Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura WWE Payback 2023 Live Blog
Seth Rollins defeated Shinsuke Nakamura in a physical match to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WWE Payback 2023. Check below for the live updates of the match.
Storyline
Shinsuke Nakamura offered to join Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes in a six-man tag team match against The Judgment Day at the August 7 episode of Raw. Seth and team won this match, but Nakamura hit Rollins with Kinshasa after the match and walked away. The following week, Nakamura met Rollins in the ring as he revealed that he had his eyes set on the WWE World Heavyweight Title.
Rollins told him he just had to ask for the match and did not require to attack him. They agreed to the match at Payback hands on the match but Nakamura whispered something that shocked Rollins. Later, it was revealed that Nakamura told Rollins that he knew about his back injury. Later, Rollins also accepted that he has a legit back injury and he is not sure for how long he would be able to wrestle on this level. Meanwhile, Nakamura kept targeting Rollins’ back with Kinshasa.
Live Updates
WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins is the first one to make his entrance for the main event of WWE Payback. He is followed by the challenger Shinsuke Nakamura.
Shinsuke and Seth start things with frequent arm rolls. After some back-and-forth, Shinsuke starts targeting the back of Rollins. He kicks Rollins back as the latter fights back. Nakamura goes out of the ring, but Rollins follows him with a suicide dive.
They get back inside as Rollins tries to hit the pedigree, but Nakamura counters it with a backdrop. Nakamura starts targeting Rollins back again. Seth fights back and hits Nakamura with the springboard senton. He goes out for the moonsault, but Nakamura moves out of the ring.
Seth hits him with another suicide dive and then continues his offense near the announce table. Rollins sets Nakamura on the table and climbs on the barricade, but the latter gets up and sends Rollins on the table instead. Nakamura also sends Seth to the barricade with his back being the main point of contact.
The two get back inside the ring as Nakamura continues his offense. Rollins tries to fight back, but Nakamura hits the knee to the spine. Nakamura sets Rollins on the apron hits a knee to the back of his neck and covers for a two-count.
Nakamura puts Rollins in the one-leg crab to put pressure on Rollins back. Nakamura gets on the top rope, Seth joins him there and hits the hurricanrana. The two trade some strikes before Seth drops him with a clothesline.
Seth goes to the top rope and connects the frog splash for a near fall. Seth picks up Nakamura, he counters it with a kick, but Seth hits a clothesline instead for another near fall. Seth tells Nakamura that he knows about his back and the risks he takes before going for the curb stomp.
Nakamura counters it with a sleeper hold, before hitting a knee from the second rope. Nakamura covers but Seth kicks out at two. Nakamura connects the body slam and then picks up Seth for another one, but the latter escapes. Nakamura sets up Seth on the second and then hits a kick to his back followed by an inverted exploder suplex.
Namakura goes for the Kinshasa but Seth intercepts with a superkick for a two-count. After some back-and-forth, Nakamura locks the armbar and then converts it into a triangle. Rollins somehow picks up Nakamura and hits the powerbomb.
Seth and Nakamura exchange strikes before Nakamura connects a kick whereas Seth also manages to connect a Pele kick. Seth Rollins drags himself to the top rope, but Nakamura joins him there and picks him up on his shoulders. Nakamura hits the avalanche-style landslide from the second rope for a near fall.
Nakamura connects the Kinshasa to the back of Rollins’ neck as he eyes him for another Kinshasa. Nakamura picks Rollins up and hits several knee strikes. Nakamura tries to hit the suplex from the apron, but Rollins lands on his feet and hits the pedigree for a two-count.
Rollins goes for the curb stomp, but Nakamura intercepts with a knee strike. Nakamura shifts his weight for a pin attempt, but Rollins gets out of it and hits the stomp to get the pinfall.