The Match Up:

Roman Reigns faces Braun Strowman in a one-on-one grudge match at WWE Payback, this Sunday, April 30 at the SAP Center in San Jose, California. This is a rematch from their first pay-per-view (PPV) bout this past March at the Fastlane PPV.

Who will run the yard this go ‘round?

The Road to Payback:

Since at least the Royal Rumble, Braun Strowman has dedicated all of his time in the WWE to the total destruction of Roman Reigns. He interfered on that show in Reigns’ match against Kevin Owens, costing Reigns a chance to become Universal Champion. Various beat downs followed in the weeks after with Strowman putting Reigns through a barricade and breaking the top turnbuckle with Reign’s sternum. This led to a match at Fastlane.

Strowman’s overconfidence got the better of him and Reigns won after a failed top rope splash from the big man. But this did not deter Strowman from his goal. He injected himself in the middle of Roman’s feud with the Undertaker, leading into WrestleMania 33, and made it clear that he would not stop until Reigns was g-o-n-e.

After retiring the Undertaker on the grandest stage of them all, Roman Reigns confidently declared that the WWE ring was now his yard . . . . and immediately got demolished by Strowman in one of the most brutal attacks in WWE history.

Reigns has not been seen on WWE television since this attack. New RAW General Manager, Kurt Angle, made this match so Reigns could get his chance at, you guessed it, payback.

The Stakes:

The fans who hate Roman Reigns want to see him get his ass handed to him again. The fans who love Roman Reigns (such as the author of this preview) wish to see Reigns make Strowman bleed his own blood and then feed it to him and then break sixteen steel chairs over Strowman’s back all while asking if Strowman deserves it or not.

Oh, yeah, and apparently Strowman is rumored to have a future trip planned to Suplex City in the pursuit of the Universal Championship and I imagine this match would serve as a catalyst for that.

Also, ownership of the yard is possibly on the line but, since Reigns defeated the previous owner, I do believe that is something that has to be worked out in the language of the match contract. Or something. Should be a violent brawl of a match either way!

WWE Payback airs live on the WWE Network at 7 pm central time on April 30, 2017. Please join us here at Cageside Seats for the live blog.