Ranking the 5 Most Anticipated Matches of WWE Payback and AEW All Out Match Cards

Pro wrestling will open the month of September with a bang as both major promotions unleash pay-per-view-styled events.

On the All Elite Wrestling side, the 2023 edition of All Out will look to ride the wave of momentum coming out of last weekend's All In at Wembley Stadium in London with names such as Kenny Omega in major matches.

WWE will exit the SummerSlam cycle and keep momentum going as well with Payback, where fans will see personal feuds concluded along what appears to be a stacked card.

With two marquee events over the weekend, here's a look at the most anticipated officially announced matches on the cards ranked by hype levels, builds and fan expectations.

AEW has been pretty reserved in the marketing for All Out, seemingly hardly mentioning it during the All In broadcast.

Still, a matchup such as Kenny Omega vs. Konosuke Takeshita doesn't need much hype.

This one has had a smooth, quick build. Takeshita actually pinned Omega at All In during a six-man tag match, which promptly caused Don Callis to request this match.

Tony Khan agreeing to put it on the card is a no-brainer given the talent and international appeal of both competitors.

Yes, All Out will feature title matches such as Orange Cassidy defending his international strap and Luchasaurus his TNT Championship, but Omega is one of those pro wrestling figures who doesn't need a title or much of a build.

The build has been surprisingly good for the encounter between Seth Rollins and Shinsuke Nakamura at Payback on Saturday night.

That's not to discredit the Superstars involved by any means, but it was always going to be tough for the other top men's title to have the storytelling hype compared to The Bloodline and Roman Reigns.

Yet, Rollins and Nakamura have found a way to make it work, especially with the whole mysterious whisper thing that made the week-to-week storytelling must-see material.

Along the way, The Artist has become the devious heel those familiar with his international work always knew he could be.

It feels like the champion is in danger, and what could have otherwise felt like a simple Raw match is something much more instead.

Rhea Ripley doesn't partake in actual matches often, so when she does, it's sort of a big deal now.

In fact, there's a certain Roman Reigns-type vibe around the Australian's usage that is downright awesome. She's quickly transcending the sport of pro wrestling itself into the mainstream, and her prominent role in The Judgement Day makes that usage smart.

Not to undersell Raquel Rodriguez, either. She's one of the top up-and-coming wrestlers in WWE and clearly has a bright future. It says a lot that, on a card without the likes of Charlotte Flair, she's right there in a title match.

There's also a lot of bad blood here, given the non-match assaults from both parties, tag titles that were impacted and injuries. It will be fun to see the first of what could be many installments between the two, even if the end result feels a little predetermined.

If it wasn't apparent enough by now, everything LA Knight does is money.

Quietly, the same applies to The Miz.

That made the two a perfect match for an intra-brand showdown at Payback, with some nice longform build going on, too. Knight eliminated Miz during the Battle Royal at SummerSlam; The A-Lister took offense and eventually cost his rival a shot at the United States title.

A handful of brilliant promo battles later, the two will link up in what should be a fun, quick-hitting match where Knight presumably goes over. That, or some shenanigans to draw this one out for a little while longer.

Either way, The Megastar remains in a prominent spot and must-see television until WWE starts what feels like the inevitable huge push he's going to get on the road to WrestleMania 40.

It's always nice to see Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn in a prominent spot given the long history between the two, plus their recent involvement around The Bloodline.

Ditto for The Judgement Day, the mini-Bloodline at this point that WWE clearly views as capable of headlining a premium live event when Reigns and Co. are out.

This feud has some fun history too. Owens and Zayn lost to The Judgement Day in a six-man tag team match not all that long ago before defending their titles against Damian Priest and Dominik Mysterio, but the latter got a solo win over Zayn, too.

The whole " Steel City Street Fight" thing feels unnecessary here, as most special stipulations do, sure. But it can't hurt either. Fans know this is going to be a fun one that especially adds layers to the heat between Bálor, the briefcase-holding Priest and the potential for Ripley to get involved, possibly leading to her and Mysterio leaving on their own.

For an early-September PLE on a stacked weekend, WWE could do much worse. The in-ring action will be fantastic and so will the long-term storytelling that should have ripple effects into 'Mania season.