WWE Payback 2016: Best and worst

Best: Living up to the hype

Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn should wrestle matches forever. It’s what Owens (then Steen) said to Zayn (then Generico) back in their Ring of Honor days regarding their destinies and it remained true on Sunday night in Chicago at WWE Payback. They played up the rivalry between these two men that has lasted over a decade and the two men wrestled their match exactly like this was a rivalry that was still going after all that time.

Perhaps the greatest thing about watching Owens and Zayn in the ring together is how great they are with their physical storytelling. Both men have an uncanny ability to express what they are feeling and what the fans should feel by using their physical reactions. Owens can make himself look despicable with how his body language is before and after a move just as Zayn can make fans get in his corner by looking like the underdog willing to put everything on the line to defeat his rival. It’s so good an so effective.

As such, this match was by far the best of the night. To be honest, the fact that they had Owens win with the Pop-Up Powerbomb and then deliver the promo about this being over was shocking—but it was all made to make sense when they had Zayn fly in and attack KO while the latter was on commentary for the next match. This rivalry and feud is going to last for many years and that’s the best news anyone could ask for.

Next: The Miz vs. Cesaro