WWE Backlash Review and Reactions
I know I know I know, we all want to see a wrestling show kick start with some actual wrestling! I'm one of many many people who spend every single week moaning and complaining about the fact that the WWE have a rather terrible habit of opening their shows with promos, in-ring segments and authority figures! It's something that continues to anger fans and ruin a lot of shows. Last night the WWE Backlash pay per view kick started with an in-ring segment presented by commissioner Shane McMahon and Smackdown LIVE general manager Daniel Bryan. Now, usually, I would go on one big rant about the fact that an actual wrestling match didn't start such a major show but I have to say that I kind of agreed with the idea to open the live special with a segment involving WWE Authority figures. This was Smackdown LIVE's very first special pay per view and so for the commissioner and the general manager to kick start the night it allowed them to celebrate the milestone in the Smackdown LIVE'S existence while also talking about the early achievements of the brand including ratings and social media popularity. It gave us a brief reminder of the fact that Monday night RAW and Smackdown LIVE are pretty much at war with one another and the whole opening did set us up for a great show and set the tone. Bryan and Shane kept it short and sweet and announced that the first match of the night would see Carmella, Alexa Bliss, Nikki Bella, Naomi, Becky Lynch, and Natalya battle it out in a six pack challenge to determine the first ever Smackdown LIVE Women's champion.
I mentioned on twitter last night (link will be bellow) that I was not expecting the women's championship match to take place so early on in the show. I think it's safe to say that a great deal of fans including myself was expecting the match to be booked much later on in the show but again I kinda liked that we got it so early on. It was refreshing to see the women take on the first match of the night and for such a big and important title match to take place so early on in the show also. Over the past couple of weeks, I have commented on the fact that this was one of the matches I was most looking forward to on the Backlash card. Sure the build up could have been done stronger but it really did sit well with me seeing all six women on the roster showcased on the first Smackdown LIVE pay per view and for them all to get the opportunity to become champion. I was hoping to see all competitors given the time to shine and have their moment and with the match being as important as it is I was also, of course, hoping the women were given enough time to really put on something special. In the early stages of this match, I think the entire WWE Universe were able to agree that all six of these women did their division proudly and showed the world what a revolution looks like. Not a single one of them held back and they each mad it clear just how badly they wanted to walk out with that new championship. We had high-risk maneuvers, clean and crisp spots that really made this match and so much character from all six superstars. The early standout of this huge match was without a doubt, Noami. I tweeted out a lot about her last night and made several comments about how much of a fan I am of hers. She was the women I was backing last night and while she did not walk out as champion she showed to be more over with the fans than she ever has been and rightfully so as she continued to showcase that phenomenal move set we all know she has, pushing herself even further and raising the bar even higher. She did, however, tap out to a sharpshooter from Natalya who while also was very impressive last night at times, showcasing her brilliant strength was later eliminated by Nikki Bella. Talking of the former two-time Divas Champion, Nikki brought a lot of character to this match last night and was without a doubt one of the main attractions. She looked amazingly good in this match last night, dominate, strong and in control, she looked to silence Carmella after weeks of torment and make her way to becoming champion. However, Carmella once again was able to get one up on the former champ in the most shocking elimination of the night. It then, of course, came down to two former NXT graduates in Becky Lynch and Carmella, an outcome I wasn't personally expecting. It was clear from the start Becky was the fan favorite and last night that arena and everyone at home were firmly behind her and it wasn't long before she put all that positive energy and passion into forcing Carmella to tap out making her the first ever Smackdown LIVE Women's Champion.
I have to say that despite cheering for Naomi in this match I was happy to see Becky walk out with the title. She's someone who's career I have followed for years and been a fan of from day one and so to see her become the first Smackdown LIVE Women's champion and make her mark made me so happy and proud and I cannot wait to see what her reign holds. All these women should be proud of what they put on last night. They all made an impact and stood out and showed the world what their division is capable of and the potential it really does have.
