Seth Rollins assaulted off-air and 3 other mistakes WWE made with the Payback 2023 main event
The main event of WWE Payback 2023 saw Seth Rollins prevail over Shinsuke Nakamura in a good old-fashioned wrestling match. This was the first time the World Heavyweight Championship closed a premium live event in a long time.
Considering the underwhelming hype for the show, Rollins vs. Nakamura was one of the more intriguing and well-anticipated bouts heading into Pittsburgh last night. However, a significant portion of the fan base was slightly underwhelmed by the main event.
On that note, let's look at 4 mistakes WWE made with Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura at Payback 2023.
#4. Shinsuke Nakamura attacks Seth Rollins after Payback goes off-air
After Rollins retained the World Title, he was on the receiving end of a sneak assault by The King of Strong Style. This was a clear indication that the program was far from over.
However, WWE made the questionable and controversial decision of booking the assault off-air. In a Digital Exclusive, the company posted the special footage of Nakamura's attack on The Visionary upon the conclusion of their title bout.
Time constraints may have been a factor, but WWE could have held off the assault till RAW. Instead, they chose to book it off-air, which seems to have proven a controversial move.
#3. Damian Priest didn't cash in his Money in the Bank contract
Fan footage of Shinsuke Nakamura's off-air assault on Seth Rollins featured the live crowd loudly chanting, "We want Priest!" As the dust settled, no cash-in occurred, much to the fans' chagrin.
The Visionary took an extended beating at Payback. The match went on for more than twenty-five minutes, and Rollins looked vulnerable. He was virtually a sitting duck for Damian Priest.
Perhaps Priest was too busy celebrating his Tag Team win, but he had an ideal opportunity to walk out with the World Heavyweight Title.
#2. Shinsuke Nakamura technically no-sold the Stomp
Although the Stomp put away The King of Strong Style for the three-count, Nakamura almost immediately got back to his feet at ringside.
As the show concluded, we could see the challenger anxiously pacing at ringside. Once Payback went off-air, an upset Nakamura assaulted Rollins as the champion went backstage.
Considering that the Stomp is one of the most protected finishers on the main roster, Nakamura could have sold it much better.
#1. The match went on too long
Twenty-six minutes were more than enough for Shinsuke Nakamura and Seth "Freakin" Rollins to create magic for Pittsburgh. Sometimes, less is more, and WWE should have adopted the same strategy with the main event.
A long match isn't always the key ingredient for an incredible bout. Due to its extended length, there were quite a few dull moments in the encounter, and the crowd seemed to lose interest mid-way.
It felt as if the ending was rushed because the Stomp came virtually out of nowhere with little build. Cutting the match short may have also allowed Nakamura's assault to take place on air.
The long duration of the match hurt the overall perception of the bout.