WWE Payback 2023 is here as the show comes from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We watched the show and attached grades for each match.
WWE Payback 2023 Report Card: Grades Are In From Pittsburgh!
LA Knight Vs. The Miz
Before we got into the match, John Cena informed us he would be the special referee. The Miz mocking Cena was some classic stuff we have missed and the 16 time World Champion seemed to love being out there.
I think when Cena is the referee, fans are less concerned about the action inside the square circle. The match was nothing special, so the fans did not miss much.
Now, Cena and LA Knight traded a few words at the end. With the future WWE Hall of Famer sticking around for a bit, a match with Knight could be coming soon. Grade: B-
World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins Vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Honestly, I was never got into this match and thought there were options to close the show. Interesting tidbit how this Shinsuke Nakamura’s first pay per view main event.
I Rollins’ smack-talk, because Nakamura brought his family into this match. Also, having Rollins’ injured back worked over made sense in the storyline, but not so much since the injury is legit.
Rollins winning was not a surprise. Considering how things went so well for the The Judgement Day at WWE Payback 2023, I was waiting to see if Damian Priest would cash-in Money in the Bank (MITB). Grade: B
Women’s World Championship: Rhea Ripley Vs. Raquel Rodriguez
Tough spot as the tag team title match had the crowd on their feet and they now seem a bit fatigued. We have seen these two in NXT and they always had great matches.
The pace seemed a bit slow, especially when comparing to their previous bouts. The storyline felt like two of the biggest and strongest women in the company battling.
There were some hard-hitting spots and I want to see them run this back. Book it for RAW, where they can have 15-20 minutes to close the show as they deserved a better crowd reaction than the one at WWWE Payback 2023. Grade: B
United States Championship: Rey Mysterio Vs. Austin Theory
I believe this marks the fist pay per view Austin Theory has not been United States Champion in some time. I actually prefer Theory chasing the title.
Yes, the match delivered as Mysterio retained with Theory still looking strong. WWE should have tossed in Santos Escobar to add more interest.
Overall, the United States Championship needs a different holder and it is time to see if Theory can stand without gold. It just felt like there was noting special outside of a decent match. Grade: B
Steel Cage Match: Becky Lynch Vs. Trish Stratus
WWE Payback 2023 opened with a Steel Cage Match, where Becky Lynch finally got the better of Trish Stratus. For the most part, their matches have not been great, but the blowoff went great.
Having Stratus use moves from wrestlers during her past, like Victoria and Lita, was fun to see. After six months of questions about why Stratus returned, she ended her program looking like herself from 2006.
I think Stratus is now done with WWE, for now, although Zoey Stark could be something down the line. We got a great match and Stark was given the rub, so a win for everyone involved. Grade: A-
Steel City Street Fight For The Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship: Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn Vs. Damian Priest & Finn Balor
The big question heading into the match was if Damian Priest and Finn Balor could work together. Also, JD McDonagh possibly playing a role.
Great nod to the Pittsburgh Penguins from Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. Great hardcore match with some cringeworthy bumps.
The Judgement Day is now covered in gold and other accomplishments. And, I must add, WWE Payback 2023 was filled with ridiculous bumps/spots; especially by Owens. Grade: A-
So, how did our WWE Payback 2023 report card do compared to our readers?
