-- WWE Payback PPV Reax 6/16

Mike Omansky, PWTorch correspondent (7.0): Best Match: Punk-Jericho. Worst Match: Kane-Ambrose (the match was fine, but no really bad matches on the show). The show started with an excellent three-way opener - really good finish. The one-sided Del Rio beating on Ziggler was well done and interesting. I expected Punk to beat Jericho (Curtis Axel pinned Jericho on TV, so why wouldn't Punk win the PPV?), but it was an excellent match. Cena-Ryback was fine until the dumb "third stage" - worst-built ambulance in America. Finally, Shield's tag match was good, as always, and, of course, Orton and Bryan had no team work.

Dave Harlequin of Charlotte, N.C. (6.0): Best Match: Punk vs. Jericho. Worst Match: Cena vs. Ryback. Another WWE PPV with a very good undercard that was brought down by a lackluster and predictable main event. Punk-Jericho was easily match of the night, and even knowing the outcome, they still managed to add something to it with a hot crowd and the face-turn tease/tension with Paul Heyman. I also really enjoyed the triple threat IC Title match, and was very happy to see Curtis Axel get the win. Heck, I even enjoyed the Divas Title match. That said, I really didn't like the Del Rio-Ziggler match, as it seems Ziggler is being punished for getting injured, while Del Rio continues to be shoved down our throats. Regarding the main event, Cena-Ryback isn't even worth explaining, it was just another gimmicky PG attempt at hardcore. Didn't belong in the main event. Punk-Jericho did. Finally, I was happy with the RVD announcement for MITB. I just hope it's ECW/WWE RVD and not TNA RVD if you know what I mean.

Adam Riemer, PWTorch reader (7.0): This was a good PPV; the best surprise of the night was Kaitlyn vs. A.J. They channeled their inner Trish and Lita and had the best Divas match in almost a decade. That spear on A.J. was sick, and you can easily tell A.J. cares much more about the sport of wrestling and less about being eye candy... Curtis Axel. After an insanely clever ending, Axel looking to the sky and holding that belt and having tears in his eyes, on Father's Day no less, was actually a pretty special moment. I'm very close with my father so just seeing how moved he was that he won the IC Title and now stands along with his father in the history books is really really cool... RVD returning doesn't have me as excited as this crowd was. If it's the RVD that was in TNA, then no thanks. Also, WWE rarely uses him right, and unless they are going to put him with Heyman facing Punk, then I'll pass. Speaking of Punk, he and Heyman appear to be headed for trouble leading to a double-cross at MITB. I'm not expecting this to flesh out immediately - Punk and Heyman know how to work an angle - so I'm trusting them to do so. His match with Jericho started slow and then got fantastic. Easily this should have been the main event... Cena won, who cares... Finally, Del Rio. His promo after the match was perfect. He needs to continue acting like a heel but claim to be the people's champion. It will get him major heat and work into one of the more organic heel turns. Ziggler has more potential as a face, so this is good for both. A pompous heel Del Rio who claims he's for the people will get far more over than one who panders to the crowd or claims it's his destiny.

Did you watch Payback? We're looking for your Reax, 0-10 score, and Best/Worst Match sent to pwtorch@gmail.com.

[Torch art credit Travis Beaven (c) PWTorch.com]

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