{"id":41801,"date":"2017-04-29T14:48:38","date_gmt":"2017-04-29T19:48:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=41801"},"modified":"2017-04-29T14:48:38","modified_gmt":"2017-04-29T19:48:38","slug":"wwe-payback-predictions-tom-gets-wrong-braun-vs-reigns-seth-vs-joe-hardys-vs-sheamus-cesaro-house-horrors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2017\/04\/29\/wwe-payback-predictions-tom-gets-wrong-braun-vs-reigns-seth-vs-joe-hardys-vs-sheamus-cesaro-house-horrors\/","title":{"rendered":"WWE PAYBACK PREDICTIONS &#8211; Tom Gets It Wrong: Braun vs. Reigns, Seth vs. Joe, Hardys vs. Sheamus &#038; Cesaro, House of Horrors"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-3344629584\" class=\"pwtor-before-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><hr \/><b>SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... <\/b>\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?show_id=3076978&theme=light&playlist=false&playlist-continuous=false&autoplay=false&live-autoplay=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=false&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"140px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<hr \/><\/div><p>So it\u2019s possible, even likely, that I\u2019m going to get all of these wrong.<\/p>\n<p>Just a quick preface, The Miz will win on the Miz TV segment with Finn Balor. Balor is a big deal who is currently being worked back into prominence without any major storylines to pigeonhole him. This is good, especially when you consider how well Samoa Joe\u2019s debut has been handled. Balor is getting essentially a second debut. However, his mic skills will be massively secondary to The Miz.<\/p>\n<p>This will be exactly the same as Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton at Battleground. The Miz will do almost all of the talking, really drumming up interest in Balor as a big deal ready for his feud with Bray Wyatt. Balor will hit a few choice catchphrases and then beat up The Miz. To a casual, it looks like Balor wins. The Miz wins.<\/p>\n<h3><b>1. Enzo &amp;\u00a0Big Cass vs. Gallows &amp;\u00a0Anderson (Pre-show)<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>The tag division on Smackdown is much maligned, but the tag division on Raw is hardly better. Whereas for the last year or so it\u2019s been The New Day and then mid card fodder, it\u2019s now Hardys and then mid card fodder. Neither of these teams have really been allowed to look good, but that doesn\u2019t change the fact that both tag divisions have been putting on great matches.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m not too sure on a winner here. Enzo and Cass recently did the favours for Gallows and Anderson but I do think that the Hardys are going to need contenders while The Revival recover, so it\u2019s the heel team going over.<\/p>\n<p>Winner: <b>Gallows and Anderson<\/b><\/p>\n<h3><b>2. Neville vs. Austin Aries (Cruiserweight Championship)<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Well here we are again, this time in much more muddy water. The Cruiserweight division started badly but has gone far in the year that it has been available. Neville was the first legitimate star made and he has been used brilliantly to elevate Aries, Perkins and Gallagher. Good stuff.<\/p>\n<p>With Perkins established as a heel though, Aries will now have a contender to face when he wins the title, so it seems the right time for Neville to move on to other feuds and develop other talents.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-1714118615\" class=\"pwtor-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Winner: <b>Austin Aries<\/b><\/p>\n<h3><b>3. The Hardy Boyz vs. Sheamus &amp;\u00a0Cesaro (Raw Tag Team Championships)<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Sheamus and Cesaro have been damn near buried by this feud. They\u2019ve lost individually to Matt and Jeff and I\u2019m confident that they\u2019ll lose this one too, and that\u2019s a shame. The Hardys are a novelty nostalgia act at this point. Jeff\u2019s Swanton Bomb isn\u2019t just dated, he hasn\u2019t hit it properly since his return. Meanwhile, as over as Matt is, it doesn\u2019t change the fact that he\u2019s lost a ton of speed in the ring. But t-shirt sales matter, and a big draw is a big draw. Sadly, they are going to have problems with their limited shelf life in the WWE. If you think Bray Wyatt doesn\u2019t really work as a character, broken Matt Hardy is going to infuriate you.<\/p>\n<p>However, WWE are pretty adamant that nobody watches TNA. As such, Hardys got to keep winning. I don\u2019t know what\u2019s next for Sheamus and Cesaro. Maybe it\u2019s time to split them up, or maybe they\u2019re still working on getting Sheamus over. Who knows? Well, hopefully somebody knows or they\u2019re going to end up doing exactly what they were doing before the brand split: absolutely nothing.<\/p>\n<p>Winner: <b>Hardys<\/b><\/p>\n<h3><b>4. Seth Rollins vs. Samoa Joe<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>A hard one to call, this one. Both sides seem as though they are in need of a win, but only one can win and for me that one is Samoa Joe.<\/p>\n<p>Seth\u2019s natural opponents at the top of Raw aren\u2019t as numerous as you might expect. As a face he can\u2019t go against Reigns, Balor or Jericho. Nobody can go against Lesnar and Strowman is already locked out with someone else. After Samoa Joe, the only real feuding option Seth has is against The Miz while Wyatt is busy. Sure, he\u2019ll have options once Balor turns heel, but that\u2019s going to be a while yet.<\/p>\n<p>Expect this feud to last a while. You build heels with wins, you build faces with losses. This is one of those days.<\/p>\n<p>Winner: <b>Samoa Joe<\/b><\/p><div id=\"pwtor-1016529201\" class=\"pwtor-content-1 pwtor-entity-placement\"><!-- Tag ID: pwtorchcom_test_300x600 -->\r\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __300x600\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h3><b>5. Bayley vs. Alexa Bliss (Raw Women&#8217;s Championship)<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>There is a definite feel that Alexa could win this. For me however, that would be too far and too fast. Really it depends what the plan is to happen next. The money feud in the Raw women\u2019s division is Bliss vs. Banks. Bayley isn\u2019t even involved in it. In order for that to happen, the two have to feud before Banks turns heel. Also, there\u2019s Nia Jax to consider.