:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72604653/Payback.0.png)
WWE Payback is going down tonight (Sat. Sept. 2, 2023) from PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, starting at 8 pm ET, live on Peacock (in the U.S.) and WWE Network (everywhere else).
CagesideSeats.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, match-by-match coverage of Payback below, beginning with the first match of the evening and right on through to the main event.
Kick your off your shoes, relax, and enjoy all the action with your favorite pro wrestling website. And remember to keep refreshing! Note: To get in on the conversation on this show, visit our open thread here.
WWE PAYBACK QUICK RESULTS
- World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins (c) def. Shinsuke Nakamura
- Women’s World Championship: Rhea Ripley (c) def. Raquel Rodriguez
- Tag Team Championship: Judgment Day def. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn (c)
- United States Championship: Rey Mysterio (c) def. Austin Theory
- LA Knight def. The Miz
- Steel Cage Match: Becky Lynch def. Trish Stratus
WWE PAYBACK LIVE BLOG & MATCH COVERAGE
Saturday night and I just got paid, gonna fool about, ain’t gonna save. Some people gonna rock, some people gonna roll, but me? I’m just here to liveblog this here pro wrestling show for you, folks.
The show opens with a video package about the concept of payback as applied to our matches tonight.
Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus (Steel Cage Match)
Stratus looking for an easy escape out the door and then up the cage, right hand, Lynch with right hands of her own, smashing Trish face-first into the turnbuckles a few times, a trifecta of exploder suplexes follows! Drawing Stratus up, jockeying for position over the wall, Trish knocks her down!
Up in the turnbuckles, jockeying for position, Stratus pulls her down and throws her into the cage wall! Off the ropes, Trish catches her with a spinebuster, cover for two! Lynch with a schoolboy for two, Stratus fires back with a lariat, cover for two. Grinding Becky’s face into the turnbuckles, Lynch scoops her up in return and lawn darts her into the cage wall a few times!
Dis-Arm-Her locked on in the middle of the ring, Trish turns her around and puts her into the cage wall a few times and follows it with a senton! Becky with a strike rush, throwing Stratus into the steel, hanging her over the ropes for the diving leg drop across the back of her neck... SO CLOSE!
Lynch up top, Stratus with a handspring, countered with a double leg pick, Trish sits up and hammers Becky with punches! Climbing the cage, Lynch pulls her down into a powerbomb... NOPE! Trish with a Widow’s Peak... STILL NO! Stratusfaction reversed, Becky with a Twist of Fate... STRATUS KICKS OUT!
Stratusfaction connects this time... LYNCH WON’T STAY DOWN! Back and forth, struggling in the turnbuckles, avalanche bulldog... NOT ENOUGH! Trish atop the cage, Becky climbs to join her, jockeying for position, Stratus gets her legs caught in the frame of the cage and ends up hanging down!
Sitting herself back up, throwing headbutts, getting her legs free but Lynch grabs a front chancery... SUPERPLEX HANGING OFF THE CAGE BUT TRISH GETS A SHOULDER UP! Stereo escape attempts, Trish almost out the door, Becky goes after her, Zoey Stark comes down to play tug of war over her mentor!
Lynch pulls Stratus all the way in, Zoey slams the door in her face, nearfall, duck the Chick Kick, Manhandle Slam... STARK BREAKS IT UP! Becky slams the door shut with Stark in there with her and they trade punches with abandon! Lynch gets the better of her, trading punches with Stratus in the turnbuckles...
Becky Lynch wins by pinfall with an avalanche Manhandle Slam.
Post-match, Stratus confronts Stark and paintbrushes her with a slap! Zoey shuts the door and hits the Z360 on the legend!
John Cena makes his entrance in his capacity as host of the show.
He gets on the mic and greets Pittsburgh and says he’s been up and down the card but he’s never actually hosted a show like this. He found out that his job as host is to make tonight special, and he can think of no better way to do that than to be special guest referee for LA Knight and the Miz.
Enter the Miz.
He says he’d expect this from LA Knight, but he expects better of John than to pander to this audience. He’s John Cena! The greatest of all time! But as a host, he sucks. Cena chooses to genuinely ask for advice, and of course Miz tells him he shouldn’t have put himself into his match.
