The 2023 Payback was a professional wrestling premium live event (PLE) produced by WWE, held for wrestlers from the promotion's main roster brands, Raw and SmackDown. It was the seventh and final Payback and took place during Labor Day weekend on September 2, 2023, at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This was the first Payback held since 2020, the first to take place on a Saturday and in September, and the first major WWE event following the deaths of Terry Funk and Bray Wyatt. The theme of the event was wrestlers seeking payback against their opponents. John Cena served as the host of the event.
This was the first Payback to be branded as a "premium live event", a term the company introduced at the start of 2022 to refer to its events airing on traditional pay-per-view and via WWE's livestreaming platforms. It was also the first and only Payback to livestream on Peacock in the United States and the first on Binge in Australia. This was also WWE's first PLE held in Pittsburgh since Extreme Rules in July 2018, which was at the same arena. This would also be WWE's final PLE in which the company was still owned and controlled by the McMahon family before WWE's sale to Endeavor was finalized on September 12, 2023, with WWE and Ultimate Fighting Championship subsequently merging to become divisions of a new entity called TKO Group Holdings.
Six matches were contested at the event. In the main event, Seth "Freakin" Rollins defeated Shinsuke Nakamura to retain Raw's World Heavyweight Championship. In other prominent matches, Rhea Ripley defeated Raquel Rodriguez to retain Raw's Women's World Championship and SmackDown's LA Knight defeated Raw's The Miz in which John Cena served as special guest referee. The event also featured the return of Jey Uso, who had "quit" WWE a few weeks before the event and was transferred to the Raw roster upon his return.
Production Background
Payback is a professional wrestling premium live event (PLE) that was established by WWE in 2013. The concept of the event is the wrestlers seeking payback against their opponents. The event continued annually until 2017, but was discontinued a first time until it was reinstated in 2020, but was again discontinued. On June 16, 2023, however, WWE announced the revival of the event, with the seventh Payback to take place during Labor Day weekend on Saturday, September 2, 2023, at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and feature wrestlers from the Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. This was subsequently the first Payback held on a Saturday and in September. It was also WWE's first PLE held in Pittsburgh since Extreme Rules in July 2018, which was at the same arena. Tickets went on sale on June 27 via Ticketmaster. John Cena served as the host for the event. This was also the first Payback to be branded as a "premium live event", a term the company introduced on January 1 to refer to its events that are available on pay-per-view (PPV) and via livestreaming.
Broadcast outlets The PLE was broadcast on traditional PPV outlets worldwide. It was also available to livestream on the WWE Network in most international markets. In the United States, this was the first and only Payback to livestream on Peacock following the shutdown of the American version of the WWE Network on April 2021.
Storylines The card comprised six matches that resulted from scripted storylines. Results were predetermined by WWE's writers on the Raw and SmackDown brands, while storylines were produced on WWE's weekly television shows, Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown.
At Night of Champions, Trish Stratus defeated Becky Lynch thanks to interference from Zoey Stark, who was later revealed as Stratus' protégé. They continued to feud, with the three qualifying for the women's Money in the Bank ladder match, but none were victorious, although Stratus legitimately broke her nose during the match thanks to Lynch. Stratus then denied Lynch's challenge to fight her, claiming she was not medically cleared. Stark instead faced and defeated Lynch on the July 10 episode of Raw. The following week, Stratus said she would accept Lynch's challenge if Lynch could defeat Stark in a match on the July 24 episode, but if Lynch failed, she would have to get down on her knees, thank Stratus, and get "Thank You Trish" tattooed on her chest. Lynch won, setting up a rematch on the next episode that quickly ended in a disqualification win for Lynch after Stark interfered. Later, WWE official Adam Pearce scheduled a rematch for the August 14 episode with Stark banned from ringside, but it ended in a double countout and the two brawled throughout the arena with Stark helping Stratus. Later, Pearce announced another rematch, this time as a Steel Cage match, which was scheduled for Payback.
On the August 7 episode of Raw, Seth "Freakin" Rollins accepted Shinsuke Nakamura's offer to be on his team in a six-man tag team match that night. Their team won, but during the celebration, Nakamura attacked Rollins with a Kinshasa, turning heel. The following week, Nakamura stated that he wanted the World Heavyweight Championship, prompting Rollins to come to the ring, saying that he would face Nakamura at anytime with the title on the line. The two then shook hands, but Nakamura feigned leaving and again attacked Rollins with the Kinshasa. On the next episode, Rollins was scheduled to defend the World Heavyweight Championship against Nakamura at Payback.