Last week's episode of Smackdown LIVE saw the Usos make that inevitable heel turn when they attacked American Alpha only seconds after the former NXT Tag team champion picked up the victory to advance to the finals of the Tag Team tournament. The attack on Chad Gable, in particular, was so bad that the new faces in the tag division were left with no choice but to opt out of the tournament losing out on their chances to become the first ever Smackdown LIVE tag team champions. It was announced on talking Smack that week that a second chance match would take place at the Backlash pay per view with the Hype Bros taking on the Usos, the winner going on to face Heath Slater and Rhyno in the finals later on in the night. I will admit that this was a match I really wasn't looking forward too. Long time readers of my blog or twitter followers will know all too well that I am far far from the biggest fan of both the Usos and the Hype Bros so for me this really was the worse match that could have been booked. Saying that I did my best to sit back, pay attention and watch the match. It was a very new experience also hearing myself say the words "I'm backing the Hype Bros". Something I very very rarely every says. I will admit that despite not being a fan of both these tag teams I did enjoy this match far more than I expected. Mojo Rawly in particular really was a standout. He showed his strength amazingly well last night walking all over both Jimmy and Jey and performing spots that made him look like a beast! I felt the passion from both Mojo and Zack which only gave me more reason to back them. However, the WWE could not have made it any clearer this match was all about the Usos. Sporting new ring gear and that new attitude the former champions were walking out with a win over the Hype Bros and there was no one that could have doubted that. They were able to use their experience at being lifelong partners to their advantage and their new attitude meant they did not hold back in the slightest using the actions they used to take out Chad Gable last week on Smackdown LIVE the Usos picked up an unsurprising victory over Mojo and Ryder. Like I said, I enjoyed the match far more than I expected to but the ending did not surprise me in the slightest. I am a fan of the new attitude from the Usos and it's going to be interesting seeing how they're used over the next thew months during their work with American Alpha.
If I had to choose a star of Smackdown LIVE so far I honestly would have to say the Miz. The roster is full of huge characters and brilliant in-ring talents from the likes of Dean Ambrose to Bray Wyatt to Randy Orton and AJ Styles and plenty more but no one has kept me as entertained as the current WWE Intercontinental champions, the Miz. Following his huge promo on Talking Smack a couple of weeks back the wrestling world has not been able to stop talking about A-Lister and rightfully so. A man that has stood in the background for far too long not getting the recognition he deserves finally getting the spotlight and the story he deserves seriously does make me very happy. What hasn't made me too happy is the fact that he has been feuding with Dolph Ziggler of all people. Again, you guys probably know by now that I have never been a huge Ziggler fan and so that was a little downside to the whole thing. However, as I mentioned in last week's Smackdown LIVE highlights the storytelling between the two and the mic work really has won me over and been enough for me to gain interest to the point where I really did look forward to their match at Backlash and to be fair they did put on an entertaining match last night! Easily one of my favorite matches of the night I really was a fan of what these two put on for us. There was so much story and the pure wrestling between the two was just fantastic. There were moments I couldn't tell if both men had suffered legitimate injuries and the skill from both men had me glued to my TV screen. They both brought something different to the table yet both managed to tell a great story and showcase fantastic wrestling ability. Ziggler once again really did show off his matt skill and amateur wrestling background while the Miz continued to scheme his way to the top and after targeting the left leg of Ziggler used help from his wife to pick up the winning pinfall to retain his IC Championship.This was for me one of the stronger matches of the night. I do believe it could have been even better but it they told a great story and with Ziggler working on the shoulder of Miz and Miz working on the left leg of Ziggler they both found a weak spot and worked on it. Ziggler had a point to prove and wanted to stop Miz from running away and acting like a coward but it was Coward actions that allowed him to retain in the end. I was so glad to see Miz retain. I did not want to see his reign come to an end last night and I have to say that I really am super excited to see what is coming up for him and his reign in the coming months.
