The contenders for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and the Intercontinental Championship have been decided for WWE Payback 2016.
On the April 11 edition of Monday Night Raw, the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and Intercontinental Championship matches were announced as the card for WWE Payback 2016 began to form.
AJ Styles is officially the number one contender for Roman Reigns’ newly won WWE World Heavyweight Championship after a victory against Sami Zayn in a Raw match of the year candidate.
Styles originally won his number one contendership in a Fatal-Four-Way match on the April 4 edition of Raw, the night after WrestleMania 32. However, Shane McMahon decreed that Sami Zayn would face AJ Styles, giving him another chance at earning a shot for the championship after Kevin Owens attacked him the previous week. Styles would go on to defeat Sami Zayn in a, ahem, phenomenal match.
Kevin Owens, fresh off losing his Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 32 protested his loss to Shane McMahon, demanding another chance at the gold. McMahon decided that Owens would have to earn that opportunity, and pitted him against the returning Swiss Superman, Cesaro in another classic bout.
Cesaro would go on to be victorious, putting him on a collision course with The Miz for his newly-won Intercontinental Championship at WWE Payback 2016.
These contests are added to the Wyatt Family vs. League of Nations as WWE Payback 2016 looks set to be a stellar show on paper.
The WWE Tag Team Championships will also be defended at Payback, as on Raw, a number one contender’s tournament (sponsored by Booty O’s) commenced. The winners will face WWE Tag Team Champions, The New Day. The participants of the tournament are The Uso’s vs. Social Outcasts (in which the Uso’s were victorious), Golden Truth vs. The Vaudevillains, Enzo & Big Cass vs. The Ascension, and Lucha Dragons vs. The Dudley Boyz (in which the Dudley Boyz were victorious).
The current card for WWE Payback 2016 is as follows:
WWE World Heavyweight Championship
AJ Styles vs. Roman Reigns (c)
Intercontinental Championship
Cesaro vs. The Miz (c) (with Maryse)
WWE Tag Team Championship
Tournament winners vs. The New Day (c)
The Wyatt Family vs. League of Nations