WWE Stefanio Returns 2013 | 16.06.2013 | BECAUSE STEFANIO IS STEFANIO

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STEFANIO RETURNS

What else?

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WWE Champion He-Man vs. Rybamboccio (Three Stages of Hell Match)

Just one night after their epic Last Man Standing Match at Extreme Rules ended in a No Contest, the rivalry between WWE Champion John Cena and Ryback took yet another explosive turn.

Entering the Raw arena on May 20 behind the wheel of an ambulance, Ryback had plenty to say. Before he opened his mouth, however, the monstrous Superstar climbed atop the ambulance in a symbolic gesture of dominance. He then launched into a missive delivered to Cena and the WWE Universe, making strong statements about the brutal battle he and the WWE Champion engaged in just one night earlier.

Ryback then set the WWE Universe ablaze when he called out the Cenation leader, telling The Champ that the next time they meet will be at WWE Payback on Sunday, June 16, in an Ambulance Match!

Not happy with only an Ambulance Match, Cena — who said “payback should be hell” — upped the ante on the Memorial Day edition of Raw by revealing the two would square off in a Three Stages of Hell Match.

The 2-out-of-3 Falls Match will be contested in three stages:
Stage 1: Lumberjack Match
Stage 2: Tables Match
Stage 3 (if necessary): Ambulance Match

As Ryback made abundantly clear on Raw, Cena may have walked out of Extreme Rules with his title intact, but he didn’t exactly walk out of the pay-per-view. Instead, the Cenation leader was strapped onto a stretcher and carted out of the arena. But he’s been beaten down before, and as the WWE Universe is well aware, Cena doesn’t know how to give anything less than everything he has.

Can the titleholder overcome his ever-hungry foe at WWE Payback? Or will Ryback finally “rule” as the new WWE Champion? Find out on June 16, only on pay-per-view!

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World Heavyweight Champion Mr. Overselling vs. Please, Make Me Heel Again

Chicago’s own CM Punk won’t be the only Superstar returning to action at WWE Payback following an extended absence.

After more than a month off due to injury, World Heavyweight Champion Dolph Ziggler makes his homecoming to the squared circle at WWE Payback on Sunday, June 16, as he attempts to defend his illustrious title against impressive and dangerous No. 1 contender Alberto Del Rio.

Fully recovered after suffering a serious concussion at the hands – or foot – of Jack Swagger on the May 10 episode of SmackDown, Ziggler will look to recapture momentum as the king of the mountain. And after once again adding the esteemed championship gold to his top-notch grappling and mic skills, The Showoff appears primed for a long title reign. But, even if Ziggler can overcome both the injury and the lengthy layoff, he will still be standing across the ring from an angry and motivated three-time World Champion.

Alberto Del Rio will surely look for “payback” against Ziggler, who cashed in his Money in the Bank contract the night after WrestleMania 29 to end the Mexican champion’s inaugural World Title reign just less than three months after it began. After emerging victorious in a hard fought “I Quit” Match against Jack Swagger at Extreme Rules to solidify his No. 1 contender status, Del Rio has spent the last several weeks engaging in a fierce rivalry with Ziggler’s enormous “heavy,” Big E Langston, alternating victories and defeats against the imposing power-lifting prodigy.

Could that burgeoning animosity between Del Rio and Langston play into the World Title Match at WWE Payback? Even if Langston doesn’t interject his massive presence into the contest, there are still Ricardo Rodriguez and AJ Lee in the corners of Del Rio and Ziggler, respectively, who could always impact and further complicate the match.

Will The Showoff’s much-anticipated return to the WWE ring mark his first successful title defense? Or will Alberto Del Rio wrest the World Heavyweight Championship from Ziggler’s grasp? Find out on June 16, only on pay-per-view!

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Best In The World (?) vs. Best In The World (!)

If there’s anyone who wants a little payback in the WWE locker room, it’s got to be Chris Jericho. Only months after his cryptic return in January 2012, The Ayatollah of Rock ‘n’ Rolla mounted two monstrous challenges against then-WWE Champion CM Punk, the first and most epic unfolding under the hot Miami night at WrestleMania XXVIII. And despite an all-time effort on behalf of the original Undisputed Champion, Jericho walked away empty-handed when The Show of Shows folded up its tents.

