PPV Fusion: Payback 2015
The 2015 WWE Payback Pay-Per-View starts with a video hyping the matches to take place later in the night, followed by Sheamus taking on Dolph Ziggler in a match to kick things off.
The match sees Ziggler get busted open from a powerful headbutt he gives to Sheamus, but Sheamus get the victory when he hits Ziggler with a Brogue Kick for the 3-count.
After an interaction backstage involving Kane and Seth Rollins, “The New Day” Big E and Kofi Kingston (accompanied by fellow member of “The New Day”, Xavier Woods) are pitted against Cesaro and Tyson Kidd (accompanied by Natalya) in a match for the WWE Tag Team Championship.
The match sees Xavier Woods get the victory for his team by taking Kingston’s place behind the referee’s back, when he captures Cesaro in a small package for the 3-count without the referee realising it isn’t Kingston. Afterwards, Cesaro attempts to point it out to the referee, but it is to no avail.
After a video hyping the next WWE Pay-Per-View, Elimination Chamber on 31st May exclusively on WWE Network, and Byron Saxton interviews Ryback about his upcoming match against Bray Wyatt, a video recaps the events that led to the upcoming match before Ryback goes against Bray Wyatt in a match.
The match sees Wyatt get the victory, when he shoves Ryback into an exposed turnbuckle and follows it up by hitting him with Sister Abigail for the 3-count.
After a video hyping the following WWE Pay-Per-View after Elimination Chamber, Money In The Bank on 14th June, and a video hyping a new episode of the Stone Cold Podcast featuring Paul Heyman to take place on 1st June (immediately following Raw) on WWE Network, a video recaps the events that led to the upcoming match before John Cena takes on Rusev for the United States Championship.
The match sees Cena get the victory and retain his title, when Lana steps in and tells the referee that Rusev quits – apparently as a translation of what Rusev is yelling when asked if he gives up while in an STF from Cena using a ring rope.
After checking in with the Payback Panel (comprised of Renee Young, WWE Hall of Famer Booker T and Corey Graves) for their opinions on the matches that have happened and are to come, and a video recapping the earlier match between “The Mega Powers” Curtis Axel and Macho Mandow (Damien Sandow) and “The Ascension” Konnor and Victor which was won by the latter team, Byron Saxton interviews “The New Day” about their victory and announces that they will defend their titles in a first-ever Tag Team Championship Elimination Chamber match at the Elimination Chamber Pay-Per-View.
After hyping the WWE NXT Pay-Per-View to air on the WWE Network, NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable on Wednesday (20th May), a video recaps the events that led to the upcoming match before “The Bella Twins” Nikki and Brie Bella are pitted against Naomi and Tamina in a Tag Team match.
The match sees Nikki get distracted by Brie being sent into the barricade by Tamina, which allows Naomi to take advantage and throw Nikki off the turnbuckle and follow it up with a pin for the 3-count.
After a video hyping the WWE Network prank show “Swerved” which is set to start airing in June, and an interaction backstage involving Rusev and Lana in which he tells her to get out, and a video recapping Daniel Bryan relinquishing the Intercontinental Championship due to injury on Monday Night Raw, it is announced that there will be an Elimination Chamber match to take place at the Pay-Per-View at the same name in two weeks to crown a new Intercontinental Champion.
After a video recaps the events that led to the upcoming match, King Barrett goes against Neville in a match which sees Neville get the victory, when Barrett intentionally gets himself counted out. As Neville celebrates in the ring afterwards, Barrett attacks him. Neville gets the last word however, as Barrett’s own celebration results in a German suplex from Neville that he follows up with the Red Arrow.
After showing highlights of some of the entries received for Tough Enough so far, and a video recapping the events that led to the upcoming match, Seth Rollins (accompanied by “J&J Security” Joey Mercury and Jamie Noble), Roman Reigns, Randy Orton and Dean Ambrose take each other on for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in a match which will also mean that Kane (who is at ringside during the match) will be fired if Rollins fails to retain his title.
The match sees a reunion of “The Shield” when Rollins, Reigns and Ambrose put Orton through the English Announce Table with a Triple Powerbomb, but the reunion is brief as Reigns and Ambrose have no interest in participating when Rollins holds his fist in front of him afterwards.
Instead, Rollins lies prone on the Spanish Announce Table when Reigns and Ambrose hit Kane with a powerbomb to land on Rollins, but as the table doesn’t break Reigns and Rollins heed the chants of the crowd to do it “one more time”, so the double-powerbomb does indeed happen a second time onto Rollins, this time with the table breaking.
Rollins get the victory and retains his title, when he takes advantage of the distraction provided by Kane and hits Orton with a Pedigree for the 3-count to also ensure that Kane keeps his job.
Afterwards, Rollins celebrates at the top of the ramp with Triple H, as Payback goes off the air.
Live Tweeters’ Reactions
From amusing and interesting observations and references, to speculation and criticism in the United States Championship match, see some of the reactions from those tweeting live embedded below.
