If you had a match with few rules and tons of destruction at Payback, you were over like rover and stole the night.

The opening contest between Becky Lynch and Trish Stratus was an absolute banger, both literally and figuratively. After all, Trish has the knot right smack in the middle of her forehead to prove it. But for a storyline that felt like it may have gone on a bit too long and that fans had largely lost interest in, both women brought it inside a steel cage to capture the emotions of the WWE Universe and deliver the goods. This was heated. This was exciting. This was a ton of fun, and it’s exactly what you’d want a grudge match to look like.

The Steel City Street Fight followed along in the same vein. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn vs. Finn Balor and Damian Priest was organized chaos of the highest order. It had garbage cans, steel chairs, tables, hockey sticks, and even Terrible Towels. Plus, it managed to also involve all the other members of The Judgment Day in sensible fashion. If the rules are that there are no rules, you might as well use that to your advantage, particularly if you’ve got the backing of a faction. That’s how you end up with new tag team champs.