John says that was his only idea and asks for more advice, and Miz says if you get a call to be a merman in a Barbie movie, you say “no.” (Well that’s stupid, Mike, great movie, great part, sure as shit better than the Marine VII or whatever.) More than that, be more involved and dress better.
And also be quick on your feet and take charge! Cena comes back around to “like be the special guest referee in your match!” and of course Miz is apoplectic about it. Miz says he doesn’t even have a referee shirt, John calls for one to be handed to him, and they get into a Looney Tunes “no” / “yeah” argument about it and LA Knight comes down so we’re off!
LA Knight vs. the Miz
As stated, John Cena is your special guest referee for this one.
Miz immediately bails, Knight gives chase, back inside and trading grounded punches and then back on their feet with haymakers! Up in the turnbuckles, the A-Lister knocks him down, diving axhandle, putting boots to LA. To the floor, Knight smashes his face into the announce desk over and over!
Miz turns the tide, smashing LA’s face into the barricade over and over, breaking the count, back outside and Knight back body drops him over the timekeeper’s barricade! Back inside, Miz with kicks in the corner, referee John Cena backs him off and Knight takes advantage with a lariat!
Kicks in the corner of his own, Cena warns him and backs him off as well! Choking him, pulling LA away again, Knight jaws at him about it and Miz attacks him from behind! Putting boots to LA, big DDT out of the turnbuckles! Seated reverse chinlock, soon enough to the floor with Miz remaining in control!
Back inside, Knight with a huge back suplex, but he can’t keep the A-Lister down! Miz and Cena get into an argument, John tells him to never take the low road to try and steal a win, there’s a bunch of ducking and dodging, Skull-Crushing Finale... NOT ENOUGH!
Miz mocks Cena, Knight plants him, People’s Elbow, spin him around...
LA Knight wins by pinfall with BFT.
Post-match, Cena has a moment with Knight on the stage and offers a handshake, saying they don’t have to be friends but he respects him, and LA shakes his hand.
Austin Theory vs. Rey Mysterio (c) (WWE United States Championship)
Theory hot out the gates, some back and forth, a lariat clobbers Mysterio! Looking for quick covers, side headlock swing, cover for two! Up in the turnbuckles, Austin clawing at his mask! Rey gets back on the mat, sets him up, 619 ducked, springboard caught, backbreaker rack, spin-out powerbomb... NOPE!
Fireman’s carry, Mysterio slips out, enzuigiri connects, to the apron, shoulder block, rolling thunder dropkick from the challenger, Rey rebounds off the ropes, dropkick of his own, both men are down and out! Tijeras sets him up, 619 connects, slingshot splash, knees are up!
Austin rolls him through and hosses him up, reversed, victory roll...
Rey Mysterio wins by pinfall with a victory roll, retaining the WWE United States Championship.
Becky Lynch is interviewed backstage but before she can say much, Tiffany Stratton rolls up.
She acknowledges her mistake in calling Becky a former NXT Women’s Champion and Becky says she should focus on her title defense and maybe she’ll see her soon. Tiffany takes the note cheerfully and walks off.
Judgment Day (Damian Priest & Finn Balor) vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn (c) (WWE Undisputed Tag Team Championship Steel City Street Fight)
Pairing off roughly by size, Owens and Priest trading chops up the ramp, Zayn smashing Balor’s face into the barricade! Finn gets ahold of a local sports towel and stomps it into the mat, KO comes after him and bounces his face off the announce desk and goes after him with a kendo stick until Damian makes the save!
Back inside, the champs put a trash can on Finn’s head and go to town with kendo sticks! They set a table up on the floor, grab a fresh trash can, smash it into Damian’s face but he immediately powers up and turns the tide, smashing them with the can instead!
Action goes into the crowd, whereupon Dominik Mysterio runs in to save his pals! They dump the champions over the barricade, whereupoon they pop up in hockey gear and go to down on Judgment Day with sticks! Owens with the crimson mask, Dom tries to stand up to them and they throw their gloves down for a proper hockey fight!
