wrestling
May 7, 2023 | 12:10 p.m
It’s hard to book a wrestling show perfectly, but WWE came pretty darn close to backlash making what it needed to be.
The show didn’t include any seismic shifts or title changes, but had no booking errors, made everyone look better than they came, delivered fun matches, and was perfectly set for its return to Puerto Rico — where the crowds were unreal.
Bad Bunny’s match stole the show from absolutely everyone, Bianca Belair and Iyo Sky fielded a match-of-the-year nominee, and Cody Rhodes left the Coliseo de Puerto Rico Jose Miguel Agrelot in San Juan with dreams of making history before an announced one Audience finish intact More than 17,000 on Saturday night.
WWE has done a good job of taking advantage of local talent lately, and that was the case here.
Here are five takeaways from Backlash.
Bunny Pop Party
Bad Bunny, Damian Priest and WWE delivered a spectacle and match that will be talked about for a long time and could not have gone better.
Bunny, who was given a special Puerto Rican kendo stick by legend Savio Vega, got a superstar reaction when he performed.
Priest made it pretty obvious that regular attacks wouldn’t work by knocking them back.
He pulled Bunny back up for the guns after a South of Heaven finisher, and that opened the door for a Bunny offense with a top rope DDT, top rope splash out, attack with two trash can lids and a kendo stick.
Priest tried to walk away once – which engaged Bunny in an attack.
Bunny really sold being hit with a lid and Vegas’ special kendo stick.
The match was brought into the stands and Bunny took a broken arrow off a road case through tables before Priest pulled him back into the ring.
A mistake resulted in a leg injury from Priest, which opened the door for Bunny, who then targeted several attacks for the knee.
Priest even begged Bunny as he slammed his leg against the ring post with a chain.
The pleading eventually caused Bunny to hesitate with a chair in the ring and Priest, his real friend and former WrestleMania partner, kicked him in the face.
But the Grammy winner went to a low blow.
That brought out Finn Balor and Dominik Mysterio from The Judgment Day.
Bad Bunny celebrates his win at Backlash.WWE
Rey Mysterio followed to level the odds, and then surprise performances followed from Puerto Rican legends Carlito and Vega – joined by the rest of the LWO.
Vega beat up both men and the crowd ate it up.
Back in the ring, Priest missed a kick and fell onto the bad leg, and Bunny smacked the figure four.
It finally took Bunny/Puerto Rican Destroyer to help San Benito win and end a super fun match.
He was lifted onto the LWO’s shoulders and the party started.
escape artist
Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar hit the spot and laid the groundwork for their next chapter – potentially at Night of Champions.
Cody Rhodes and Brock Lesnar at Backlash.WWE
Rhodes took a page from Lesnar’s book and attacked him before the bell rang, but The Beast eventually took him to Suplex City.
Lesnar slammed his head open – the hard way – on the turnbuckle it exposed, spattering blood all over his face and opponents.
Rhodes capitalized and hit two disaster kicks and a cross Rhodes, but it wasn’t enough when Lesnar kicked.
Lesnar then gathered enough power to deliver an F5, but this time Rhodes shrugged.
Lesnar was able to hit the Kimura lock on this opponent, but when Rhodes was about to tap he pinned Lesnar’s shoulders to the mat and was able to walk away with a stunning win.
With Lesnar still not revealing why he attacked Rhodes in the first place, this finish was a great way to give Rhodes a win, protect the former UFC Heavyweight Champion and possibly infuriate him even more when he came in.
Expect Lesnar Rhodes to cost a world heavyweight championship tournament game if he gets one.
Achieving a victory over Lesnar, no matter how you get it, is a remarkable feat.
A brother bond tested
The six-man tag story focused on the bond and trust between the Usos and younger brother Solo Sikoa — even on every tag attempt.
Eventually, after a good start and Sami Zayn’s dominance, Jey accidentally kicked Jimmy.
Jey once told Zayn that it was your fault for causing these problems in my family.
Solo Sikoa almost delivered the Samoan Spike to Brother Jey at Backlash.WWE
Then, when Jey Zayn tried to attack, Solo tagged himself in and Jey tagged back in.
Jey would instead dodge a Helluva Kick that hit Sikoa.
Sikoa delivered a Samoan Spike to Kevin Owens and then nearly one to Jey, who had gone for him from behind.
It angered his brother, but the trio managed to win.
Matt Riddle met a bro derrick but not the attorney.
Sikoa spiked him to victory, but will it be enough for Roman Reigns on Friday?
Champ and sucker
Iyo Sky was so close to ending Bianca Belair’s championship reign, but as was predictable and right, it was Bayley trying to help too much, likely costing her Damage CTRL partner.
Damage CTRL had distracted the referee enough after Dakota hit Kai Belair to set Sky up for a win.
But as Sky climbed to the top rope for her signature moonsault, Bayley was caught by the referee, who was pinning Belair’s braid from the outside.
It gave Belair the split second it took her to gather herself to prepare Sky for a KOD to win it.
This should all widen the rift that has already begun in Damage CTRL, and Sky and Kai will likely sever ties with Bayley at some point.
In some of the best moves, Belair’s military pushed Sky from above until her “injured” arm gave way and she threw the challenger on her face.
Sky then went back to work on Belair’s arm.
The champion regained control, but Sky went to his knees with 450 Splash.
Belair’s top rope powerbomb brought out Damage CTRL, and Sky only came halfway from winning things for her initial distraction – but never came close.
WWE says it makes the Raw Women’s Champion – soon to be SmackDown Women’s Champion after being drafted to the blue brand, the longest-reigning champion in modern times.
But Trish Stratus has a longer runtime than hers in 2005.
lore
Oh, of course Seth Rollins would give Omos his best match in WWE in a fight that had very little buildup.
Rollins has just imposed the world heavyweight title.
After being mauled by Omos early in the match, Rollins tried everything to bring down the giant – a frog splash, a sleeper hold and then two stomps, but none of it helped.
Omos kicked the frog splash after one.
It eventually took a leaping stomp off the top rope to make it. Rollins made Omos look like a true giant and better than ever with a top guy.
Rollins brings momentum to the title tournament.
Other games
Rhea Ripley on Zelina Vega to retain SmackDown Women’s Champion
Vega, with a full Puerto Rican flag on her shoulders, made a very emotional entrance – fighting back tears in the ring after hugging her family ringside.
She even threw Ripley a Clanca blue sandal from her mom to a big pop.
They played a bit of David vs. Goliath with Vega, who has deep Puerto Rican heritage, chopping down Riley with clotheslines, then a 619 and a top rope meteora after an Eddie Guerrero shake.
Ripley, who moves to Raw, managed to get kicked out.
The champion ended that swing in a flash by kicking a running Vega and then delivering an empathetic Riptide for a pin and a win.
Vega rose to a standing ovation from the crowd after a match that probably deserved a little more time and drama.
Austin Theory on Bronson Reed and Bobby Lashley to retain US Championship
I named it. In my predictions, I said Austin Theory would sneak in for a win after Bobby Lashley javelined Bronson Reed, and that’s exactly how he kept his US title to take to SmackDown.
The match itself was a sell-out, with Theory and Reed going from easy friends to foes, plenty of power moves from Lashley and Reed – who looked like they were among the two more established stars – and few late false finishes.
Biggest Winner: Cody Rhodes, Bad Bunny
Biggest Losers: Matt Riddle, Bronson Reed
Best hit: Bianca Belair vs. Iyo Sky
predictions: 6-1
Degree: A
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