Tag: Wwe Payback 2023

WWE touts financial success of Payback 2023

Posted on by Joseph Currier

WWE is touting that Payback 2023 was a record-breaking night for the company.

The event took place in Pittsburgh on Saturday night and was the first Payback pay-per-view since 2020. In a press release issued on Tuesday, WWE stated that this was the most-watched and highest-grossing Payback ever.

Payback’s viewership was up 36 percent from the prior record in 2016. This year’s Payback aired on Peacock while the 2016 event was on WWE Network.

The gate was up 13 percent from the previous record, which was also Payback 2016. WWE states that it’s the highest-grossing event for any WWE show ever held in Pittsburgh.

Payback 2016 took place at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois.

“In addition, Payback broke the all-time event merchandise record. In partnership with special event retail partner Fanatics, merchandise sales were up 182 percent versus the previous record set in 2017,” WWE wrote.

“2023 Payback was also the most-viewed social Payback of all time with a combined 146 million social views, up 44 percent from the previous record set in 2020. The most-viewed moment across social platforms was Cody Rhodes announcing Jey Uso would be joining the Monday Night Raw roster which generated more than seven million social views across all platforms in one day.”

Saturday’s PPV was headlined by Seth Rollins retaining his World Heavyweight Championship against Shinsuke Nakamura. Judgment Day (Finn Balor & Damian Priest) winning the Undisputed WWE Tag Team titles from Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn in a Steel City Street Fight was among the other highlights, along with Becky Lynch defeating Trish Stratus in a steel cage match.

This was the seventh Payback event in WWE history. The PPV first took place in 2013.

The Great Muta appears ringside for WWE Payback main event

Posted on by Ethan Renner

The Great Muta was present at ringside for the WWE Payback main event on Saturday. 

Muta was briefly shown on camera while seated in the crowd for the Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura main event at Saturday’s Payback pay-per-view in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Rollins defeated Nakamura to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in the show-closing bout. Muta did not get involved in the match.

Muta, real name Keiji Muto, retired from the ring earlier this year after a career spanning nearly 39 years. 

Prior to his retirement, Muta wrestled Nakamura on January 1 at Pro Wrestling NOAH’s The New Year show in a rare instance of WWE allowing a contracted talent in Nakamura to work a match outside of the company. 

Muta would wrestle for the final time as The Great Muta character at The Great Muta Final Bye-Bye event on January 23 of this year in Yokohama, Japan. His final matches under his real name cam in February of this year at the Tokyo Dome at the Keiji Muto Grand Final Pro-Wrestling “Last” Love show, where he lost to Tetsuya Naito, then defeated Masahiro Chono in an unadvertised match to close his career. 

Muta was then inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on WrestleMania weekend on March 31 in Los Angeles. 

Muta won the Wrestling Observer Newsletter award for Wrestler of the Year in 2001, and was a member of the 1999 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame class. 

Jey Uso announced as newest member of WWE Raw roster

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Jey Uso is back in WWE, this time as part of the Raw roster. 

Uso returned to WWE at Saturday’s Payback pay-per-view and was introduced by Cody Rhodes as the newest member of the Raw roster during a Grayson Waller Effect talk show segment. 

After being introduced by Rhodes, Uso had a brief interaction with Waller where Waller taunted him, ending with Uso laying Waller out with a superkick. Rhodes was a special guest of Waller’s on the Grayson Waller Effect, and noted that he had asked to be on the segment to make the announcement of Jey’s return.

On-screen authority figure Adam Pearce later posted on social media that Jey’s move to Raw was “official.”

Uso had announced that he was “out” of WWE and the SmackDown roster during the August 11 edition of SmackDown in the fallout from SummerSlam where Jey’s brother Jimmy cost him a chance at Roman Reigns’ Undisputed Universal Championship.

Waller called attention to the quick turnaround between Jey leaving and returning in the Payback segment. 

Reigns used a superkick from Jimmy to pin Jey in a Tribal Combat match where both Reigns’ Championship and title of “Tribal Chief” were at stake in the SummerSlam main event.

Jey’s move to Raw is the latest twist in WWE’s Bloodline saga, a storyline that has carried the SmackDown brand throughout 2023.

John Cena to host WWE Payback

Posted on by Bryan Rose

John Cena will be hosting Saturday’s WWE Payback event.