But given that Jericho was unable to reclaim the WWE Title on The Grandest Stage of Them All, it makes sense that Y2J threw the gauntlet one more time at the feet of The Straight Edge Superstar, laying down a challenge for his recent rival on the May 27 edition of Monday Night Raw. On paper, the plan is perfect: A tailor-made rematch for two of the ring’s premier competitors, staged under the banner of a pay-per-view whose very name promises Payback.

There is, of course, only one problem with this strategy: CM Punk is not here.

Nor has he been for some time, since walking off into the sunset after suffering his own WrestleMania defeat to The Undertaker at WrestleMania 29. Punk’s whereabouts have been one of the hot topics of conversation; WWE.com even took a stab at figuring it out. But despite The Second City Saint’s absence from the squared circle, Jericho still found a way to make his challenge to the absentee Punk stick by manipulating Paul Heyman into accepting on his client’s behalf during an intense session of “The Highlight Reel.” The match was made official when Paul Heyman signed the contract for his client on the June 3 edition of Raw.

So now, for the first time in a long time, CM Punk – wherever he is – finds himself backed into a corner. With Jericho competing (and winning) on a weekly basis, the MIA “Best in the World” finds himself facing a Hall of Fame-caliber Superstar who’s riding high off his second win. And with that rhythmically-gifted, figurative monkey finally off his back, Jericho’s confidence is about as high as it’s ever going to be (it doesn’t bode well for Punk that their last, one-off encounter nearly ended with Y2J victorious as well).

As for Punk … who knows? Maybe he’ll show up at Payback. Maybe he’ll show up before then. And, of course, maybe he won’t. Maybe Jericho’s counting on that, of exposing the man who humbled him on the highest pedestal of their shared profession as a broken man; of being able to defeat him simply by way of his absence.

Imagine that, if Chris Jericho could beat CM Punk without throwing a single punch. Now that would really be payback.

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WWE Tag Team Champions Tyler Black and The Rock's Cousin vs. Team Boring & Greatness

WWE is nothing if not unpredictable, proven yet again by the surprising WWE Payback match made on the June 10 episode of Raw by Managing Supervisor Vickie Guerrero. With WWE Tag Team Champions Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns looking as dominant as ever, they will now head into the June 16 pay-per-view against an unexpected pair of foes — Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton.

It’s a bit of a curveball, temporarily separating Bryan from his Team Hell No partner, Kane, and reuniting the submission specialist and The Viper, with whom Bryan teamed on the June 7 SmackDown. As the WWE Universe is well aware, that particular team-up didn’t turn out too well for either headstrong Superstar.

After Bryan inadvertently nailed Orton with a dropkick in the corner, WWE’s Apex Predator paid back the accidental transgression in spades with a ring-shaking RKO to close out the show, leaving Bryan in a heap on the canvas.

Now, Bryan and Orton will have to find a way to coexist if they hope to have any chance of downing the reigning WWE Tag Team Champions, who have been on fire since claiming the titles from Team Hell No at Extreme Rules.

The former champions have had some tough times since that pay-per-view loss, as Bryan continues to obsess over being Team Hell No’s “weak link.” For his part, Kane doesn’t agree, and has shown support for his submission specialist of a tag team partner. We all know how stubborn Bryan can be, though, and once he’s got something in his head, it’s all but impossible to shake it out. A WWE Payback victory would go a long way in convincing the bearded wonder that he’s as good as everyone else seems to know he is.

However, The Shield has continually shown just how dangerous they are, and Rollins and Reigns are currently at the top of their game as a cohesive unit. This will mark the black-clad duo’s first title defense on a pay-per-view, but the young rogues are not at all intimidated by the bright lights of such an event, as they showed on The Grandest Stage of Them All, and then again at Extreme Rules. In fact, nothing seems to faze these guys, as they find strength in unity and rely on their numbers advantage to lay waste to everyone in their path.

Can Orton and Bryan coexist long enough to make a dent in The Shield’s collection of hoarded championship gold? Or will Rollins and Reigns once again make the WWE Universe believe in The Shield? Find out June 16, only on pay-per-view!

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Intercontinental Champion Barrett Garage vs. Festivalbar vs. Michael McGuillicutty

Fandango’s loss is the newest “Paul Heyman Guy’s” gain.

Following the news that the sashaying Superstar suffered a concussion on SmackDown and would be unable to compete in the Triple Threat Match against Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett and The Miz at WWE Payback, Raw Managing Supervisor Vickie Guerrero named a replacement that was sure to bring a smile to Heyman’s face: Curtis Axel.

