WWE Payback 2015 match card preview: Neville vs. King Barrett

Who?

Neville 5'10"/194 lbs.

vs.

King Barrett - 6'7"/246 lbs.

How?

This feud was born out of a surprising opportunity. At Extreme Rules (April 26th, 2015), Barrett was originally taking on Daniel Bryan for the Intercontinental Championship. Unfortunately, Bryan's neck injury kept him out of action, so Barrett was without an opponent, or so we thought.

Recent NXT call-up, Neville, answered the call, and put on a fantastic performance that earned him the big win, much to many people's surprise. Both men then turned their attention to the 2015 King of the Ring tournament that started the very next night. Along the way, Barrett was able to pick up wins against Dolph Ziggler and R-Truth. Neville became the "giant killer" by taking out both Luke Harper and Sheamus. The finals were set, and Barrett had his chance for revenge. Yet again, it was another superb back-and-forth match, but in he end Barrett was able to come away with the win to become "King Barrett".

Since then, each man has traded wins against each other in tag team action. First, on Raw (May 4th, 2015), King Barrett was able to secure a victory via a vicious "Bull Hammer" on Neville.

Later that week on SmackDown (May 7th, 2015) the two teams faced off again. King Barrett -- with a little help from the ropes -- nearly got the 1-2-3 on Dolph Ziggler. Neville was able to break up the pin, causing a long enough distraction for Dolph to hit the "Zig Zag" and even the score.

Why?

So, why should you care? Well, to put it simply, all of their matches have been outstanding. Neville is already very over with the crowd, which should add an extra layer of excitement. King Barrett wants to start his reign in winning fashion as he works his way back to the Intercontinental Championship. Neville is looking to make a name for himself in the WWE, so his motivation is pretty clear. Also, if you have yet to see Neville in action, he will do things that you've never seen before! His highlights alone are worth your time.

When and Where?

On the WWE Network/PPV this Sunday (May 17th, 2015) in Baltimore, Maryland. More specifically, most of the action will take place in the ring, or if Neville has anything to do with it, in the air. Barrett has a major size advantage, so he will want to do everything he can to keep this match on the ground.

Prediction

This feud came out of nowhere for King Barrett, and I think Neville's style initially took him by surprise. Now, he should have a better idea of what's coming and be ready to counter. Still riding high off his King of the Ring win, I see King Barrett coming out on top here as he moves away from Neville and towards title contention.

Because every King needs some gold, right?

All photos and videos via WWE.com