In the main event of WWE Payback 2023, Seth Rollins put his WWE World Heavyweight Championship on the line against Shinsuke Nakamura in a fresh matchup. Despite the best efforts from the challenger, the champion retained showing tremendous resiliency but it appears that the feud is far from over given the challenger is still focused on the title.
The storyline for this title matchup at WWE Payback 2023 was built around Rollins’ bruised back. Being a workhorse in the company, The Visionary has long been dealing with this injury but he’s still wrestling with it being a top figure. So the match expectedly began with Nakamura targeting the back of Rollins.
Nakamura threw him at the barricade and then onto the announce desk. He also put Rollins in submission maneuvers in the middle of the ring for more punishments. The King of Strong Styles even laid out the champion on the ring apron and stomped on the back which showcased the viciousness of his heel persona.
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WWE Payback 2023: Rollins and Nakamura got engaged in a hellacious encounter
Eventually, Rollins got his momentums back, halfway through the match at WWE Payback 2023. After a superplex, he hit a frog splash on Nakamura, but it wasn’t enough to put away the challenger. Nakamura then trapped Rollins into an armbar and then in a triangle submission.
As Rollins was out, Nakamura waited to deliver him with a Kinshasa for the final blow but Rollins’ back gave out and he couldn’t stand up to digest the move. Rollins eventually countered Nakamura’s offense to hit a pedigree before finally nailing him with The Stomp in the middle of the ring to retain the championship.
As the actual feed of WWE Payback 2023 went off the air, the saga continued between Rollins and Nakamura. In an exclusive footage published on WWE’s YouTube channel, Nakamura attacked Rollins from behind as the champion was heading to the back after the title match win. The Japanese star is clearly not done with the feud and he will continue to be gunning for the title for the foreseeable future.
That being said, Rollins vs. Nakamura is seemingly not done at WWE Payback 2023 as the duo will again lock horns. While nothing is confirmed, the two could be booked in yet another match at next month’s Fastlane event.
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