It was revealed on "Monday Night RAW" this week that the impending clash between WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns and AJ Styles will occur at Payback.
Sami Zayn failed to defeat "The Phenomenal One" on the WWE's flagship show, so the bout for the richest prize in the game will remain a singles match. Payback emanates on May 1 live from the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill.
While the match may have a standard finish with Reigns retaining or Styles winning his first WWE gold, there could also be several swerves in the contest. Here are five possible candidates for outside interference.
1) Triple H
"The Game" hasn't been seen on the flagship show since losing his belt to Reigns at WrestleMania 32 on April 3. It's possible the WWE could keep him sidelined through the rest of April only to have him blindside the leader of the Roman Empire by interfering in the main event to extract his revenge. Given WWE's normal rules, Triple H is due a rematch.
2) Seth Rollins
"The Architect" may not be cleared to return by the time Payback rolls around, but if he is, he could definitely play a role. While him taking out Styles and re-aligning with Reigns would be an interesting premise -- especially if it led to a Styles-Rollins match -- it would make more sense for him to attack Reigns. Rollins thwarted off Reigns' first run with the belt and never truly lost it before having to forfeit it to injury.
3) Dean Ambrose
"The Lunatic Fringe" seems headed for a clash with Chris Jericho at the May 1 event, but that doesn't mean he can't get involved in the main event. Many people have pined for Ambrose to turn on Reigns, and while helping Styles wouldn't fully make him a heel (especially with the Reigns' haters), he could develop an unhinged heel demeanor going forward. Or, he could just help his buddy retain.
4) Samoa Joe
Thus far, the former Indy darling hasn't reached the main roster, but given his history with Styles, it could be a perfect time for him to do so. The WWE is unlikely to take the belt off of Reigns this quickly into his third run, but having him defeat "The Phenomenal One" cleanly will lead to a fan revolt. If Joe interferes to strike up a feud with Styles, with whom he has history with in TNA, it could lead to an interesting main roster program.
5) Sami Zayn
If you can't beat 'em, why not just ruin the match? Zayn failed to defeat Styles to make this main event a Triple Threat Match, but he could still make his presence known by getting involved and taking out both men to declare himself a contender going forward for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
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