Smark Out Moment

Welcome to another edition of Triple Threat from Smark Out Moment, where three of us get together to discuss three questions based on one big topic going down in the week of professional wrestling.

This week, Dallas Allsopp, Matt Morgan and Bodeen Green will be reviewing Payback 2020.

Payback was held at the Amway Center within the glorious WWE Thunderdome, despite the fact we were only one week removed from SummerSlam. With only a week to build to yet another pay-per-view, WWE was relying on the return of Roman Reigns to spearhead the show. But was the show worth watching for the potential star making performance by Keith Lee? Is Big E being groomed for a tilt at the WWE Universal Championship? And just what is in store for Roman Reigns and The Fiend?


ALLSOPP: It was exactly what he needed. I was sceptical about him winning as NXT promotions have been dealt with poorly over the past few years, yet Lee overcame that handicap by destroying Randy Orton. I haven't seen The Legend Killer look this vulnerable since Brock Lesnar destroyed him at SummerSlam 2016. He looks likely to be pushed in the upper midcard on Raw, which could even result in a Royal Rumble victory in 2021.

MORGAN: Keith Lee’s victory over Randy Orton this past Sunday has laid the groundwork for Lee to have a really successful run on the main roster. I don’t believe that Lee will be a mainstay in the title picture beyond these next couple of weeks. Between Drew McIntyre, Orton and Edge (when he can eventually return), I feel like Lee may be pushed to the side for his first couple months on Raw. That being said, I do not think it is out of the question for him to be participating in World Championship matches and winning in about a year or so.

GREEN: Whilst a lot of people may hate his new attire and entrance theme, Keith Lee looked absolutely strong in beating a future Hall of Famer in less than 10 minutes. Credit also has to be given to Randy Orton as he put a ton of effort into making Lee look really strong. I can definitely see Lee being a big part of Raw in the near future, and I can see him winning the WWE Championship, especially if Drew McIntyre drops it soon.


MORGAN: Big E has definitely proven his worth as a singles star. He had a great showing against Sheamus at Payback. Beyond that, you can see in his promos that he believes in himself and his abilities, which is absolutely crucial. Going forward, there is so much potential to have a slow build where Big E constantly works to prove that he is capable of being an established and respected singles superstar. I don’t believe the payoff to that build would be him winning the Royal Rumble, however, if he can keep up his current momentum, I can easily see him winning the Intercontinental Championship.

GREEN: Big E easily deserves to be pushed as a singles star. He has proved himself to be a solid worker time and time again, showing that he is more than ready as a singles competitor. Whilst it is great to see Big E have a singles run after all these years, I don't see him winning the Royal Rumble. That being said, I can definitely see him winning the Intercontinental Championship if pushed correctly. I can also see him having a strong run with the belt until WWE feel it is time to bring him back into the tag team division.

ALLSOPP: Big E is also a dark horse to win the Royal Rumble. He has the backing of the fans, whilst WWE appear to finally be confident in pushing him. His character work has been solid, but his in ring ability is much improved from the last time they pushed him as a singles star. I like his current trajectory, and if pushed correctly, he could be the next big face the company needs to build their future around.


GREEN: Whilst The Fiend may be one of my favourite wrestlers at the moment, it's great to see a new and improved Roman Reigns win the WWE Universal Championship. The main event itself was fine, but it could have been a little shorter. Even though he lost the belt, The Fiend still looked strong by surviving the punishment Braun Strowman dished out. I can see The Fiend recovering from this as he has suffered worse setbacks in the form of Super Showdown and Hell in a Cell, yet he still recovered.

ALLSOPP: As much as I am an absolute mark for The Fiend, I am so happy to see Roman Reigns return to a heel role. Not only is he interesting once again, but he seems to have been positioned in the same role that Brock Lesnar made his own. The match was fun, if only for the badass fashion in which Reigns stole the victory. The Fiend will certainly recover from this defeat as he didn't take the fall directly, but I hope he is not positioned as an out and out face as that would kill the character dead.

MORGAN: The main event was entertaining from a character perspective. Roman Reigns’ heel turn and allegiance with Paul Heyman helped the match feel fresh and exciting. I was nervous seeing all three performers move around a collapsed ring, but they did a good job adapting to the situation. The Fiend will absolutely recover from this Sunday’s loss. The Fiend is one of those characters that doesn’t need the belt to be relevant, although he deserves it based on his hard work. Braun Strowman taking the pin opens the door for The Fiend to demand a rematch, which could lead to some really cool and new storytelling between him, Reigns and Heyman.