The latest WWE premium live event, Payback, kicked off with a huge steel cage match between two generational legends. In what may are considering a match of the year candidate, Becky Lynch would close the chapter with Trish Stratus with a victory inside of a steel cage.
The match was a huge back and forth battle that left both women with bumps and bruises. They battled all over the ring, on top of the ring, and from the top rope. This includes a superplex from the top of the cage from Lynch on Stratus.
We also received the two in this match paying homage to the first women’s steel cage match between Victoria and Lita from 20 years ago. Stratus delivered the Widows Peak while Lynch responded moments later with a Twist of Fate.
The final moments of the match had Lynch trying to escape the cage from the top while Stratus trues to crawl out the cage door. Lynch noticing Stratus could win quicker she came down from the cage to pull Stratus further back inside. Zoey Stark appeared and both Lynch and Stark play tug of war with Stratus. Eventually Lynch benefits until Stark slams the door in her face.
Back in the cage, Lynch hits the ManHandle Slam on Stratus after a missed Chick Kick. Stark enters the cage and breaks up the pin at two. Stratus tries to escape by climbing the cage once again. After a ManHandle Slam to Stark, Lynch executes one to Stratus from the top rope to get the victory.
Post match, Lynch leaves the cage. Stark and Stratus argue which leaders to the teacher slapping the student. Stark closes the door to the cage and leaves Stratus laid out on the mat after delivering a Z360.
During this match, the NXT Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton was in the crowd. Later in the night, Lynch was getting interviewed before Stratton interrupted. Stratton says she wanted to apologize in person for saying Lynch was a former NXT Women’s Champion. Lynch reminds Stratton she has a title match against Kiana James this Tuesday but says she will see her soon.
The second women’s match at Payback was between Rhea Ripley and Raquel Rodriguez for the Women’s World Championship. We saw Ripley earlier in the night when she speared Kevin Owens through the time keeper area during the men’s tag team title match. That match had new champions in that of Finn Balor and Damian Priest. This means all of Judgment Day now has gold.
Back to the women’s match, Ripley dominated first part of the match but Rodriguez would pick up most of the back half. That is until Ripley started targeting the previously injured knee of Rodriguez. It would be Dominik Mysterio as the distraction that cost Rodriguez the match. Ripley wins with Riptide.
