2023 WWE Payback predictions, card, matches, PPV preview, start time, location, date

The typical PPV names of WWE events makes sense on Saturday night. WWE Payback is set to take place in Pittsburgh with plenty of superstars looking to exact some revenge on their rivals. Many of the matches on Saturday on rematches of past showdowns where the person who lost is hoping to get the edge this time around.

The top billing goes to world heavyweight champion Seth Rollins looking to turn away Shinsuke Nakamura’s bid for the title. Plus, women’s world champion Rhea Ripley takes on Raquel Rodriguez in hard-hitting action. And the undisputed tag team titles are on the line when champs Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens takes on Damian Priest and Finn Balor of The Judgement Day.

Those are just some of the attention-grabbing matches on the Payback card. Let’s take a look through the full card along with predictions from the CBS Sports experts.

2023 WWE Payback viewing information
Date: Saturday, Sept. 2
Location: PPG Paints Arena — Pittsburgh
Start time: 8 p.m. ET (kickoff show starts at 7 p.m.)
Watch live: Peacock

2023 WWE Payback predictions
World Heavyweight Championship — Seth Rollins (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

This feud has injected new life into Nakamura’s character. By turning him heel and allowing him to cut promos in his native Japanese, he is getting points across clearer and with more intention. Still, it doesn’t seem as though there’s any realistic way WWE puts the title on Nakamura, who is more of a plug-and-play roster member, able to be slotted in wherever needed for a month or two. Nakamura isn’t the force in the ring he once was, but can hold up his end well enough in big matches. Rollins’ run as champion will continue on a bit longer — possibly until Damian Priest cashes in the Money in the Bank contract, which shouldn’t be written out as a possibility on Saturday night. Pick: Seth Rollins retains the title — Brent Brookhouse (also Shakiel Mahjouri)

Women’s World Championship — Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Raquel Rodriguez

Ripley’s title run has been handled well and she is much more prepared to hold the title than she was during her first reign, with far more confidence in herself and on the microphone. Rodriguez is a compelling challenge as one of the only women on the roster who can match Ripley on a power level. Still, Rodriguez doesn’t feel as though she has been built up to the point where she could be a believable top champion, though that could come in the future. Ripley and Dominik Mysterio as a title-holding couple, plus Priest as Mr. Money in the Bank — and possibly world champion — being stuck with a jealous Finn Balor could be the next step for the group. Pick: Rhea Ripley retains the title — Brookhouse (also Mahjouri)

Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship — Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn (c) vs. Damian Priest & Finn Balor (Steel City Street Fight)

My theory on the direction forward for Judgment Day is that Balor is going to be the lone member without a title very soon, leading to his partnership with JD McDonagh taking priority over his loyalties to Judgment Day. That doesn’t work if he and Priest win the tag titles, though tag champions with an uneasy alliance is a wrestling story as old as the “sport.” Owens and Zayn retaining the belts and continuing their title reign as the tag division picks up a bit of steam makes perfect sense, especially if miscommunication costs Priest and Balor. Pick: Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn retain the titles — Brookhouse

The outcome of Payback’s matches seem very predictable but something has to give. I’m picking the tag title match for Payback’s big upset. WWE clearly sees Judgement Day as a focal point of Raw. Despite their infighting, it doesn’t seem as if the group is anywhere close to a legitimate split. They need to win enough to offset their losses. Balor has lost consecutive world title matches and is desperate for a win, particularly after Ripley’s threats about shaking up the faction. Owens and Zayn winning at WrestleMania is an unforgettable moment, but injuries and a lack of direction have impeded their title run. A loss will free the champs up for more interesting stories while giving Judgement Day a needed boost. Make the switch. Pick: Judgment Day wins the titles — Mahjouri

United States Championship — Rey Mysterio (c) vs. Austin Theory

It was odd to see WWE pull a fast one over fans and reward Mysterio with the U.S. title over Santos Escobar. Still, the masked man is a safe choice as midcard champion and it’s great seeing the 48-year-old compete at this level. Theory benefitted from a huge push and beat John Cena at WrestleMania 39. It doesn’t get much bigger than that. Unfortunately, his U.S. title run wasn’t memorable and he’d benefit from distance from the title. Mysterio should retain so the title can benefit from some fresh matchups on SmackDown. Pick: Rey Mysterio retains the title — Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)

Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus (Steel Cage Match)