Cena officially returned to WWE on Friday’s SmackDown and informed everyone that he was just told that he will be hosting WWE Payback in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Cena will be making a number of appearances on WWE television over the next few months, including WWE’s Superstar Spectacle event in India later this month.

On Friday’s show, Cena was cutting a promo when Jimmy Uso came out and accused Cena of being just like Roman Reigns, except Cena does what he does with a smile. Cena responded by saying that he thought the wrong Uso had quit WWE. Jimmy attempted to retaliate with a superkick, but John Cena countered with the AA.

Here is the lineup for Saturday’s Payback event.

WWE Payback, Saturday, September 2, 8 p.m. Eastern time on Peacock & WWE Network —

  • John Cena to host
  • World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins defends against Shinsuke Nakamura
  • Women’s World Championship: Rhea Ripley defends against Raquel Rodriguez
  • United States Championship: Rey Mysterio defends against Austin Theory
  • Undisputed Tag Team Championship Steel City Street Fight: Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn defend against The Judgment Day’s Finn Balor & Damian Priest
  • Steel cage match: Trish Stratus vs. Becky Lynch
  • LA Knight vs. The Miz
  • The Grayson Waller Effect with guest Cody Rhodes

Undisputed Tag Team title match set for WWE Payback

Posted on by Ethan Renner

An Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship street fight has been added to Saturday’s Payback pay-per-view lineup. 

As revealed during Monday’s Raw episode, Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn will defend the Undisputed Tag titles against Finn Balor & Damian Priest of The Judgment Day on the Saturday, September 2 Payback event in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was announced later in the show that the match will be a Steel City Street Fight.

The new bout was announced at the top of Monday’s Raw telecast, and Priest promptly defeated Zayn in the show’s opening contest to further set up Saturday’s match. 

Six matches are now official for Payback, including four title bouts. 

In addition to the Tag title match, the World Heavyweight title, Women’s World title, and United States titles will also be on the line on Saturday.

The current lineup: 

WWE Payback, Saturday, September 2, 8 p.m. Eastern time on Peacock & WWE Network —

  • World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins defends against Shinsuke Nakamura
  • Women’s World Championship: Rhea Ripley defends against Raquel Rodriguez
  • United States Championship: Rey Mysterio defends against Austin Theory
  • Undisputed Tag Team Championship Steel City Street Fight: Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn defend against The Judgment Day’s Finn Balor & Damian Priest
  • Steel cage match: Trish Stratus vs. Becky Lynch
  • LA Knight vs. The Miz
  • The Grayson Waller Effect with guest Cody Rhodes

Two matches, Cody Rhodes segment added to WWE Payback

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Two new matches, plus Cody Rhodes appearing on The Grayson Waller Effect have been added to the lineup for WWE Payback. 

LA Knight’s feud with The Miz will continue at Payback in a singles match on Saturday, September 2.

Knight used his promo time on Friday’s show both to honor Bray Wyatt, and to further his issue with The Miz, stating that the next time Miz sees him, he should run, a callback to one of Wyatt’s catchphrases. 

Also revealed during Friday’s SmackDown, Rey Mysterio is set to defend the United States Championship against Austin Theory at Payback.

Theory defeated LA Knight in a number one contender’s match on last week’s SmackDown to earn the title shot. 

In addition, Payback will host a Grayson Waller Effect talk show segment with guest Cody Rhodes. 

Rhodes appeared on Friday’s SmackDown tribute show to Wyatt & Terry Funk, delivering a speech about Funk’s career and impact on the industry. 

A Becky Lynch vs Trish Stratus steel cage match, a World Heavyweight Championship match, plus a Women’s World Championship match have already been announced for Payback. 

The updated card: 

WWE Payback, Saturday, September 2, 8 p.m. Eastern time on Peacock & WWE Network —

  • World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins defends against Shinsuke Nakamura
  • Women’s World Championship: Rhea Ripley defends against Raquel Rodriguez
  • United States Championship: Rey Mysterio defends against Austin Theory
  • Steel cage match: Trish Stratus vs. Becky Lynch
  • LA Knight vs. The Miz
  • The Grayson Waller Effect with guest Cody Rhodes

Women’s World Championship match added to WWE Payback

Posted on by Ethan Renner

A Women’s World Championship match has been added to the lineup for the Saturday, September 2 WWE Payback pay-per-view. 

As revealed during Monday’s Raw show, Rhea Ripley will defend the Women’s World title against Raquel Rodriguez at Payback. 