<\/p>\n<p>While it\u2019s true that Bliss could win and then feud with Banks, Bayley is in need of some major attention right now, and a big win in her home town could do it. Alexa isn\u2019t the sort of character that suffers from a clean loss either. She\u2019s a cowardly heel and an opportunist and she plays both of those things to excellence. Her developing in ring skills only add to the idea that she shouldn\u2019t be as prominent as she is and yet there we go.<\/p>\n<p>The reason I think Bliss is going to lose is a question of parity. One more title reign for Bliss would but her on a par with Sasha Banks &#8211; the golden child of the Raw crowd. That\u2019s not happening. Look for Alexa to lose, attack Bayley after the match and then feud with Banks when Banks stops her.<\/p>\n<p>Winner: <b>Bayley<\/b><\/p>\n<h3><b>6. Kevin Owens vs. Chris Jericho (US Championship)<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>This seems like a forgone conclusion but I don\u2019t quite buy it. Cutting off Owens at the knees just when he\u2019s getting into his groove would be a bad move. His new face of America gimmick, complete with suit, weight loss and scarily small head is bearing fruit. That said, something said on Smackdown sticks out to me. WWE have been changing the rules a lot recently. It started with \u201cJericho will replace Owens if he wins the US title\u201d but as of last Tuesday it became \u201cJericho will join Owens if he wins the US title.\u201d That\u2019s a major difference.<\/p>\n<p>Jericho is a big draw, and a win at Payback followed by a swift loss in a rematch on Smackdown doesn\u2019t really hurt anyone. Jericho could then potentially dovetail with Cena as a roster part timer, as well as adding a big name to a main event scene that had to reach as far as Jinder Mahal to add something to it.<\/p>\n<p>This one will be a surprise to most, I\u2019m sure, but I\u2019m going with Jericho.<\/p>\n<p>Winner: <b>Chris Jericho<\/b><\/p>\n<h3><b>7. Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>I have no idea what a house of horrors match is. I do know that the WWE championship is no longer on the line. Wyatt needs a big win, especially when you consider how he has been treated outside of that one Wrestlemania match. They\u2019re making him seem like a big deal and in the absence of The Undertaker there is plenty of room for Wyatt to become the top regularly appearing heel on the card. Reuniting with Strowman would just set it all alight.<\/p>\n<p>Orton, meanwhile, will just bully Jinder Mahal afterwards. Mahal has developed enough heat for Orton to get a big pop out of a win. Of course, Mahal will then move back to being a mid card heel against Mojo Rawley, but with a lot more weight behind his name and thus a lot more interest in the feud. There are no losers here, unless of course Orton wins.<\/p>\n<p>Winner: <b>Bray Wyatt<\/b><\/p>\n<h3><b>8. Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>I hate trying to predict Reigns matches. He wins everything, except sometimes he doesn\u2019t and it\u2019s a really big deal when he doesn\u2019t. Strowman has to go over here. Roman has the excuse of his injuries already in place. Strowman has already laid down for Roman at Fast Lane. A Strowman win makes perfect sense, with Reigns coming back to cost Strowman his match with Lesnar down the road.<\/p>\n<p>The current storyline with Reigns has generated some genuine sympathy for the guy. Even more so when you add in what\u2019s really happened recently. The best way to capitalise on that is exactly how I mentioned earlier. You build heels with wins and faces with losses. Roman is nearly a year removed from his last day as champion. Keep it up, WWE. Don\u2019t fail us now.<\/p>\n<p>Winner: <b>Braun Strowman<\/b><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ll see you for another live Twitter session during Payback 2017.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><em>Follow <b>Tom Colohue<\/b> on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/tomcolohue\/\">Facebook<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.twitter.com\/colohue\">@Colohue<\/a> for updates.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>NOW CHECK OUT TOM&#8217;S WM33 PREDICTIONS COLUMN:\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2017\/04\/01\/wrestlemania-33-predictons-tom-gets-wrong-will-cena-propose-will-titles-change-hands-will-shane-leap-off-something\/\">WRESTLEMANIA 33 PREDICTONS \u2013 TOM GETS IT WRONG: Will Cena propose? Will titles change hands? Will Shane leap off of something?<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-369529492\"><div id=\"pwtor-72044927\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\nTHANK YOU FOR VISITING<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>So it\u2019s possible, even likely, that I\u2019m going to get all of these wrong. Just a quick preface, The Miz will win on the Miz TV segment with Finn Balor. Balor is a big deal <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2017\/04\/29\/wwe-payback-predictions-tom-gets-wrong-braun-vs-reigns-seth-vs-joe-hardys-vs-sheamus-cesaro-house-horrors\/\" title=\"WWE PAYBACK PREDICTIONS &#8211; Tom Gets It Wrong: Braun vs. Reigns, Seth vs. Joe, Hardys vs. Sheamus &#038; Cesaro, House of Horrors\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":41769,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[46,52,4452,27],"tags":[1008,76,131,126,2382,74,125],"class_list":["post-41801","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-spotlightarticles","category-opnionandanalysis","category-ppv-predictions","category-specialists","tag-alexa-bliss","tag-braun-strowman","tag-chris-jericho","tag-finn-balor","tag-payback","tag-roman-reigns","tag-samoa-joe"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2017\/04\/PPV_Payback_3x2_600.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41801","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41801"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41801\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41802,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41801\/revisions\/41802"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41769"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41801"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41801"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41801"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}