Highly Anticipated Title Match Taken off WWE Payback 2023 for Mysterious Reasons; Cody Rhodes Segment With Grayson Waller Announced Instead

WWE rookie Grayson Waller has been on the rise and is getting a push from the higher-ups since he joined the main roster. In just a few months of his debut, he has already shared the stage with legends like John Cena, AJ Styles, and Edge. Joining Grayson Waller on Payback will be his guest Cody Rhodes who has just finished his feud with Brock Lesnar. Both superstars are without any ongoing feuds. But this segment has come at the expense of a rumored title match at Payback.

WWE replace title match with The Grayson Waller Effect at Payback

The expected title match between Chad Gable and The Ring General Gunther (earlier known as Walter) for the Intercontinental Championship has been taken off the card for Payback 2023. The match has been replaced by The Grayson Waller Effect featuring The American Nightmare, Cody Rhodes. It is not official if there would be a match between the two.

WrestleOps tweeted on August 29, the officially updated match card for the Payback Event on September 2 at PPG Paints Arena. The current match card involves:
1. Seth Rollins (C) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for World Heavyweight Title
2. Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus
3. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn (C) vs. Finn Balor and Damian Priest for the WWE Undisputed  Tag Team Championship
4. Rhea Ripley (C) vs. Raquel Rodriguez for the Women’s World Championship.
5. LA Knight vs. The Miz
6. Rey Mysterio (C) vs. Austin Theory for US Champion
7. Grayson Waller Effect with guest Cody Rhodes

Last week on RAW, the leader of the Alpha Academy, Chad Gable became the first person to defeat Gunther in the main roster. After hitting Gunther with his signature Suplex near the ring announcer’s section, Gable managed a count-out victory.

Read more: “This Is Bad”, “Massive L”: Triple H Faces Severe Backlash Online as WWE Confirms Gunther’s Next Title Challenger

Though it was earlier announced that Payback would involve a match between Gable and Gunther, it is now moved to the RAW after Payback. WWE has a reason for moving the match off the card.

Why did WWE move Gunther vs. Gable match off the card at Payback?

While there is no official reason for the match to be moved, it is believed that WWE is in favor of Gunther breaking Honky Tonk man’s record for the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion. The record stays at 454 days, while Gunther would complete 451 days by the time he faces Gable. Gunther has also acknowledged his desire to leave a mark on the Championship by breaking the record.

The other reason could be to include a promo segment to continue the momentum for Grayson Waller and Cody Rhodes. Both are without any major storylines at the moment and this could allow them to stay fresh.

What do you think of WWE’s decision to move the Intercontinental Championship match away from Payback? Let us know.

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