WWE Raw: Possible headliner match teased for 2023 Payback premium live event

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Bengaluru, August 8: This week's WWE Raw opened on a note where multiple challengers were out to come after the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Cody Rhodes and Judgment Day members were among them but they won't be the ones to be getting a title shot.

By the end of Raw, a surprising new name has emerged to possibly capture the number-one contender's spot for the World Heavyweight Title in the form of Shinsuke Nakamura. This also came as a result of a shocking heel turn.

After a confrontation in the opening contest of WWE Raw, the super team of Cody Rhodes, Shinsuke Nakamura, and the World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins defeated Judgment Day (Finn Balor, Damian Priest, and Dominik Mysterio) in a six-man tag team match.

Issues were also teased between Rollins and Rhodes during the match but they put aside the differences to become victorious after which the shocker came as Nakamura laid Rollins out of nowhere with a Kinshasa Kick.

It should be noted that Nakamura's inclusion in the match happened at the very last moment as Rhodes and Rollins were originally set to team up with WWE Undisputed Tag Team Champion Sami Zayn in the tag match.

But Zayn was attacked backstage by JD McDonagh to be taken out of commission after which Nakamura stepped up to volunteer his place even after competing in a singles contest against Bronson Reed for a win earlier in the evening.

Following the betrayal by Nakamura, speculations are on regarding him getting a championship shot against the fighting champion Seth Rollins at the next WWE premium live event Payback in Pittsburgh on September 3.

With Undisputed WWE Universal Champion possibly going into a hiatus due to his limited schedule, he's expected to be missing Payback, next month. Hence, Rollins vs. Nakamura fresh bout could emerge to be the headliner of the upcoming PLE.

Shinsuke Nakamura is a former WWE Intercontinental, United States, tag team champion who also ruled the NXT brand in his first reign with the NXT Title. But he has never been able to win a world title in the WWE.

The King of Strong Styles hasn't even challenged for a world title since 2018 after his feud with AJ Styles was over. Rollins, on the other hand, has last successfully defended the world championship at SummerSlam against Finn Balor.