Chair Shots and Miscarriages of Justice: WWE Payback 2016

CHAIR SHOTS AND MISCARRIAGES OF JUSTICE

PAYBACK 2016

The spectacle of Wrestlemania behind us that means only one thing:  revenge!  No not at the WWE for making you watch them for 5 hours, although I wouldn’t blame you.  I mean them that gots done wrong gettin’ a chance for retribution.  Well sort of everybody but that’s not the point it’s a great name for the ppv following the big event.  So with your arch nemesis that you’d love to layeth the smakethdown to in mind let’s look back at the beginning of ‘The New Era’.

BEST MATCH:  Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens did this live up.  This match took me back to the early-mid 90’s, great flow, great action, told a phenomenal story full of emotion, good ol’ good guy vs. bad guy. The feud reminded me a bit of Bret and Owen Hart.  Like Bret, Zayn playing the reluctant face who hoped the match would begin the rebuild, whereas Owens was more than happy to burn what was left to the ground.  Really enjoyed the strengths of these two on display with Zayn the high flyer/ risk taker and Owens barroom power game.  Given what this match had to follow with Enzo being almost decapitated, it was a great pick-us-up for the rest of the show.  And bonus of bonus loved the feud spilling over into the Intercontinental Championship match while KO was on his self-invited commentary.  Knock on wood in this New Era it’s a set up to a triple threat at Extreme Rules with Owens-Cesaro-Miz [maybe even a fatal-four-way with Zayn?].  This is far from over and thank goodness for that.

WORST MATCH:  Tough call and this almost went to Nataliya and Charlotte but I’m going with Ambrose and Jericho and that’s a shame.  Watching the match develop something seemed off.  Timing was awkward numerous times, just lacked the fire and excitement I was expecting from these two.  Thinking along the lines of the ferocity Jericho had with HBK, but given how this feud started and what it was about Bleacher Report put out a great read on the lack of foundation.  Hopefully the creative team is able to find a way to give this fight some teeth fans and the wrestlers can sink into.

MOST DISAPPOINTING MOMENT:  The ending of the Women’s Championship match had me looking for small animals to punt off my balcony.  Thankfully the Chicago Version of the Montreal Screwjob had me so confused that by the time I regained coherent thought it was time for the main event.  I expected there to be some involvement with Hart and Ric Flair at some point, most likely leading to Charlotte getting the upper-hand for the W.  But this?  Really??  If it was Shawn Michaels daughter I ******might******* see it, but even still makes no sense and is about as disrespectful to a legend as it gets.

BEST MOMENT:  New…..Day rocks!  New… Day rocks!!  The bar has been raised for Superstars “scouting” their opponents.  Taking selfies, eating pizza, basically throwing a party ringside while chilling on a bean bag chair.  Would’ve loved to have seen how far that was going to go [Thank you Vaudevillians for putting the kibosh on that].  Shout out to Kevin Owens as well.  Bit choppy but I love his character’s ego.  Kicking back with his feet up rocking JBL’s cowboy hat, making sure everyone trying to ignore him knows a) Miz’ days as Intercontinental Champ are numbered, b) Michael Cole needs to shut up, and c) look out it’s Sami Zayn!!!

PARTING SHOTS:

- Nice to see crazy Vinny Mac coming back wanting to see Shane and Stephanie “gut each other” and “blood”.  I wonder what the Chairman is going to be like at 80 pushing 90 and senile……..  If anybody was wondering if Chicago forgot about CM Punk leaving, the answer is a resounding NO.  And wow do they not like Stephanie (not that many do in the Universe lately).  

- I’ll refer you to youtube Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler’s facial reaction on Shane and Stephanie being forced to share Raw.  Happy Shane’s back but that decision pretty weak.  

- Speaking of Steph and Shane how about those match restarts?  I must admit I was relieved they did after the count-out, but the low blow?  BU’s account of Payback hit the nail on the head.  Low blows happen practically every TV show, but here it’s called?  Abuse the referee, have the ref call DQ on Styles when Gallows and his goombah Anderson taking out Reigns, foreign object, beer truck, ANYTHING ELSE.  

- Did the Wyatt family’s raft drift up the wrong river on the way to Payback causing them to miss the show?

Angry Rating Scale: 4

~Double M