Stratus’ return has been somewhat uneven in terms of her in-ring work. Adding Zoey Stark as her protege was a smart move that took some of the heavy lifting off of Stratus’ plate. WWE loves to frame cage matches as somehow preventing interference and the more they lean into that, the more you know that interference will make up a big part of how things play out. Stark will involve herself plenty here. Were this the start of the feud, it’d be very tempting to pick Stratus to win after that interference, fueling Lynch on for revenge. Things between Lynch and Stratus have run their course, however, and now Lynch, the actual full-time roster member, needs to get the win and move along to the next part of her career. Pick: Becky Lynch wins — Brookhouse (also Mahjouri)

LA Knight vs. The Miz

The fans are treating Knight like a bonafide superstar and it’s time for WWE to do the same. Winning a sponsor-affiliated battle royal at SummerSlam was comforting but not significant enough to curry confidence. His feud with The Miz has been rather entertaining, but losing to “The A-Lister” would be absolutely deflating. This isn’t a feud that needs to last a long time. Even if WWE wants to extend the program past Payback, it should not come at the expense of Knight losing. This needs to be Knight’s slow-burn rise towards a world title. Pick: LA Knight wins — Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)

AEW releases CM Punk ‘with cause’ after physical altercation at All In PPV event in London

CM Punk, real name Phil Brooks, has been fired from All Elite Wrestling just over two years after returning to wrestling by signing with the company. AEW shared the news on social media Saturday afternoon. Brooks’ firing, which was described as “with cause,” comes after his second backstage physical altercation during his time with the promotion.

Brooks reportedly got into a fight with “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry at AEW’s record-breaking All In event at Wembley Stadium in London.

Brooks and Perry had a prior argument when Brooks reportedly tried to talk Perry out of a planned spot in a match in which Perry intended to use “real glass” and would result in his being written off of television for a week. Punk reportedly told Perry the spot was too dangerous.

After wrestling on the All In pre-show, Perry spoke into a camera, saying, “It’s real glass, cry me a river.” This led to a confrontation between the two before Brooks opened the pay-per-view with a match against Samoa Joe. Rumors have swirled about the extent of the physicality of that confrontation, though most reports have suggested Brooks punched Perry.

“The termination follows a weeklong internal investigation of an incident occurring back stage at AEW — All In London on Sunday, August 27,” the AEW statement read. “Following the investigation, the AEW Discipline Committee met and later convened with outside legal counsel before making a unanimous recommendation to [AEW CEO Tony] Khan that CM Punk be terminated with cause.”

Brooks retired from wrestling in a messy split with WWE in 2014 before making a return to wrestling when he signed with AEW in August 2021.

The following May, Brooks won the AEW world title but suffered a broken foot that sidelined him until August. One month later, after defeating interim champion Jon Moxley in the main event of All In to unify the titles, Brooks made comments at the post-event press conference stating that roster members and AEW executive vice presidents The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega had spread rumors about him. This led to a situation where Brooks and trainer and friend Ace Steel legitimately brawled with the Bucks and Omega.

All involved in the brawl were suspended and Brooks chose to undergo surgery on his tricep after tearing it in the match with Moxley.

Brooks returned to action in June, appearing on the debut episode of AEW Collision, a new Saturday show that was planned to largely feature Brooks. Just months later, Brooks’ time with AEW is over.

“Phil played an important role within AEW and I thank him for his contributions,” Khan said in the AEW statement. “The termination of his AEW contracts with cause is ultimately my decision, and mine alone. Of course, I wish I didn’t have to share this news, which may come as a disappointment to many of our fans. Nevertheless, I am making the decision in the best interests of the many amazing people who make AEW possible every week — our talent, staff, venue operators and many others whose efforts are unsung but essential to bringing our fans great shows on television and at arenas and stadiums throughout the world.”

2023 WWE Payback live stream, how to watch online, start time, card, matches

WWE heads to Pittsburgh on Saturday night for Payback. It’s an interesting card, featuring four title matches and hosted by WWE legend John Cena.

There are four title bouts scheduled for Saturday night, headlined by Seth Rollins defending the world heavyweight championship against Shinsuke Nakamura. There is one other match on the card carrying a stipulation as Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn are set to defend the undisputed WWE tag team championship against Judgment Day’s Finn Balor and Damian Priest in a Steel City Street Fight.

