The Payback go-home edition of WWE RAW opened with a graphic in memory of WWE Hall of Famer Terry Funk and Bray Wyatt, who both passed away last week. The show paid tribute to their lives and their contributions to the wrestling industry. The episode took place live from the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee.
In the opening match, Damian Priest faced off against Sami Zayn. Priest asked for the match after The Judgment Day lost the six-man main event last week and Sami taunted them. Both competitors asked their partners to stay backstage for this match. The match was hard-fought, with both wrestlers showcasing their skills. In the end, Priest emerged victorious, pinning Zayn after hitting a South of Heaven chokeslam. After the match, Priest stood tall as Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champion Kevin Owens hit the ring to join Sami Zayn in attacking JD McDonagh. Owens delivered a Stunner to JD, while Sami nailed a Helluva Kick. The crowd cheered as Sami and Owens hugged.
In another match, The Viking Raiders faced off against The New Day. The match was intense, with both teams putting on a great show. The Viking Raiders ultimately emerged victorious, pinning Kofi Kingston after hitting him with Ragnarok. After the match, The Viking Raiders celebrated their win, while Drew McIntyre and Matt Riddle tended to Xavier Woods, who was injured during the match.
In a segment backstage, Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn discussed their upcoming match against The Judgment Day at Payback. They expressed their frustration with The Judgment Day and announced that their match at Payback would be a Steel City Street Fight.
In a singles match, Chad Gable took on Ludwig Kaiser. Gable came out on top, defeating Kaiser via disqualification after interference from Giovanni Vinci. Otis rushed the ring to help Gable, leading to a brawl between the two teams. Imperium, consisting of GUNTHER, Ludwig Kaiser, and Giovanni Vinci, stood tall over Gable and Otis.
In a backstage segment, Seth Rollins called out Shinsuke Nakamura. Rollins expressed his frustration with Nakamura’s mind games and challenged him to come to the ring and say what he had to say to his face. Nakamura appeared on the big screen and delivered a message to Rollins, vowing to dismantle him and destroy his back. Nakamura attacked Rollins from behind, leaving him lying in the ring.
In the main event, Tommaso Ciampa faced off against Bronson Reed. Ciampa picked up the victory, pinning Reed after hitting the Crucifix Bomb. After the match, Ciampa celebrated with the fans in the front row.
Overall, this episode of RAW served as the go-home show for WWE Payback. The matches were action-packed and the storylines continued to develop leading up to the pay-per-view event. Fans can expect an exciting night of wrestling at Payback.
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