How am I not booked tonight?! #WWEPayback
— Vacant (@WWEVacant) May 17, 2015
Watcha gonna do brother? When the 1980s run wild on you? #paybackkickoff pic.twitter.com/B0E27R5fZN
— Wrestling Memes (@Wrestling_Memes) May 17, 2015
That's right #WWEUniverse, the #MegaPowers are here! #MachoMandow & #AxelMania are on the #WWEPayback Kickoff show! https://t.co/YytjPWMRN9
— WWE (@WWE) May 17, 2015
That goatee though… #TheLittleThings #WWEPayback @WWE pic.twitter.com/ieYjBY2k59
— Kyle Edwards (@KyleEdwardsWWE) May 17, 2015
The Ascension look like all the new characters from the PS2 Mortal Kombat games.
— MaffewOfBotchamania (@Maffewgregg) May 17, 2015
I just realized that Sandow has played both Poffo brothers, The Genius as a serious gimmick, and Macho Man for parody #wwepayback
— Justin Henry (@JRHWriting) May 17, 2015
And here we have the table that will be broken by the end of the night. #RIPSpanishAnnounceTable #WWEPayback
— Wrestling Fusion (@WrestlingFusion) May 18, 2015
Dolph's hair looks like it would make a delicious meal if you were to add a tiny packet of ketchup and hot water to the fill line #potnoodle
— Wrestling Memes (@Wrestling_Memes) May 18, 2015
#WWEPayback pic.twitter.com/wl74rcPT8W
— LARIATOOOOO!!! (@SenorLARIATO) May 18, 2015
Poor Dolph has a pretty nasty cut on his head after a very hard-fought match, and they barely let him face the camera thereafter. #Payback
— Fighting Spirit Mag (@FSM_Editor) May 18, 2015
Needed blood to wash the taste of arse out of me mouth. #AreYouNotEntertained #WWEPayback
— Sheamus (@WWESheamus) May 18, 2015
If it's 2-Out-Of-3 Falls, does that allow a substitution for The New Day in between owing to the Freebirds Rules? #WWEPayback
— Wrestling Fusion (@WrestlingFusion) May 18, 2015
That answers my earlier tweet – the referee wouldn't allow it. https://t.co/cMIrUesRL8
— Wrestling Fusion (@WrestlingFusion) May 18, 2015
You can't just yell "Freebird Rule". According to Michael Hayes you also have to be very, very drunk. #WWEPayback
— WWE Creative Humor (@WWECreative_ish) May 18, 2015
This is awesome chants from the crowd. @XavierWoodsPhD "We are well aware!" #WWEPayback
— Wrestling Fusion (@WrestlingFusion) May 18, 2015
Cesaro hits Kofi with an "Uppercut Parade". That's WWE legal's way of saying "Fuck your Superkick Party". #wwepayback @TNACreative
— Justin Henry (@JRHWriting) May 18, 2015
We should just have these two teams wrestle for the entire 3 hours. #WWEPayback
— WWE Creative Humor (@WWECreative_ish) May 18, 2015
Really really really good tag team titles match. Tons of creativity and everyone shined.
— El Ligero (@Ligero1) May 18, 2015
The eater of worlds vs the eater of big sandwiches #Payback
— Wrestling Memes (@Wrestling_Memes) May 18, 2015
It's like @WWEBrayWyatt is Joss Whedon & they're all Firefly, which makes the concussion Ryback will give him it's cancellation #WWEPayback
— WWE Creative Humor (@WWECreative_ish) May 18, 2015
That senton was fantastic. Not sure Ryback agrees. #WWEPayback
— Fighting Spirit Mag (@FSM_Editor) May 18, 2015
Wow! @WWEBrayWyatt just tried to destroy @Ryback22's ribs!! #WWEPayback pic.twitter.com/XrjnBSrdqd
— Ellis Mbeh (@EllisMbeh) May 18, 2015
@WWEBrayWyatt – Bray's got worms again : http://t.co/2iezIAmlWq
— WrasslorMonkey (@WrasslorMonkey) May 18, 2015
*Ryback goes into mall airbrush store & hands over a plain singlet* Employee: "Hey man, what do you want on it?" Ryback: "Just fuck me up."
— Miranda (@viahiptop) May 18, 2015
The #StoneColdPodcast with @HeymanHustle will be LIVE Monday, June 1, exclusively on @WWENetwork! http://t.co/hhW00QUCUT
— WWE Network (@WWENetwork) May 18, 2015
.Also there's a @steveaustinBSR podcast with @HeymanHustle on it… My ovaries just exploded. Super excited for this. ❤️ #Payback
— PAIGE (@RealPaigeWWE) May 18, 2015
End of this match: Lana comes out, Rusev puts her in the Accolade, Cena says I quit. #WWEPayback
— PROGRESS Wrestling (@ThisIs_Progress) May 18, 2015
.@ThisIs_Progress made a good suggestion of what the end of this match will be, but I'm thinking Lana will throw in the towel for Rusev.
