With a potentially important episode of Raw taking place, what should be added to the WWE Payback card?
WrestleMania 33 seemingly passed yesterday, but WWE Payback is already on the way. It had been a show dedicated to Raw, and may still be billed that way. However, SmackDown matches have made its way onto the card: Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt and Kevin Owens vs. Chris Jericho.
If WWE wanted to, they could add more matches from the Blue Brand to Payback. It would be somewhat surprising, though, with their Backlash pay-per-view in just about one month. Then again, did anyone expect SmackDown to show up at the Apr. 30 show?
Heading into Monday’s episode of Raw, we should see more one-on-ones and tag team bouts created for Payback. With four already set, maybe three or four more could be added, which is around the usual count for brand-exclusive shows. What could join it?
Raw Women’s Championship Match
Bayley (c) vs. Nia Jax
WWE hasn’t played up who Bayley’s WWE Payback challenger may be, but if the past two weeks have been any indication, Nia Jax is in the lead. She has crushed everyone in the Raw Women’s Division, including cleanly defeating Charlotte Flair.
This show is in Bayley’s hometown of San Jose, CA. Given how WWE rarely allows the Superstar to win in their town, could this be the end of her title reign?
WWE Intercontinental Championship Match
Dean Ambrose (c) vs. The Miz
We lost out on the potential Miz vs. Shinsuke Nakamura feud, which is disappointing. However, we’re in store for a reboot of Ambrose vs. the A-lister, which abruptly stopped, earlier this year.
Ambrose took the Intercontinental Championship off the Miz just a few months ago, too, so it’s somewhat surprising that WWE is going back to this. However, maybe they feel there’s unfinished business from last time.
No. 1 Contender’s Match for the WWE Universal Championship
Braun Strowman vs. Roman Reigns
Strowman and Reigns are on a path toward another match. However, with the Monster Among Men and Brock Lesnar’s confrontation over the WWE Universal Championship — along with Paul Heyman calling out Reigns — the connection is there to put a title match at stake.
Strowman and Reigns won’t main event Payback, as that should be given to the WWE Championship. That’s unless WWE chooses to give the Raw matchup precedence, since it’s, well, a Raw PPV.
Next: WWE Raw Predictions, Apr. 17
These matches could fill out Payback as soon as Monday night. If not those three, then what may be seen in two weeks?