Jerseys off, back in the ring, Priest holding Zayn up for Balor but Sami gets a boot up and Kev puts Damian into the steps, Blue Thunder Driver on a pile of steel chairs... SO CLOSE! Setting up some chairs, Priest with the Broken Arrow on Zayn... KO BREAKS IT UP WITH A DESPERATE CHAIR THROW!
Back to the floor with abandon, Zayn with a senton atomico off the preshow panel desk to wipe Judgment Day out! Again Mysterio plays spoiler but Kev hammers him with punches and bounces him off a road case! Owens on a balcony... SENTON ATOMICO OFF THE BALCONY AND THROUGH DOMINIK MYSTERIO INTO A TABLE AND THE HARD CONCRETE BELOW!
Back inside, Zayn has Balor lined up but Priest throws a trash can at him! Babyfaces recover, Sami blasts Finn off the apron, charges at Damian, goozle but he turns right around into a Stunner from Owens! Zayn has him... JD MCDONAGH PULLS PRIEST OUT OF THE PIN OFF THE HELLUVA KICK!
KO cuts JD off and pop-up powerbombs him into the announce desk! RHEA RIPLEY COMES OUT OF NOWHERE TO SPEAR OWENS THROUGH THE TIMEKEEPER’S BARRICADE! Back inside, Sami rolls out of the way of Coup De Grace and hits the corner exploder suplex! Shirt off, Helluva Kick... DOMINIK BREAKS IT UP WITH A SHOT FROM THE MONEY IN THE BANK BRIEFCASE! FINN FALLS ONTO SAMI...
Judgment Day win by pinfall with a one-arm cover from Finn Balor on Sami Zayn, becoming your NEW WWE Undisputed Tag Team Champions.
We get some hype for Connor’s Cure and then a Cody Rhodes video package.
Grayson Waller introduces the Grayson Waller Effect and says Pittsburgh and Cody Rhodes have in common that neither of them can read well enough to finish a story.
Enter Cody Rhodes.
He starts to ask Pittsburgh what they want to talk about but Waller cuts him off and says people only care about what he wants to talk about, and he wants to talk about Cody’s rumored big announcement tonight.
Cody names a bunch of the talk shows of wrestling past and drops an outline of what’s expected of one and asks if people really want to see them fight and for Rhodes to hit Grayson with a Cross Rhodes. Waller begs off, Cody suggest they subvert expectations because he asked for this platform for the rub.
He thanks Grayson for the rub and asks if he watches SmackDown. He says SmackDown is intriguing and something happened a few weeks ago, a wrong that he felt needed to be righted, so whatever stroke he has, he cashed them in and he hopes this isn’t a decision that he’ll regret...
Please welcome the newest member of the Monday Night Raw roster... MAIN EVENT JEY USO!
Waller prattles on and Uso stands silent before knocking his block off with a superkick!
Raquel Rodriguez vs. Rhea Ripley (c) (WWE Women’s World Championship)
Collar and elbow, struggling around the ring, break, a shoving match follows, Ripley with a side headlock, shot off, slide low, off the ropes, shoulder block, Rodriguez shrugs it off! Rhea with a handful of hair, Raquel reverses to an armbar, slip out, shove off, duck a lariat, criss cross, big shoulder block and the champion bails to the floor!
Back inside, whip blocked, short-arm lariat comes up empty even after three of them and Rodriguez drops her with the western lariat! Bodyslam, Ripley drops her with a big boot after and lays mounted punches in as blood trickles out of her nose! Blowing a bloody snot rocket, choking Raquel in the corner!
Seated sentons, kicks to the leg, snapmare into a kick to the spine and Rhea follows it up with a grounded Cobra Twist! Rodriguez on her feet, a series of lariats, a northern lariat, fallaway slam connects! Ripley puts her in the Tree of Woe and stomps away! Rhea gets out, delayed vertical suplex connects for some breathing room!
Corkscrew Vader Bomb follows, not enough! Wheelbarrow facebuster from the champ sets up a running knee and a cocky pin for a two count! Riptide reversed, short gourdbuster, powerbomb attempt but Rhea lands on her feet! Off the ropes, another lariat, another nearfall!