— Wrestling Fusion (@WrestlingFusion) May 18, 2015
Cena doesn't need the mic to inform the ref he's quitting. If he uses his spot-calling voice everybody will hear it.
— MaffewOfBotchamania (@Maffewgregg) May 18, 2015
That last barricade OMG! moment requires one stored finisher, btw. #WWEPayback
— WWE 2K (@WWEgames) May 18, 2015
It would be more convincing if that prop laptop was on. #WWEPayback
— WWE Creative Humor (@WWECreative_ish) May 18, 2015
The table broke. Shame, I was hoping for a #Botchamania "I AM THE TABLE!" moment. @Maffewgregg
— Wrestling Fusion (@WrestlingFusion) May 18, 2015
Cool, Rusev just beat @JohnCena in a tables match. #WWEPayback
— WWE Creative Humor (@WWECreative_ish) May 18, 2015
Why would you put a blanket over a single guardrail? It's not a budgie. #WWEPayback
— PROGRESS Wrestling (@ThisIs_Progress) May 18, 2015
Cena's voice-acting here is beyond abysmal. Not even the slightest sense of pain or anguish in it. #WWEPayback
— Fighting Spirit Mag (@FSM_Editor) May 18, 2015
It's not a good sign that Lana is dressed like a white flag #WWEPayback
— WWE Creative Humor (@WWECreative_ish) May 18, 2015
RUSEV…..BREAK CENA!!!!!!!! #IQuit #WWEPayback pic.twitter.com/II7QeyIeMD
— Ellis Mbeh (@EllisMbeh) May 18, 2015
Interesting finish. Lana *translates* that Rusev said "I quit". Clearly he didn't, so I guess we'll never know who would'v won. #WWEPayback
— SLTD Wrestling (@SLTDWrestling) May 18, 2015
New Day with a milk celebration and a gimmick infringement lawsuit from @RealKurtAngle #WWEPayback
— WWE Creative Humor (@WWECreative_ish) May 18, 2015
Naomi's boots are actually her stamina and health gauge. I see you, @WWEGames #WWEPayback
— WWSubtitles (Max) (@WrestleSubtitle) May 18, 2015
Shouldn't Brie have an ODB flask to drink from before she goes into Brie Mode? #Payback
— Lance Storm (@LanceStorm) May 18, 2015
@TaminaSnuka @BellaTwins – "Hey, nice shoesWAITNOOOF" http://t.co/vH24RufYvu
— WrasslorMonkey (@WrasslorMonkey) May 18, 2015
, @WWENetwork hello there's an issue with my Network stream, it's stuck on Brie Mode. How do I fix this
— MaffewOfBotchamania (@Maffewgregg) May 18, 2015
"BRIE MOOOOOODE!" pic.twitter.com/1tnNKY8CXB
— BC (@4CR_Billy) May 18, 2015
After losing the #IQuit Match at #WWEPayback, an infuriated @RusevBUL tells @LanaWWE to "Get Out!" http://t.co/Li2gFcBlyi
— WWE (@WWE) May 18, 2015
In all seriousness I'd have given anything to work with today's @WWENeville on PPV in ECW in 1999
— Lance Storm (@LanceStorm) May 18, 2015
I keep thinking there's a fan in the ring, then realise that it's Dean Ambrose in his leather jacket #WWEPayback
— PROGRESS Wrestling (@ThisIs_Progress) May 18, 2015
The Spanish announce table just breathed a sigh of relief……. #Fatal4Way @WWE
— Solomon Crowe (@WWECrowe) May 18, 2015
The Shield is Shiedling it real hard right now.
— Heels In Heels (@theheelsinheels) May 18, 2015
"Not again…" – Spanish Announce Table #WWEPayback
— Wrestling Fusion (@WrestlingFusion) May 18, 2015
When in doubt just have Dean Ambrose & @WWERomanReigns beat the hell out of each other #WWEPayback
— WWE Creative Humor (@WWECreative_ish) May 18, 2015
Enjoyed that main event a lot. Some great stuff in there. #WWEPayback
— PROGRESS Wrestling (@ThisIs_Progress) May 18, 2015
Great main event, great show. WWE might seem to have a PPV every 6 minutes, but there's no denying the quality and run of form they're on.
— El Ligero (@Ligero1) May 18, 2015
Bonus Credits
For embedding a number of tweets from a number of the same people above, be sure to check out the following (in alphabetical order):
Fighting Spirit Magazine (@FSM_Editor): fightingspiritmagazine.co.uk/.
MaffewOfBotchamania (@Maffewgregg): botchamania.com.
PROGRESS Wrestling (@ThisIs_Progress): progresswrestling.com and demand-progress.com.
Senor LARIATO (@SenorLARIATO): theindycorner.com.
Wrestling Memes (@Wrestling_Memes): facebook.com/wrestlingmemes and @TheTomAnstey.
WWE Creative Humor (@WWECreative_ish): Parody account, so give them a follow on Twitter.
Finally, you can of course also follow Wrestling Fusion on Twitter at @WrestlingFusion.