Plus, one of the big featured matches pits Becky Lynch against Trish Stratus inside of a steel cage. After months of Stratus taking shortcuts to get the better of Lynch, “The Man” will finally be in an environment with no easy escapes for her WWE Hall of Fame opponent. Although, you can expect Stratus’ protege Zoey Stark to play a role in the match in one way or another.

Also, Cody Rhodes will appear on an edition of “The Grayson Waller Effect.”

Below is how you can catch all the action on Saturday night.

WWE superstar surpasses 35-year-old mark held by Honky Tonk Man

Gunther is the longest-reigning intercontinental champion in WWE history, breaking a record that stood for 35 years. Gunther officially surpassed Honky Tonk Man on Friday.

Gunther successfully defended the intercontinental title against Chad Gable on Monday Night Raw, clearing the final hurdle between him and the record. He has now held the intercontinental championship for 455 days and will extend that record at least through the week.

The Austrian superstar describes the professional wrestling ring as a “sacred mat” and has rejuvenated the intercontinental championship with such prestige. Gunther has delivered several show-stealing performances since defeating Ricochet for the title on June 10, 2022. His triple threat match against Drew McIntyre and Sheamus at WrestleMania 39 is considered one of the best in WrestleMania’s long history.

Honky Tonk Man’s status as the intercontinental king always bordered absurdity. The Elvis impersonator was a comedy character through and through, yet he lorded over a title generally awarded to technically gifted wrestlers and those on the verge of main events. Interestingly, both Gunther and Honky Tonk Man each have just one stint as an intercontinental champion.

Gunther is also the longest-reigning NXT United Kingdom champion, a belt he carried for 870 days during his sole reign.

Tampa Bay to host annual event in January to kick off new year

WWE is bringing one of its marquee events to Tampa Bay. The organization announced on Wednesday that the 37th Royal Rumble event will take place at Tropicana Field on Saturday, Jan. 27.

The promotion will spend a few days in the Tampa Bay area, including the Royal Rumble in St. Petersburg and WWE Raw in Tampa on Jan. 29. It marks the first time since 1995 that Tampa Bay will host the annual event. The area also hosted WrestleMania in 2021.

The upcoming event will feature a 30-man and a 30-woman Royal Rumble match, according to a press release from WWE. The winner of each rumble will receive championship matches at WrestleMania 40, currently scheduled for April 6 and April 7 in Philadelphia.

The Royal Rumble is one of WWE’s traditional “big four” events, more recently dubbed the “big five” to incorporate Money in the Bank. The other events in this bubble include SummerSlam, Survivor Series and WrestleMania. The inaugural Royal Rumble was held in 1988 as part of a televised event and subsequently became a standalone event in 1989. The Rumble traditionally serves as “The Road to WrestleMania,” a three-month season where that year’s WrestleMania card begins to take shape.

Last year’s Royal Rumble winners were Cody Rhodes and Rhea Ripley. Rhodes unsuccessfully challenged Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 39 Night 2. Ripley defeated Charlotte Flair to become SmackDown women’s champion. Ripley was subsequently crowned the inaugural Women’s world champion, a title she actively holds.

The Rock surprises with return to WWE SmackDown in segments with John Cena, Pat McAfee

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and John Cena unexpectedly crossed paths more than 10 years after their legendary set of WrestleMania matches. The face-to-face took place Friday night on WWE SmackDown following surprise appearances by The Rock and Pat McAfee in the show’s opening segment.

McAfee, who previously worked as a WWE commentator and part-time wrestler, opened the show without prior advertisement. McAfee was cut off by former United States champion Austin Theory, leading to a verbal back and forth. The brash, young Theory found himself at a disadvantage after McAfee introduced the evening’s second surprise, The Rock.

The Rock verbally tore into Theory, leading the crowd in a prolonged chant of “you’re an asshole” directed at Theory. The cocky superstar reached his boiling point and attacked. The Rock planted Theory with his signature spinebuster followed by a People’s Elbow. He then invited McAfee to put his own spin on the People’s Elbow.

Later backstage, The Rock embraced Cena, similarly a multi-time WWE champion turned actor. The former rivals headlined WrestleMania 28 and WrestleMania 29, going 1-1 in the two matches.

Earlier Friday, the “Black Adam” actor appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show.” Johnson confirmed there were plans for a match between The Rock and Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39 that fell through. He also suggested it was possible he would fight Reigns at WrestleMania 40 next April in Philadelphia.