The final Payback before a corporate revolution in professional wrestling
In short: On September 2, 2023, WWE held its seventh and final Payback event. It served as a historic bridge between eras: the last major show under the McMahon family's control before the company was sold to Endeavor and merged into TKO Group Holdings.
The 2023 Payback took place at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. While it followed a hiatus that began in 2020, this iteration marked several firsts for the brand. It was the first time the event was held on a Saturday in September and the first to be branded as a 'premium live event' (PLE)—a designation WWE introduced in early 2022 to describe content available via both traditional pay-per-view and livestreaming platforms.
The event served as a significant milestone for global distribution. Peacock (United States), SonyLIV (India), Disney+ Hotstar (Indonesia), Disney+ (Philippines), and Binge (Australia) hosted this inaugural Payback livestream on primary global platforms. These partnerships were finalized following various mergers of the WWE Network with local streaming services between 2021 and 2023.
Beyond the logistics, the card was built on months of scripted narratives. Key matchups included a Steel Cage match where Becky Lynch defeated Trish Stratus (with interference from Zoey Stark) and an interbrand clash between LA Knight and The Miz, featuring John Cena as special guest referee. In the main event, Seth 'Freakin' Rollins defended his World Heavyweight Championship against Shinsuke Nakamura.
The timing was culturally significant for the promotion. It was WWE's first major event following the deaths of Terry Funk and Bray Wyatt. Furthermore, it occurred just days before the finalized sale to Endeavor on September 12, 2023, marking the end of an era of family ownership.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Payback (2023)
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