The only brand-exclusive Payback held before WWE discontinued the format
In short: In professional wrestling, 'Payback' is a narrative of revenge. But in 2017, it also marked a structural turning point for the industry. This specific event was the final time a brand-exclusive Payback would exist, serving as a unique bridge between two eras of television scheduling.
The 2017 Payback took place on April 30 at the SAP Center in San Jose, California. Occurring after July 2016's brand extension relaunch, this marked the fifth yearly iteration. This era saw WWE split its main roster into two distinct identities: Raw and SmackDown. Because Payback was scheduled for the Raw brand, it became a rare instance of a brand-exclusive pay-per-view event.
The event was complicated by the 'Superstar Shake-up' draft, which occurred just two weeks prior. This reshuffling forced the inclusion of two interbrand matches featuring SmackDown wrestlers who had been scheduled before the move. Notable outcomes included Chris Jericho defeating Kevin Owens to win back the United States Championship—a victory that triggered Jericho's transfer to the SmackDown brand—and Alexa Bliss becoming the first woman to hold both the Raw and SmackDown Women's Championships.
The 2017 event served as a historical dead end for this specific format. While WWE originally planned for Payback to return as a SmackDown-exclusive event in 2018, the promotion discontinued brand-exclusive pay-per-view and livestreaming events following WrestleMania 34 in April of that year. Consequently, the 2017 edition remains the only brand-exclusive Payback ever produced under this model.
The card featured high-stakes cinematic storytelling, such as a 'House of Horrors' match between Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt. This non-title No Holds Barred match began in an actual house, involving elements like a refrigerator and a stolen limousine, before moving into the arena to conclude.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Payback (2017)
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