One of the most interesting feuds currently going on the Smackdown LIVE brand is without a doubt Randy Orton VS Bray Wyatt. Something that I have spoken a lot about over the past couple of weeks here on my blog this is a feud that Bray Wyatt really does need. There is clear great potential for the WWE to write a fantastic story between the two and there is no doubt in anyone's mind that the pair could deliver a phenomenal match-up. The two were scheduled to compete in a one on one singles match at the Backlash pay per view last and this was actually one of the matches I was most looking forward too. However, due to an injury, Randy Orton was unable to compete in this match and earlier on in the night we got to see Wyatt attacking Orton backstage adding a little fuel to the fire. Of course, this didn't really come as a surprise. It had been spoken about throughout the night but the little backstage footage really did help the situation and the actual story between the two. Wyatt did come down to the ring last night where he instructed the referee to count to ten giving him a win via forfeit. Again, this was a little touch that I really did like. Now, in an ideal world, I would have been happy for Wyatt's part of the night to be done. It kept the feud between him and Orton alive and gave the pair something to go off in the future. But instead, Bray learned that he would be facing Kane in a no holds barred match. By this point of the night, I was pretty tired and this was something I really didn't want to have to sit through. Sure we got some fantastic spots that looked great on TV but it didn't really feel like something that needed to be done. Looking back I understand why it was done. Kane over the past couple of weeks has been building up momentum (hopefully to enter a feud with Baron Corbin in the near future) and this was a cheap way to carry on building that momentum up. The closing moments of this match saw Orton make a surprise appearance proving once again it only takes on RKO and it was that RKO that allowed Kane to capitalize and pick up the victory. This does mean that we get even more heat between Orton and Bray while also continuing to build up Kane's momentum. Sounds perfect but I honestly would have liked to have seen Bray just have a good night on top for once.
After defeating The Hype Bros earlier on in the night the Usos went onto to face Heath Slater and Rhyno in the final match in the tag team tournament to determine the first ever Smackdown LIVE Tag team champions. I along with around ninety-nine percent of the WWE universe was, of course, backing the team of Rhyno and Heath Slater. One of the best things going in the WWE right now is the story that is Heath Slater and his road to getting a contract. I can honestly say that I have enjoyed every single second of his work over the past month or so and he really has become one of my favorite current WWE Superstars. Because of the build up and the sheer entertainment that Slater has been bringing I was so invested in this match up last night and as a result this became one of the matches I was most interested in once it kick started and the only match of the night that saw me literally yelling at my TV screen. When the match first started I was seriously worried that the Usos would be walking away with the win. We know how popular these two are backstage and they seem to get a push left to right and center at the most random of times and with their new attitude and heel turn I was expecting them to walk out the first Smackdown LIVE Tag team Champions even more. Throughout the match, we did see the former champs dominate the action. The managed to slower the pace of the match and thanks to frequent tags and great teamwork they really did take control and look to make their way to becoming the champs. There were plenty of times where I believed we would be seeing the Usos take those titles home. However, with Rhyno and Slater bouncing off each other as well as they do and their styles being so different they were able to eventually turn things around and those closing moments saw Rhyno deliver a devastating spear to allow Slater to pick up that all-important victory meaning not only does Slater get a Smackdown LIVE contract but he also makes history by becoming one-half of the first ever Smackdown LIVE Tag team champions. This honestly was the highlight of my night. As a story that I have loved all month long and been following so strongly it made me so happy to see Heath Slater after all these years get the push and the attention he deserves.
The Backlash main event between AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose was easily the strongest match on the card. Yes, it did have a build focusing mainly on male genitals but it was a match that promised two brilliant superstars to collide in what was sure to be a must-see bout. I personally found it really difficult to choose a side. Not only am I a huge fan of both of these men but with there being so many story opportunities for both superstars as champion it made this one of the most unpredictable matches of the night and of course that meant I was on the edge of my seat glued to the action from start to finish. What grabbed my attention very very early on in this match last night was the character from AJ Styles. I mentioned in my Highlights post last week that Styles has been impressing me so much during his time working as a heel and last night he was just on his A game proving exactly why he has been impressing me so much and standing out the way he has been. From backstage work to his entrance to how he held himself throughout the championship match Styles played a perfect heel in his own Style (excuse the pun) and I loved every single second. It was great to see someone equally as character based entertaining as Ambrose in the match with him. AJ also took control of this match pretty early on also focusing on the throat of Ambrose during a crucial part of this match.
I thought Backlash was an interesting show. The main event really was phenomenal and without a doubt the highlight and strongest match of the night. I thought the booking was smart and I'm glad we got what we wanted on a couple of occasions. I will be back on Wednesday with a Smackdown Highlights post so keep an eye out for that! For now you can let me know what you thought of Backlash by leaving a comment bellow or by tweeting me at @TezangiVictoria.
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