, Strowman kicks out. Reigns started attacking Strowman with the chair and he still kicked out.
The Fiend used the mandible claw and Reigns broke it with a low blow. Reigns recovered and speared Strowman to win the match.
WINNER: Roman Reigns in 12:39 to win the Universal title
Not a great match but advances the story with the biggest name they have and SmackDown is significantly stronger being built around Reigns and Heyman as the top act. There was no question that this positioned Reigns as a heel.