With their dance card reshuffled less than a week before WWE Payback, Barrett and Miz are now left to contemplate how the addition of Axel will change the complexion of Sunday’s Triple Threat Match.

Although he was short on exposure prior to hitching his wagon to Heyman last month, the third-generation Superstar is hailed inside the locker room as a cagey competitor for whom ring awareness is an ingrained attribute. Axel has evinced as much during his white-hot ascent this past month — an impressive body of work that includes victories over Triple H and Chris Jericho, as well as back-to-back wins over WWE Champion John Cena.

Not to be forgotten is Axel’s “perfect” pedigree and the invaluable part his father, “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig, played in defining the Intercontinental Title as the purists’ championship. Since signing on as a “Heyman Guy,” however, Axel appears far less interested in sentimental symbolism than creating his own legacy in WWE. Few feats can help accomplish that goal faster than capturing championship gold this Sunday.

Of course, doing so at WWE Payback will be no easy task. Miz undoubtedly wants to prove to the WWE Universe that he is capable of a long-term Intercontinental Championship reign — a status that eluded The Awesome One earlier this year when he defeated none other than Barrett for the title on the WrestleMania Pre-Show, only to lose it back to the fierce Englishman the following night on Raw.

Speaking of the ever-dangerous titleholder, Barrett journeys into WWE Payback with a great deal to prove. Despite being in possession of the Intercontinental Championship as well as arguably WWE’s most lethal strike, the Bull Hammer, Barrett has seemingly taken a back seat to both of his challengers: The Miz has done nothing but turn heads since returning to the ring last month, while Axel has spent several recent Monday nights as a Raw main eventer.

To find out how this intriguing three-way matchup plays out, be sure to catch all the action of WWE Payback when it debuts on pay-per-view Sunday, June 16, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

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United States Champion Jon Moxley vs. Kane Labrador

Anger is a funny thing. With it, a Superstar can become near-unbeatable; a force of nature between the ropes whose rage knows no bounds and inspires fear in all who cross him. Without it, his fate can become less certain and his true colors can be revealed. Without the driving fury that propelled him through battle, he must rely on his skills, his instinct.

Kane used to be angry. Famously so, even; his hate supported his battles with The Undertaker, Triple H and even Shane McMahon like building blocks. His return in 2011 was built on the very notion of embracing hatred and the power it brings. Lately, though, The Devil’s Favorite Demon has appeared more even-keeled, passing through therapy and hugging it out with onetime rival Daniel Bryan to form the dominant Team Hell No, a unit that thrived on camaraderie instead of carnage.

Dean Ambrose, on the other hand, is very angry. Or at least he seems to be, competing with unhinged ferocity and leaving his opponents a ruined mess in his wake, culminating in a decimation of Kofi Kingston that won him the United States Championship at Extreme Rules. What Ambrose lacks in strength and size he makes up for in devious innovation and boundless intensity. He may not have the bulk of The Big Red Monster, but his black-hearted modus operandi certainly harkens back to Kane’s initial days under the WWE banner.

And now, thanks to an encounter on Raw and some machinations on the part of Managing Supervisor Vickie Guerrero, The Big Red Monster will square off against the rabid Ambrose with the stars-and-stripes championship hanging in the balance. Kane’s better half won’t be at his side, engaged elsewhere against Ambrose’s Shield cohorts with another, equally unlikely partner at his side. For Kane, the United States Championship opportunity will be a test to see if his more compassionate attitude (he even hugged Vickie Guerrero when she made the title match) extends beyond the safety blanket of a tag team; if he can claim the last championship that has eluded him, and if he can get some measure of retribution against the man who has bested him, his brother, and his best friend time and time again.

It is a personal challenge, but it is also — for the first time in a long time —Kane’s battle, and his alone to fight.

Ambrose, meanwhile, will be just where he likes to be: setting the terms against one of the ring’s largest-looming veterans. With Kane’s emotions running high and Ambrose seemingly lacking them at all, he’ll have ample opportunity to gain a mental advantage over his challenger. In a battle of the young wolf staking his claim and the grizzled lion in winter competing for a late-game moment of glory, only the Superstar who truly possesses the beast within will stand tall in victory.

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Divas Champion Catilina vs. That Crazy Chick

Having executed to perfection her diabolical ploy of pretending to be Kaitlyn’s secret admirer, AJ Lee will now try to rob the Divas Champion of more than just her self-confidence when they square off in a match for the butterfly-emblazoned title at WWE Payback this Sunday.

