Payback 2013

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 173 Minutes
Certificate: 12
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: August 26 2013

Despite a familiar line-up and the feelings of relative staleness due to the end of WrestleMania Season, Payback 2013 is surprisingly a great show to watch, and therefore the DVD should provide you with plenty of entertainment.

Here's why: after a very well-received opener for the Intercontinental Title, pitting Bad News Barrett against The Miz and Curtis Axel (replacing Fandango), we get the best Divas Title match since the days of Trish Stratus and Lita as AJ Lee and Kaitlyn put on one hell of a battle. Dean Ambrose vs. Kane admittedly has that filler feeling to it, but the same cannot be said about Dolph Ziggler vs. Alberto Del Rio, which is a World Title with a difference, namely the incredibly stiff offence (based around Ziggler's real-life concussion issues) and a double turn, which is well-executed.

Visit our DVDs sub-page for full article by clicking here

WWE Payback 2013

Image Source: Wrestling
DVD Network

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Genre: Wrestling
Produced By: WWE
Format: Pay-Per-View
Date: June 16 2013
Location: Allstate Arena, Rosemont, Illinois, USA
Attendance: 12,500

Payback was a whole new PPV for WWE (well, a new name for a PPV anyway), but it's hard to see where the theme fit in with the matches on hand. John Cena vs. Ryback had a minor layer of revenge to it, and Dolph Ziggler vs. Alberto Del Rio did too if you consider a title rematch stemming from a Money In The Bank cash-in to represent possible retribution. But CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho didn't (not this year, anyway), nor did any of the matches involving members of The Shield. Kaitlyn vs. AJ Lee was the only match where the "Payback" moniker may have been suitable, and even that initially came about because AJ earned a Divas Title shot, hardly the sort of thing to swear revenge upon. (I'm half-joking with this, by the way, since PPV themes/names are decided months in advance.)

Fortunately, this could have been called Payback, Backlash or Honey Boo Boo's Wrestling Parade for the difference that the name made in terms of the in-ring action, which ultimately proved to be very good. Some unexpected mid-card gems were met with a worthy double main event and a big double-turn in the World Title match, all in front of the usual electric Chicago crowd. So, whilst Payback might have seemed like an odd name beforehand, it will prove to be amongst the top names on the "Best PPVs Of 2013" lists when they are drawn up at the end of the year.

Visit our Wrestling sub-page for full article by clicking here