WWE Payback 2017 Results: Highlights, Analysis, and Grades

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Raw Women’s Championship Match
Bayley (c) vs. Alexa Bliss

Result: Alexa Bliss defeats Bayley via pinfall to win the Raw Women’s Championship.

Rating: 3.25 out of 5 stars

This is Bayley’s Raw homecoming, as she’s from San Jose, CA. She received the big reaction from the SAP Center, performing in front of 25 members of her family and friends.

Bliss looked like the star of this match from the beginning. It’s not her in-ring work, but character and presence that stands out. She manages to do this at five-foot, something difficult to pull off. However, everything that Bliss does make her stand out and draw the ire of the crowd.

All of this leads to the satisfying babyface comeback, which makes you want to see Bayley get her in-match revenge.

The match got stiff as it went on. Bayley hit a hard running knee to Bliss, which came after a big sunset flip powerbomb from the challenger. The Macho Man elbow was even hit.

After knocking Bayley’s face into the steel post, Bliss hit a big DDT to win the Raw Women’s Championship. She became the first Superstar to win this title on Raw and SmackDown Live.

This continues Vince McMahon’s desire for Superstars to not win in their hometown. It happened with Sasha Banks at Hell in a Cell and Charlotte Flair on Raw. Now, it’s Bayley’s turn with the Raw Women’s Championship, endng her reign at nearly three months.