Rodriguez attacked Ripley with a crutch on Monday’s show as she announced that she had been medically cleared from a recent knee injury and would be facing Ripley for the title at Payback. 

The Women’s World title match joins a lineup that includes a steel cage match with Trish Stratus facing Becky Lynch, plus a World Heavyweight title match that was made official during Raw with Seth Rollins defending against Shinsuke Nakamura. 

While not officially announced, an Intercontinental title rematch with Gunther defending against Chad Gable appears to be a future direction either for an upcoming Raw or Payback after Gable defeated Gunther via countout on Monday’s Raw.

The updated card for Payback: 

WWE Payback, Saturday, September 2, 8 p.m. Eastern time on Peacock & WWE Network —

  • World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins defends against Shinsuke Nakamura
  • Women’s World Championship: Rhea Ripley defends against Raquel Rodriguez
  • Steel cage match: Trish Stratus vs. Becky Lynch

World Heavyweight title match official for WWE Payback

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship is set for the Payback pay-per-view on Saturday, September 2. 

The Payback match was officially announced during Monday’s Raw. 

During a pre-taped promo during this week’s Raw, Nakamura revealed that he had whispered “I know about your back” to Rollins last week. Nakamura said that he knows that Rollins has a broken back, and that it has plagued him for years. 

Nakamura said that he knows Rollins’ weaknesses, and will exploit them as he takes the World Heavyweight title from Rollins at Payback. 

Rollins vs. Nakamura was the second match made official for Payback, joining Trish Stratus vs. Becky Lynch in a steel cage match which was announced late last week. 

Later on Raw, a Women’s World Championship match between Rhea Ripley & Raquel Rodriguez was also added to the Payback card. 

The updated lineup: 

WWE Payback, Saturday, September 2, 8 p.m. Eastern time on Peacock & WWE Network —

  • World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins defends against Shinsuke Nakamura
  • Women’s World Championship: Rhea Ripley defends against Raquel Rodriguez
  • Steel cage match: Trish Stratus vs. Becky Lynch

Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus cage match advertised for WWE Payback

Posted on by Joseph Currier

It appears that Becky Lynch and Trish Stratus’ steel cage match will be going down at WWE Payback.

The cage match between Lynch and Stratus was announced on Raw earlier this week, but WWE didn’t reveal when it would be taking place. An announcement on this week’s episode of Main Event then stated that the match will be happening at Payback.

Payback is being held in Pittsburgh on Saturday, September 2. This is the first match that’s set for the pay-per-view.

The steel cage stipulation for Lynch vs. Stratus is a way to stop Zoey Stark from getting involved. She’s repeatedly helped Stratus during this feud with Lynch.

Stark aligned with Stratus when she helped Stratus defeat Lynch at Night of Champions this May. It looked like a rematch between Lynch and Stratus was being planned for SummerSlam, but that didn’t end up happening. They had a brief match on the July 31 episode of Raw that saw Stark immediately interfere and attack Lynch.

Lynch and Stratus then had a match on Raw this Monday that ended in a double countout. As Lynch and Stratus brawled in the concourse, Stark again got involved and helped Stratus lay out Lynch.

Adam Pearce yelled at Stratus and Stark after the brawl and informed them that the next match between Lynch and Stratus would be taking place inside of a steel cage.

WWE announces Payback 2023 for September

Posted on by Joseph Currier

For the first time in five years, WWE is bringing a pay-per-view event to Pittsburgh.

It was announced today that Payback 2023 will be held at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh on September 2, which is the Saturday of Labor Day weekend. The show will stream live on Peacock/WWE Network.

This will be the first time Pittsburgh has hosted a WWE PPV since Extreme Rules 2018.

The most recent Payback event prior to this took place in 2020. That night, Roman Reigns defeated “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman in a triple threat match to begin his historic run as Universal Champion. Reigns has been champion for more than 1000 days since then.

Tickets for Payback 2023 will go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, June 27 at 10 a.m. Eastern time. There will be a ticket pre-sale prior to the general on-sale date.

Though not yet officially announced, it’s expected that AEW’s All Out PPV will also take place during Labor Day weekend. All Out will likely be on Sunday, September 3.

Here’s a look at WWE’s upcoming PPV schedule:

  • Saturday, July 1: Money in the Bank at O2 Arena in London, England
  • Saturday, August 5: SummerSlam at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan
  • Saturday, September 2: Payback at PPG Paints Arena In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania