WWE Payback review: What we learned, takeaways, future projections

Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman

What we learned: We learned here that whether you like it or not, Roman Reigns is going to look stronger than ever down the line. The buildup to this match has been the highlight of the year in WWE and Strowman has become a bonafide superstar. It was great to see him get the biggest win of his young career on Sunday night.

This was a great main event and both men did exactly what they were supposed to do here. Braun continues to look dominant and him pinning Roman Reigns cleanly only solidified his superstar status. Roman Reigns taking the loss here does nothing to hurt his credibility. It can just be said that after the brutal attack a couple of weeks ago, he didn’t come into this match at 100 percent but he still fought valiantly and just couldn’t quite overcome the odds.

What’s next: We all know that Brock Lesnar will make a title defense in July at the all-new Great Balls of Fire event (and yes, all of us here are still laughing at that) but will Strowman be the guy? They’ve teased a few different opponents for him, including Finn Balor, and it’s likely that he’s not going to come in and lose his first title defense. So do you want to throw Braun Strowman in there? Don’t get me wrong, I think that match could be a lot of fun and maybe they just go with a swerve finish or a DQ or something so Lesnar doesn’t lose the strap. Reigns and Lesnar are still penciled in for WrestleMania 34 from what we understand, so Roman’s not getting the spot in July. And Reigns will ultimately win this program with Strowman.

Braun is being built as a monster and has title reigns in his future but I still think that’s down the line as Roman will look stronger than ever for taking Braun down when they’re ready to start pushing him toward the title. A match at Extreme Rules may happen between the two but we know this isn’t over, especially after what happened after the show went off the air last night. There’s a few different directions this thing could go.

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What was your favorite match at Payback? Feel free to join in the conversation in the comments section below and be sure to check in with FanSided each and every day for all of your WWE needs. And if you’re looking for even more wrestling news and features, head on over to Facebook and like the all-new Sports Illustrated Wrestling page.