WWE Payback is set to go live on Sunday at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill., and for many of the Superstars on the card, the future is now.
This event looks better on paper than WrestleMania 32 did going in, and has a chance to eclipse the "Show of Shows," which admittedly wasn't one of the best editions of the marquee event. With an influx of fresh faces and new rivalries heading into Sunday's event, several Superstars have a chance to breakout.
Here are five Superstars poised to put themselves on the map at Payback. To view this article in slideshow form, CLICK START at the top right of this page.
5) Baron Corbin
The former NXT wrestler already made an impact at WrestleMania, surprisingly winning the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Less than a month later, he has a chance to further cement himself as a solid midcard presence. Corbin will face Dolph Ziggler, who has seemingly fallen out of favor in the WWE ranks judging by his roles as of late. Still, Ziggler can go in the ring and should help elevate the newcomer come Sunday.
4) Dean Ambrose
Yes, at this stage in his career the "Lunatic Fringe" registers more like a veteran, but he needs a big performance this Sunday against the tremendous Chris Jericho. Ambrose has built some serious momentum for himself, facing Triple H in a great main event match at Roadblock last month. He then had a high-profile match with Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 32. Ambrose, however, lost both of those bouts and could use a big win at Payback over the veteran "Y2J."
3) Enzo Amore & Big Cass
The stakes are high for both new NXT tag teams as this duo will battle the entertaining newcomers, The Vaudevillians, for a chance to face The New Day for the Tag Team Championships. Though both of these teams will look to make a name for themselves at their first WWE pay-per-view, the pressure to breakout is more on the babyface team. Amore and Big Cass have the crowd in the palm of their hands, but now it's time to perform like they did in NXT to further capture the hearts of the WWE Universe.
2) Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens
One of the most highly-anticipated matches on Sunday will be the old fashioned grudge match between Owens and Zayn. These two have a storied history, which includes becoming friends at a young age and traveling around the world working their way to the big time. These two had some great magic at NXT, but they'll look to be even greater on the big stage. Zayn hasn't been booked to win many matches during his short main roster tenure, while Owens has certainly lost some steam since dropping the Intercontinental Championship. Someone has to lose, but it doesn't mean both of these guys can't step up Sunday night.
1) AJ Styles
The "Phenomenal One" will headline a major event for the first time in his WWE career, putting a lot pressure on the shoulders of the former TNA, ROH and NJPW standout. The fact that his opponent, WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns, will have his many critics keeping a sharp eye on his performance adds even more pressure for Styles to bring out the best in him. Regardless of the many crazy swerves that could occur in this match, one thing is for certain, there's a lot riding on Styles as a main event player in the future coming out of this match.
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