Scooping Ripley up, stampede into the corner into shoulder thrusts, setting her up top, elbows connect, a headbutt knocks Raquel down, chop block connects! Both women down and out, Rodriguez slapping life back into her knee, trading big slaps, into wild haymakers and Rodriguez sends her to the floor with a big boot!
Rhea follows after, Raquel grabs her, powerbomb lift, ram her into the post and then swing her into the barricade and break the count! Back inside, Dominik Mysterio tries to make the save but Rodriguez pulls them both into the ring! Dom begs off, Raquel grabs him... POWERSLAM!
Ripley takes advantage of the distraction...
Rhea Ripley wins by pinfall with Riptide, retaining the WWE Women’s World Championship.
Backstage, John Cena is wearing a bow-tie and a blazer and tells us he’s decided to play correspondent and interview the new tag team champions.
Finn Balor does a “the champs are here” and Damian Priest says they’re family, brothers fight, and they’re on the same page and nobody can stop them. Balor says it’s time to go celebrate since they have all the gold.
We get a hype reel for WWE Fastlane on October 7.
Seth Rollins (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)
Mat grappling to start, stalemate after Nakamura fends off a cross armbar attempt. Side headlock, in the ropes for the break, Shinsuke pawing at Rollins’ injured lower back! Fired up, baiting Seth in, waistlock, knee to the spine! Mat slam, miss a few stomps, back to the waistlock, Rollins off the ropes and he fires chops off!
Punches, more chops, kicks into the corner, out to the floor for a brawl, back inside, underhooks but Nakamura counters the Pedigree with a back body drop and kicks him in the spine after! Kicks to the back in the corner, Rollins in agony! Good Vibrations follows, Seth fends him off and springboard senton atomico connects, quebrada misses and Nakamura bails ot the floor so Rollins fires a dive off!
Smashing Nakamura’s face into the steel steps and then the announce table, Shinsuke slams him into the table after! Back inside, hammering Seth’s shattered lumbar spine, setting him in the turnbuckles for the big knee to the midsection! He turns Rollins around for a second knee right to the injured back... NOPE!
Trading strikes, Nakamura cuts him off with an STO backbreaker... NOT ENOUGH! Big knee drop across the back off the apron, back inside with probing kicks, falling enzuigiri, half-crab applied! Up in the turnbuckles, Seth cuts him off, jockeying for position... AVALANCHE FRANKENSTEINER TAKES NAKAMURA DOWN!
Kick combos set up Sling Blade, Rollins goes back up top, grimacing through the pain, frog splash connects... BUT CAN’T KEEP SHINSUKE DOWN! Powerbomb attempt, Nakamura slips out but eats a short-arm lariat for two! Seth yells at him about how he knows the risk and his wife worries enough as it is, hammering him with fists!
Charging in for Blackout, Shinsuke gets away, looking for a sleeper hold, diving Kinshasa... STILL NO! Falling Kinshasas, scoop and a slam, lining him up... SETH BLOCKS KINSHASA WITH A SUPERKICK! Nakamura gets a flying armbar, shift to a triangle, all the way in... COUNTER POWERBOMB!
Seth unable to capitalize with his broken back, slowly back up, trading forearms with abandon, rolling elbow, Death Blow misses, spinning wheel kick connects! Fireman’s carry, Rollins slips out, enzuigiri of his own and both men are down and out! Fighting in the turnbuckles... AVALANCHE LANDSLIDE CAN’T KEEP SETH ROLLINS DOWN!
Nakamura waiting for Seth to get up, he can’t get to his feet so Shinsuke walks over and Rollins slaps him hard across the face! Nakamura with kicks, drawing him up, knees in the clinch, kicks and stomps under the ropes! Straight suplex, Seth lands on his feet, standing switch, underhooks, Pedigree connects but Rollins struggles to get to his feet!
Blackout countered with a desperate Kinshasa, fireman’s carry, reveresed, reversed, Blackout connects! Crawling into the cover...
Seth Rollins wins by pinfall with Blackout, retaining the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Post-match, we get no cash-in tease.
That’s the show, folks.