Credit: WWE.com

Becky Lynch turned lemons into lemonade Saturday night, delivering another extraordinary performance in a career full of them by kicking off Payback with a Match of the Year candidate against Trish Stratus.

It was a hard-hitting bout that left both women with physical reminders and included two jaw-dropping spots: A superplex from the top of the cage and an avalanche Manhandle Slam, with the latter earning The Man the victory.

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That's a SUPER DUPER PLEX! <a href="">#WWEPayback</a> <a href="">

This was what fans should have gotten at SummerSlam, but in hindsight, it may be better that it took place at Payback. While it's not the stage that the summertime spectacular is, it provided the women more time and a brighter spotlight than they would have received in August.

Sure, the feud dragged on a bit too long and the storyline accompanying it never really matched the magnitude of two of the most influential women in wrestling history competing against each other, but the culmination made up for it all.

This was a legitimate MOTY candidate and something both women should be immensely proud of.

The post-match events, which saw the WWE Hall of Famer berate Zoey Stark before being left lying in the center of the ring, should nicely segue the heel mentor out of her program with Lynch and into a feud with her protégé.

Lynch defeated Stratus by pinfall

Top Moments and Takeaways

  • NXT women's champion Tiffany Stratton watched from ringside, continuing the story that there is not enough competition on Tuesdays. Could this be the start of the feud with The Man over the one title she has never won?
  • Stratus' first steel cage match was one her body will not forget as she sported a huge knot on her forehead while bruises and welts decorated her arms.
  • Paying homage to the competitors involved in the first women's steel cage match, Victoria and Lita, Stratus broke out a Widow's Peak while Lynch delivered a Twist of Fate.
  • There was an ode to Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart from SummerSlam 1994 with Lynch trapping Stratus' legs in the cage, preventing her from reaching the floor and winning the match.
  • Lynch delivered the damnedest superplex from the top of the cage. It likely hurt every bit as much as Stratus sold it.
  • Corey Graves called out the fact that the cage match was intended to keep Stark out, as always the voice of the people watching at home with continuity complaints.