Csonka’s Takeaways From WWE Payback

– Welcome back to column time with Larry. It’s time for one last look back at the WWE Fastlane PPV. I hope that you enjoy, and feel free to share your takeaways/future booking plans or whatever from the PPV. The only rule is “have a take, be respectful of other’s opinions and don’t be a dick.” We all have opinions, we’re going to disagree, just be cool about it. I was far from excited about the WWE Payback PPV heading into the show; I felt that WWE Payback 2017 largely over delivered on my expectations and that we had good wrestling up and down the card

4. Shinsuke Nakamura Will Make His Main Roster in Ring Debut at Backlash: It was announced at the WWE Payback PPV that Shinsuke Nakamura will have his first main roster TV match at WWE Backlash. To many this came off as frustrating, but I think it’s a great idea. All too often people talk about the lack of stars, the lack of guys being presented like stars. Here, WWE is taking their time with Nakamura, building him up and making his in ring debut feel like a major event. In 2017 that’s not an easy thing to do when there is so much wrestling at our fingertips. The fact that WWE is showing so much restraint during a time where it would have been easy to rush Nakamura on TV (due to John Cena’s absence) is completely refreshing, and shows that they see something of value in Nakamura. Knowing WWE this could all change at the drop of a hat, but for now I feel they are doing things right, making Nakamura feel important and are building him up as something special for those that didn’t watch him in NJPW or NXT.

3. I Like The Cesaro & Sheamus Turn & The Fact That Their Feud With The Hardys Isn’t Finished: I think that the turn of Cesaro & Sheamus came at just the right time; they played the welcoming babyfaces well, while showing their underlying frustrations. Not only did they lose back-to-back singles matches on Raw, but Cesaro & Sheamus failed on PPV to win the titles again. The time for handshakes and smiles was over, Cesaro & Sheamus snapped and beat down “the nostalgia act” and not only stood tall, but beat down the champions. With the Revival out of action until the summer due to Dash Wilder’s broken jaw, the Hardys were in limbo as a program with the Revival was reportedly the plan. But we needed a bridge to get there, and Cesaro & Sheamus are the right team to get us there. They have already had good outings with the Hardys, building a good chemistry and the turn will likely lead to a stipulation match, which will plan into both teams strengths well; it will allow Cesaro & Sheamus to be brutal and very physical, while a stipulation will cover some of the short comings the Hardys have as they get older and more beaten down. They’ve done well upon their return, but they aren’t getting any younger or healthier, we can’t expect their good fortune and excitement over being back to last forever. I also don’t mind the delay in the feud with the Revival, I want to see the feud, I want to see the matches, but am more than willing to wait for it. Finally, without the feud, WWE would have no idea what to do with Cesaro & Sheamus, so this works out best for them because it gives them purpose. The Payback match was good, but I really believe that the two teams can do way better and now they’ll get the chance.

2. I Love That Alexa Bliss Beat Charlotte to a Major Accomplishment: We all know that Charlotte is WWE’s chosen one, and that’s fine. It’s WWE’s plan, and she’s had great matches. But it’s also the reason that I love that Alexa Bliss beat her to holding both the Raw & Smackdown women’s titles. Charlotte is the queen and she will rule over the WWE women for a long time, because that’s what WWE wants, which means that while many expected her to grab this honor first, it’s also the reason that Charlotte didn’t need it. Having Bliss score the honor of being the first to hold both titles gives her an extra bullet point on her list of accomplishments, but it also gives her another point to brag on. Over the next few weeks she is going to relentlessly attack Bayley, (1. you weren’t good enough, 2. I beat you in your hometown in front of your friends and family, 3. I’m the first to hold the Raw & Smackdown women’s titles, which makes me better than you). And these are all excellent attack points from an over confident and arrogant heel like Bliss. But more importantly to me is that Bliss needed this honor more than Charlotte; Bliss is not the chosen one, she’s not the daughter of Ric Flair and she won’t get every opportunity to succeed like Charlotte. This was a really big moment for Bliss as a performer and for her character.

1. Orton & Wyatt May Have Locked Up Worst Feud of 2017: You know, I actually liked a lot of the Wyatt/Orton stuff prior to Mania. Orton joining the Wyatt Family seemingly rejuvenated him, he was having fun and working with purpose in the tag matches and it was great to see. But then on the road to WrestleMania, they took the off ramp to Shittsburgh and went from something with potential to the worst feud of the year. I do not say that lightly, because when you’re a major feud in the company around the top title and you bust out back-to-back DUDS, that’s the reason it’s so bad. This isn’t Yoshitatsu & Bone Solider putting on DUDS in the second match of a nothing NJPW Road to show, this is the WWE champion and the guy the company has been hoping and praying will be the next Undertaker, and also the guy they have no clue how to book. Instead, they are content to have him spin nursery rhymes and deliver solid but unspectacular singles performances after cutting promos that mean nothing. Bray Wyatt may have the absolute best delivery in the business on the mic, but it means nothing because there’s no substance to the promos, there’s nothing to remember. He’s a spooky dud that says words in a very pretty way and then has forgettable feuds. Well not completely forgettable, blowing up a TV and then appearing as a ghost to fuck over Dean Ambrose, wacky bug images in the ring and now this. And Orton isn’t much better; the guy has the look, has all of the tools but every time they go back to him he under whelms and fails to deliver as a top guy should. He gets complacent, and you can tell when he’s not happy with things when he gets into the ring. He’s mid-90’s pouting Shawn Michaels without the talent and hissy fits. But then there’s the “match.” The house of horrors stuff felt was too serious, like WWE Studios came in and tried to take control and make a “real movie.” The thing that made the Broken/Final Deletion stuff work was that it never took itself too seriously; it was campy, absurd and embraced those traits. The brawling was laughable here, with Bray coughing and wheezing like a lung cancer patient; he either smoked some rough crack before hand or is grossly out of shape, and I think that the Ferrari engine of that tank needs a tune up. The match portion wasn’t good when they got to it, Orton and Wyatt just have no chemistry once they get into the ring. The only good thing to come from this was the Jinder Mahal run in; Mahal and his cronies hit the ring, did heel things, cost Orton the match and again left with the belt, in theory getting some heat on him ahead of his title match.

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”