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May 27, 2013: Calgary, Alberta
Opening Promo: John Cena comes out to tell the viewership that the return match at Payback with him and Ryback will be a Three Stages of Hell Match. Stage 1 is a Lumberjack Match. Stage 2 is a Tables Match. Stage 3 is the Ambulance Match Ryback wanted.
Match: Alberto Del Rio (with Ricardo Rodriguez) vs Big E Langston (with AJ Lee)
Big E charges Del Rio and flips out of the ring. Del Rio lunges after him. Big E picks Alberto up and launches his face into the ring steps. Back in the ring, Big E gives Alberto three backbreakers, then charges and misses him again. Alberto kicks him in the face and knees his kidneys. AJ jumps to the ring and pulls the cover off the top turnbuckle. As the ref tries to fix the turnbuckle, Alberto gets Big E in the Cross Arm Breaker. Big E lifts him up Goldberg style and slams him down, but Del Rio uses the momentum to shove Big E’s head onto the (gasp) exposed steel, then rolls him up for the win. After the match, AJ screams at Big E like it was all his fault.
Backstage, Bret Hart gives Team Hell No a pep talk. The Canadians eat it up.
US Championship Match: Dean Ambrose vs. Kofi Kingston
Kofi starts off directing a continual flurry of action on Ambrose. Ambrose manages to avoid the payoff moves. After commercial break, Ambrose has managed to regain control. Kofi makes a comeback and gets several near-falls. Ambrose manages to avoid a Boom Drop, but Kingston nails him with the SOS. Ambrose slips out of the ring and jerks Kofi’s foot away, causing his face to whack the ring apron. He then plants the face-first DDT on Kofi for the win.
Tag Team Championship Match: The Shield (Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) vs. Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane)
Daniel Bryan starts off with Rollins and goes bezerk. Kane tells him to calm down and tags in. They team on Rollins for a while, then Rollins gets a surprise pinwheel kick to the back of Kane’s head. He and Reigns beat up on Kane for 15 minutes, who then clotheslines Rollins and tags in Bryan. Bryan charges in and cleans house on Rollins and Reigns. Rollins tries to superflex Bryan, but Goat Boy gets him in a Tree of Woe and charges for a running dropkick to the head. He then gets Rollins on the top turnbuckle and delivers an off-the-shoulder Superflex.
After commercial break, the Shield beats up on Bryan for 15 minutes. Seems like Rollins and Bryan are working 90 percent of this match. Bryan finally hot-tags Kane, who rolls Rollins through his series of signature moves. Reigns breaks up a pin attempt, and Bryan missile dropkicks him out of the ring. Kane tries to get Bryan back to their corner, but Bryan jumps off the ring apron into a Reigns counterattack. Rollins then sneaks in a top-rope side kick to the head of Kane and pins him.
Match: Wade Barrett vs. Fandango (with Summer Rae). Fans gets to vote via WWE App on the role of The Miz.
The fans have voted that Miz will be the Guest Referee. They sing Fandango’s entrance music while he and Barrett go at it. Barrett objects to Miz’s low standard of refereeing and shoves him across the ring. Miz puts the Skull Crushing Finale on Barrett in retaliation, and Fandango sneaks in a pin. As Fandango and Summer dance, Miz kicks him in the head and counts three on him.
Six Man Tag Match: The Great Khali and Tons of Funk (Brodus Clay and Tensai) vs 3MB.
Khali starts off with Drew and pancake slaps him on the chest a couple times. He tags in Tensai who charges McEntyre with a somersault splash. Slater interferes, and McEntyre and Mahal down Tensai with a double neck-breaker. Tensai dukes it out with Slater for a bit, and then tags in Clay. Clay gets in a T-Bone suplex on Slater, then splashes him in the corner. A brawl breaks out and the big guys clear out Mahal and McEntyre. Clay then splashes Slater for the win.
Chris Jericho’s Highlight Reel: Y2J interviews Paul Heyman.
Heyman starts off talking about how he’s discovered and developed the greatest talent of all time, including Jericho. Jericho asks Heyman “Where is CM Punk?” Heyman equivocates. Jericho says Punk can’t call himself “best in the world” while sitting home in Chicago for 6 weeks. He challenges Punk to face him at Payback. Heyman attempts to look like he’s calling the shots and accepts.
Divas Tag Match: Kaitlyn and Natalya vs. The Bella Twins
The Bellas beat up on Kaitlyn until she hot-tags Natalya. She gets a Sharpshooter on Bree. Nikki slaps her to break it up and Kaitlyn knocks Nikki out of the ring. Kaitlyn then goes to spear Bree, but hits Natalya by mistake. Bree pins her for the win.
Backstage, Bret Hart encourages Curtis Axel to drop Paul Heyman. Axel says no.
Tag Team Match: Randy Orton and Sheamus vs. Team Rhodes Scholars (Damian Sandow and Cody Rhodes)
Orton and Rhodes start off with shoulder blocks. Orton whips Rhodes into a Sheamus battering ram. Sandow tags in, only to become victim to Sheamus’s power moves. Orton and Sheamus tag in and out against Rhodes. After commercial break, Orton rolls Sandow through his “Vintage Orton” signature move set. Cody pulls his partner out of the ring and they bang Orton’s head against the ringpost. Sandow gets in a side Russian Leg Sweep and follows it up with the Contemptus Bracchiatus (Elbow of Disdain). Sheamus tags in and does some clubberin’ on Sandow. As he’s about to plant Sandow with White Noise, Cody tags his face with a Disaster Kick. Orton and Rhodes spill out of the ring, and Sheamus takes out Sandow with the Brogue Kick for the win.
Match: WWE Champ John Cena vs. Curtis Axel (with Paul Heyman)
Axel initially has control of Cena as Heyman beams. Cena turns the tables and Axel bails. After commercial break, Axel throws Cena against the ring steps. Cena is almost counted out. Axel beats up on Cena in the ring while Heyman runs his mouth. Axel has Cena in an armbar for 15 minutes. Cena comes back with shoulder blocks and the 5 Knuckle Shuffle. Axel foils an AA attempt, then does a couple of Axe Drops off the corner. He gets off more of the Hennig family moves on Cena, such as the Fisherman’s Suplex. Cena makes another comeback, then an ambulance siren drives into the arena. Cena gets out of the ring to look inside the ambulance and gets counted out.