On the June 19 episode of Raw, Raquel Rodriguez took issue with Women's World Champion Rhea Ripley assaulting Natalya before their match. Also during this time, Rodriguez and Liv Morgan would win the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship. Ripley continued her post-match assaults on Natalya, which eventually led to a brawl between Ripley, Rodriguez, and Morgan on the July 17 episode where Ripley injured Rodriguez's left knee. This attack subsequently cost Rodriguez and Morgan the Women's Tag Team Championship in a match later that night. After Morgan attacked Ripley later that night, a non-title match between the two was scheduled for the next week's episode, however, Ripley viciously attacked Morgan, injuring her arm, thus the match never happened. On the next episode, Rodriguez returned and brawled with Ripley, only to once again get injured. Later that night, WWE official Adam Pearce stated that Rodriguez was not medically cleared to compete, however, he said that once she was cleared, she would get a match against Ripley. On the August 21 episode, Rodriguez attacked Ripley and announced that she was medically cleared and that Pearce scheduled Ripley to defend the Women's World Championship against Rodriguez at Payback.
On the July 28 episode of SmackDown, Santos Escobar faced fellow Latino World Order (LWO) stablemate Rey Mysterio in the finals of the United States Championship Invitational tournament to earn a title match against Austin Theory. Mysterio was injured during the match, thus Escobar was named the winner via referee stoppage. The championship match was to occur on the August 11 episode, however, Theory attacked Escobar before the match, rendering him unable to compete. WWE official Adam Pearce then allowed Mysterio to take Escobar's place and face Theory for the title, which Mysterio won. The following week, Theory demanded Mysterio to give back the championship as he was not supposed to be in the match, however, Pearce instead scheduled a number one contender's match that Theory won. On the August 25 episode, the rematch was scheduled for Payback.
During the August 25 episode of SmackDown, it was announced that at Payback, SmackDown's Grayson Waller would have a special edition of his talk show, "The Grayson Waller Effect", with special guest, Raw's Cody Rhodes.
At SummerSlam, SmackDown's LA Knight won the Slim Jim SummerSlam Battle Royal, during which, he eliminated Raw's The Miz. On the following Raw, Miz took issue with the amount of attention that Knight was receiving and the disrespect he was shown from Knight. This prompted a confrontation between the two. After a couple of weeks of back-and-forth promos and interfering in matches, including Miz costing Knight a shot at the United States Championship, Miz challenged Knight to a match, which he accepted, and an interbrand match between the two was scheduled for Payback.
Since mid-July, Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn had been feuding with The Judgment Day (Finn Bálor, Damian Priest, "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio, and Rhea Ripley) after Judgment Day defeated Owens and Zayn's team in a six-man tag team match. This led to a match on the July 17 episode of Raw, where Owens and Zayn successfully defended the championship against Priest and Mysterio. Also during this time, Mysterio won the NXT North American Championship and successfully defended the title against Zayn after a distraction from Priest and Ripley, who attacked and injured Owens. Zayn's rivalry with The Judgment Day would continue through the next month, and on the August 21 episode, Owens would make his return. Later that night, Owens and Zayn's team would defeat The Judgment Day in a six-man tag team match. The following week, Owens and Zayn were scheduled to defend the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship against Bálor and Priest at Payback, and later, Owens and Zayn announced that after talking with WWE official Adam Pearce, the match would be a Pittsburgh Steel City Street Fight.
Event + Other on-screen personnelRole:Name:HostJohn CenaEnglish commentatorsMichael ColeCorey GravesSpanish commentatorsMarcelo RodriguezJerry SotoRing announcersMike Rome Samantha Irvin RefereesDanilo AnfibioJason AyersJohn Cena Daphanie LaShaunnChad PattonRod ZapataInterviewersCathy KelleyJohn CenaPre-show panelKayla BraxtonJackie RedmondPeter RosenbergBooker TWade Barrett Pre-show During the Payback Kickoff pre-show, it was announced that John Cena would be the special guest referee for the match between LA Knight and The Miz, in addition to his hosting duties for the event.
Preliminary matches In the opening match, Becky Lynch faced Trish Stratus in a Steel Cage match. In the opening stages, Stratus tried to escape the cage, but Lynch stopped her and delivered three Bexsploders. As Lynch attempted a clothesline, Stratus dodged it, but Lynch countered with a legdrop. As Stratus climbed the cage, Lynch stopped her and delivered a powerbomb for a two count. As Lynch attempted the Manhandle Slam, Stratus countered it into the Widow's Peak for a two count. As Stratus attempted the Stratusfaction, Lynch countered it into the Twist of Fate for a nearfall. Stratus then delivered the Stratusfaction for another nearfall. As Lynch attempted the avalanche Manhandle Slam, Stratus blocked it into an avalanche Stratusfaction for a two count. Lynch then delivered a superplex to Stratus from the top of the cage. As Stratus tried to escape through the cage door, Zoey Stark came out to assist her. Lynch stopped her and delivered a Manhandle Slam to Stratus, but Stark broke up the pin attempt. Lynch then delivered the Manhandle Slam to Stark and an avalanche Manhandle Slam to Stratus and then pinned her for the win. After the match, Stratus got furious and told Stark to exit the cage. Stark refused to listen and then delivered the Z360° to Stratus and then exited.