Whether the underhanded tactics employed by AJ will actually give the “pint-sized powder keg” a psychological edge against the powerful champion or just further motivate Kaitlyn to turn back the challenge of her onetime best friend will be made clear soon enough.

Even before embarking on the elaborate scheme that seemed to find inspiration in “catfishing,” AJ earned the No. 1 contender status in April with a huge Divas Battle Royal victory. In subsequent action, she cleverly picked her spots, on occasion entangling top-notch Divas such as Natalya and Layla in her neck-wrenching “Black Widow” submission hold. This Sunday’s title showdown against Kaitlyn, however, has roots that extend well beyond AJ’s Battle Royal win.

Fast friends upon debuting in WWE during NXT season three, Kaitlyn and AJ were once all but inseparable, looking out for one another both inside and outside the ring. As AJ’s behavior grew increasingly erratic, however, her relationship with the reigning Divas Champion became strained beyond repair last year.

View photos of Kaitlyn and AJ's fractured friendship

More recently, the bad feelings took a turn for the ugly, with mudslinging becoming par for the course. Tensions boiled over at Extreme Rules, leading to a backstage brawl that had to be broken up by WWE officials. The latest development — AJ’s revelation that she had manufactured Kaitlyn’s secret admirer — only underscores that this match is about even more than the championship gold around The Hybrid Diva’s waist.

With that type of hostility guiding them into action this Sunday, what can the WWE Universe expect at WWE Payback? Will the cunning AJ find a way to exploit whatever weaknesses she’s observed in Kaitlyn’s game plan and win her first Divas Title, simultaneously cementing her and her World Heavyweight Champion boyfriend, Dolph Ziggler, as WWE’s top power couple? Or can The Hybrid Diva overcome the head games and teach her deranged former best friend a lesson in respect?

This much is clear: The time for insults and subterfuge will be over when AJ and Kaitlyn finally clash with the Divas Title on the line at WWE Payback.

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Nerd vs. Bully

This Sunday, June 16, The Celtic Warrior battles “The Duke of Decency” in a collision of medieval nicknames worthy of “Game of Thrones.” Tune in to the free WWE Payback Kickoff when it streams live at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT to see heated rivals Sheamus and Damien Sandow settle their differences inside the squared circle!

The past several weeks on SmackDown, in his role as WWE’s self-proclaimed “Intellectual Savior of the Masses,” Sandow posed cerebral challenges in an effort to demonstrate that brains are superior to brawn. Answering the call in contests of mental fortitude such as “Gordian’s Knot,” the Thimblerig Challenge and even a game of chess against the famed super computer “Deep Blue,” Sheamus used his common sense, good humor and no-nonsense physicality in an effort to thwart the smarmy Sandow and his (sometimes rigged) puzzles.

Now that the mental games are over and the stage is set for Sheamus and Sandow to clash in the squared circle, what can the WWE Universe expect from this highly anticipated Kickoff to Payback contest? As one of the most powerful, aggressive Superstars on the WWE roster —in addition to being a three-time World Champion, a former King of the Ring and the 2012 Royal Rumble Match winner —Sheamus is well established as a brawling WWE fan-favorite who hits like a truck. Any match involving The Celtic Warrior is guaranteed to be a hard-hitting, bruising contest, and his opponent’s pompous boasts assure a very motivated Sheamus on Sunday.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Sandow is a true renaissance man who oozes sophistication as one of WWE’s most cultured and refined competitors. “The Lord of Literacy” is never shy to wax poetic about his intellectual and moral superiority. Although the topic of his bragging is often his incredible brainpower, Sandow is also a major threat in the ring, where time and again he has proven to be cagey, opportunistic and dangerous, as was on display when Sandow stunned Sheamus with a brutal attack on the June 7 episode of SmackDown. The arrogant academic will surely need those qualities—and all his wits —when he goes one-on-one with The Celtic Warrior at WWE Payback.

Will WWE’s “Intellectual Savior” usher in a new age of enlightenment at Chicago’s Allstate Arena and confirm that the brain is indeed mightier than brawn? Or will Sheamus prove to the overconfident, haughty Sandow that the problem with having such a big head is that it makes an easy target for a Brogue Kick? Find out when the Payback Kickoff streams live on WWE.com, the WWE App, YouTube, Yahoo!, Facebook, Twitter, Samsung SMART TVs, Google+, Pinterest, Pheed and Xbox 360 this Sunday, June 16, at 7:30 ET/4:30 PT!

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