LA Knight Vs. The Miz, Rey Mysterio Vs. Austin Theory Official For WWE Payback
New matches were officially announced for WWE's next premium live event during Friday night's episode of "SmackDown." Rey Mysterio defending his newly won United States Championship against the former titleholder Austin Theory, and L.A. Knight going one-on-one with The Miz are now set for Payback.
Mysterio's first defense of his newly won title was announced after he scored a non-title victory over Grayson Waller in the opening match of Friday's "SmackDown." Theory tried to interfere, but he was thwarted by Mysterio's ally Santos Escobar. Mysterio won the title on the August 11 episode of "SmackDown," ending Theory's 258-day reign.
Knight's match was announced during the main event of Friday's "SmackDown," which saw him score a victory over The Judgment Day's Finn Balor. Knight and Miz have been at odds since just after SummerSlam, where Knight was victorious in the Slim Jim Battle Royal.
Payback will be held at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Saturday, September 2. Other matches already announced for the card include Seth Rollins defending the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Shinsuke Nakamura; Rhea Ripley putting her WWE Women's World Championship on the line against Raquel Rodriguez; and Becky Lynch battling WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus inside a steel cage.