WWE Payback 2020: Brock Lesnar Returning And 5 Potentially Huge Surprises

WWE SummerSlam featured one of the biggest surprises in recent memory when Roman Reigns returned after a five-month hiatus to attack Bray Wyatt—only to be outdone on this week’s SmackDown when Reigns joined forces with, of all people, Paul Heyman.

Could Payback follow suit?

Now that WWE has transitioned out of the Performance Center and into the ThunderDome inside the Amway Center, the company is reportedly viewing that as a way to reset and refresh its main roster programming, which has struggled to produce consistently compelling storylines during the Performance Center Era of audience-less shows. Whenever WWE is looking for a spark, it tends to pull out all the stops in an attempt to improve its disappointing viewership and reengage its fans.

SummerSlam was a well-booked show that went a long way toward improving WWE’s TV product, but with Payback taking place just a week later, the company runs the risk of viewership burnout leading to a lackluster show. That, of course, doesn’t have to be the case, and WWE can avoid delivering an underwhelming Payback event if it books its fair share of surprises at its second major event of the ThunderDome era.

Here are five huge surprises WWE could pull off at Payback.

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Keith Lee Beats Randy Orton Clean

Given the changes WWE made to Keith Lee’s ring gear and entrance music (which will be changed once again at Payback) upon his Raw debut, there is already concern that he has been “ruined” on the main roster. But let’s just pump the brakes.

Despite those questionable changes, WWE reportedly has big things in store for the former NXT Champion, who is primed to be a top star on Raw right out of the gate. The fact that he was immediately thrust into a feud with Randy Orton, arguably the hottest star in all of WWE at the moment, is a surefire sign that he will get the opportunity to succeed on Raw. How Lee fares on the main roster will depend upon his performances there, and there is little doubt among fans that he will live up to the hype. The biggest question is whether WWE will book him accordingly.

Though the ridiculous half-skirt outfit and generic music isn’t a great beginning, Orton’s previous desire to work with NXT stars suggests he would be more than willing to put over Lee at Payback. Orton did the same with Drew McIntyre at SummerSlam in a way that kept “The Viper” protected, and though that seems like the most likely outcome at Payback (with Lee winning via assistance from McIntyre), this could and should be a scenario akin to Kevin Owens beating John Cena in his main roster debut match.

But if that actually happens and Lee pins Orton clean, rest assured that will be quite the surprise given how hot Orton has been and the question marks surrounding WWE’s presentation of Lee on his first night on Raw.

Seth Rollins Adds Some New Disciples

Seth Rollins calls himself “The Monday Night Messiah,” but he’s now down to just one disciple in Murphy, meaning he really needs some new followers to make his whole shtick work.

Might he call on some familiar faces to back him up? It sure looks that way. AOP, who had previously served as Rollins’ heavy, is expected to return to WWE as soon as next month and do so as the backup for Rollins once again. But given all of the booking surprises WWE has pulled off in recent weeks, that timetable could certainly be a red herring to throw fans off the scent and pave the way for the gargantuan tag team stars to return sooner than expected.

WWE is expected to bring back major names due to its move to the ThunderDome, and we’ve already seen the returns of Paul Heyman, Roman Reigns and Sami Sayn. AOP could very well be next in order to help Rollins gain the upper hand in his battle with Rey and Dominik Mysterio.

Bayley And Sasha Banks Retain The Tag Titles

Especially after Sasha Banks lost the Raw Women’s Championship at SummerSlam, there is this overwhelming expectation that the next stop in the seemingly inevitable implosion of the Banks/Bayley duo is for the pair to drop the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship at Payback.

That is a logical conclusion, of course, especially given that Banks and Bayley will be facing the dominant and well-protected duo of Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler. But Banks vs. Bayley does feel like a major rivalry that should be saved until fans are in attendance at WWE shows, if that’s even possible, so WWE could very well continue its slow burn approach with their breakup.

Especially considering that Jax and Baszler were basically paired together on a whim, perhaps WWE instead chooses to get some more time out of the incredibly entertaining duo of Bayley and Banks by extending their run as tag team champs for at least another month or two.

Brock Lesnar Returns

It’s been reported that WWE is viewing its move to the ThunderDome as a way to reinvigorate its programming, and that may include some shocking returns. Well, it already has.

WWE fans got the surprise of a lifetime when Reigns returned at SummerSlam, a booking move that indeed hardly anyone ever saw coming but was topped when Reigns became a “Paul Heyman” guy on SmackDown. One report indicates that WWE’s transition out of the Performance Center could also pave the way for the return of Brock Lesnar, and even though it’s difficult to envision WWE utilizing those rare dates for “The Beast” for shows without fans, the big spike in Raw viewership following the return of Reigns at SummerSlam suggests it could be a smart business move for WWE.

Lesnar has been out of action for nearly half a year, and even though his presence in WWE’s main event picture is always controversial because he’s pushed so strongly, there is also little doubt that he adds plenty on intrigue to the top of the card whenever he is around. With Reigns now back, Lesnar is the biggest name who is currently sidelined and could return with a bang in the near future.

And with Reigns paired with Heyman, there are countless opportunities for exciting storylines involving Heyman, Lesnar and Reigns, with one of the most intriguing being the formation of a modern day version of The Mega Powers.

The Fiend Retains The Universal Title

On the heels of his downright shocking SummerSlam return, WWE is reportedly planning on pushing Reigns to the moon, and those plans include a potential Universal Championship win at Payback.

Given that WWE had originally planned on putting the Universal title on Roman Reigns during his scrapped match against Goldberg at WrestleMania 36, SummerSlam marks an opportunity for WWE to get exactly where it intended to be five months ago: With Reigns holding what is supposed to be the most prestigious title title on SmackDown. The fact that Reigns will be battling Braun Strowman and Bray Wyatt in a No Holds Barred Triple Threat match at Payback only lends further credence to the widespread belief that Reigns is leaving Payback as champion.

Why? Because Strowman appears to be in this match purely to take the fall and protect Wyatt. The scenario is simple and is one in which Reigns pins Strowman so that “The Fiend” stays looking strong while Reigns wins the title. That outcome is so obvious given the buildup to this match that any outcome other than Reigns pinning Strowman would be a massive shocker.