WWE Payback preview

Read on for my ideas for booking tonight's WWE special event.

WWE has another big event in three weeks, so pretty much all these feuds will continue toward gimmick matches at Extreme Rules. In the days before PPVs themed around stipulations and gimmick matches, feuds were more organically built toward big clashes with stipulations involved. I'd like to see WWE move back to that philosophy, where "going extreme" wasn't due to an arbitrary date on the PPV calendar, but because a feud warranted a big conclusion. Nevertheless, here are my suggestions for WWE's matches tonight:

Kickoff:
- Kalisto vs. Ryback: Kalisto wins. During the main show, the U.S. Champion is interviewed about his victory (because being champion is important). Ryback attacks him from behind with a steel chain to set up a chain match at Extreme Rules. Kalisto can't use his speed when he's tied wrist-to-wrist with The Big Guy. Pinfalls or submissions only, because the "tagging the turnbuckles" stipulation is really silly for a heated feud.

Payback:
- If WWE needs a bonus match or two, they have options:

-- LoN vs. Rowan/Strowman/Barrett for the sake of wrapping that angle up. Rowan and Strowman would talk about how they didn't need to do anything else to LoN, since they imploded on their own. Cue LoN teaming up one last time to battle them, with Barrett evening the odds. Alternately, LoN could give New Day their win back from WM32 or face the remaining Outcasts as the result of trash talk. LoN not being on this show would be a surprise.

-- Goldust and Fandango vs. R-Truth and Tyler Breeze, as was teased on Smackdown.

-- Another women's match. There are plenty of them not on the card.

-- Another Apollo Crews squash.

-- Zack Ryder getting a win on someone after completely falling from the IC Title picture. Stardust? Viktor?

I think the undercard people need some love, too.

Anyway, as for the actual announced card:

- The "obvious" route for the "who controls Raw" angle is to give Shane one show and HHH/Stephanie the other to lead to set up a brand extension. The night after Extreme Rules would be a perfect show to do the actual draft. They might as well do HHH vs. Shane at ER to determine who gets first pick. The champions should be exempt from the draft, with the possible exceptions of the U.S. and IC Titles; each show would get one champion.

- Zayn vs. Owens: I'd be fine with them ripping off a previous ending/feud between these two to set up something for Extreme Rules. How about Zayn wins, then takes a powerbomb on the apron to setup an ambulance match at the next show? 

- Ziggler vs. Corbin: The fight spills out into the crowd to set up a Falls Count Anywhere match at ER.

- Miz vs. Cesaro: Maryse gives her husband the championship to hit Cesaro with for a DQ. Cesaro recruits Becky Lynch to counter Maryse, and at ER we get a Hollywood Street Fight with all sorts of Hollywood props as weapons.

- Charlotte vs. Natalya: Bret stops Flair from helping his daughter, but the distraction lets Charlotte get the win with a rollup. On Raw, Bret goads Ric into accepting a two out of three falls match at ER on behalf of Charlotte, with Ric banned from ringside. 

- Enzo/Cass vs. Vaudevillains: Enzo and Cass do an interview backstage before their match, which concludes with Enzo making reference to checking out catering for protein bars or whatever to get him ready for their WWE PPV debut. Of course, before the match, Enzo is found in the middle of a broken table in catering. The Dudleys just happen to be standing by when Cass and officials are checking on Enzo. They say it's a shame "someone" did something like that to Cass' partner, and wish him luck in his match. Enzo comes out late in the match bandaged up, but the Vaudevillains still get the win. Dudleys vs. Enzo/Cass in a tables match at ER, with New Day defending the titles in some ridiculous stipulation match. Preferably referencing Booty-O's. That match should be mostly comedic to separate itself from the more serious feuds on the card. Gotch and English will get a more serious rematch at MITB in June.

- Jericho vs. Ambrose: As much as I would love this to lead to a buried alive match based on Jericho wanting to "bury the younger talents," I could see there being objections because that's "Undertaker's match" or whatever. Jericho wins via Codebreaker, knocking Ambrose's foot from the rope before the referee sees it to break the count. Jericho declares the feud done, since he got the win. Ambrose takes over Jericho's podcast to get Y2J to agree to a rematch at ER. They need to at least tease Ambrose giving Jericho's studio to Ralphus if they can't get him to appear. I'm thinking "an asylum match" like a boiler room brawl type deal for the rematch.

- Reigns vs. Styles: After these two show us what they can do on their own for a while, Anderson and Gallows come down to the ring and try to get AJ to cheat to win (slipping him a weapon, attacking on his behalf), but the Usos come out to counter them. Amid the chaos of them fighting, Roman hits the spear to win. Six-man elimination tag at ER: winning side's captain emerges WWE Champion. That night or the Raw after is when I'd do whatever heel turn/Finn Balor shenanigans that should be done.

More wrestling coming up.