WrestleMania 42 didn’t live up to many WWE fans’ expectations, meaning Backlash had a lot to prove. Taking place in Tampa on Saturday, stars were born, careers might have ended, and John Cena showed up in a suit to bring back a Cyber Sunday-esque concept. While some rivalries appear to be over, others will continue with Saturday Night’s Main Event approaching on May 23rd in Fort Wayne. With all that being said, let’s get right to the action because this show delivered unlike the previous PLE.
Bron Breakker defeated Seth Rollins
These two fighters engaged in an underwhelming match that lasted just over twenty minutes. Breakker attempted a spear right out the gate, but Rollins jumped over it. Both Logan Paul and Austin Theory appeared but were taken out by their former stablemate, Seth Rollins. It looks like this is only just the beginning, for better or worse, of a rivalry between these two. Perhaps a steel cage is in store to prevent the Vision from interfering.
Trick Williams retained the US title against Sami Zayn
A rivalry revolving around a Gingerbread Man is certainly an acquired taste. His ‘funeral’ was the main event segment on Friday Night SmackDown, and according to WhatCulture, WWE fans left the arena during it. Silliness aside, Williams may finally be able to move on from this lackluster rivalry and put the mascot to sleep. Lil Yachty got involved in the match, hitting Zayn with a candy cane stick. Williams hit his opponent with the Trick Shot for the win.
Now, can we please move on from the gingerbread man? PLEASE! Also, Sami Zayn was asked in an interview about his character’s arc as a tweener. Meaning a mix of a good and a bad guy. He said, as long as he gets a reaction, that’s all that matters. WWE needs to figure out what to do with him because WrestleMania is in Saudi Arabia next year. Expect him to be in a big match at the event, and maybe walk out as WWE champ.
Danhausen and Mystery Partner take down The Miz and Kit Wilson
Who could the face painted man’s tag partner be? CM Punk, Jelly Roll, or Ricky Saints? How about none of the above? Instead, he introduced a cloning machine and out came a ‘Minihausen’. All four competitors put on a show for the crowd, as the Miz sold his opponent’s moves like crazy. Danhausen is still undefeated on WWE programming, and it doesn’t look like he will be losing anytime soon. This match was what it needed to be. A fun, fast-paced affair that was actually funny. Maybe the Gingerbread Man should take notes. Actually, let this hopefully be the last time I mention him ever.
Iyo Sky beats Asuka
This match ROCKED! We didn’t get it at WrestleMania, and we also didn’t have Kairi Sane after she was released. Fans chanted, “We want Kairi” as the match began. Well, Sky and Asuka hit it out of the park as they both looked to prove to management how much they fumbled this one. The two hugged after the match, and Asuka waved goodbye to the fans. Whether or not she is truly done with WWE, Asuka is arguably the most underappreciated wrestler the company has. Iyo Sky is also seen as the greatest female wrestler on the planet, so here’s to hoping both women thrive in their future endeavors.
ANOTHER WWE BELT?!
When John Cena tweeted that he would be at Backlash in Tampa for a groundbreaking announcement, fans wondered what it could be. Could he reveal the location of WrestleMania 44? It is rumored to take place in Nashville, at the Titans’ new stadium. Or could it be something to do with Club WWE, for which Cena is the spokesperson for it. Well, it turns out that WWE is introducing its 20th belt called the “John Cena championship”. The man of hustle, loyalty, and respect announced the “John Cena Classic”, where superstars from NXT and WWE compete for the coveted belt. To make matters more interesting, you don’t even have to win the tournament to win the belt. The WWE Universe votes throughout the tourney to determine who will be crowned at the end.
It’s got to be Oba Femi, right?. Triple H and the creative team clearly don’t know how to follow up on his career-defining victory against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania. They are playing the long game, having him do the “Oba Femi Open Challenge” on Monday Night Raw, where he squashes anyone in his path. Although he did have a great clash with Otis last week. We will see how this concept plays out, and at least the WWE Universe can collectively sigh in relief that his appearance had nothing to do with Club WWE. Which I assume has an astronomical price tag attached to it.
Roman Reigns defeats Jacob Fatu in the Main Event, and Fatu is UNLEASHED!
WWE fans and media personalities knew this match was a foregone conclusion once it was announced. Reigns was going to walk out as the champ. However, things got really interesting when he was removed for the whole month of June. TKO Group Holdings stated it was a ‘clerical error’, and he was not scheduled to be at Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia. To make matters worse, Reigns was (and might still be) on the poster for the PLE. Fans wondered if Fatu might be winning Saturday. That didn’t happen, but the Samoan Werewolf walked out of Backlash a star. He had an answer for everything the Tribal Chief threw at him. He kicked out Superman punches and spears, but ultimately lost after being hit by an exposed turnbuckle. Things didn’t end there, as Fatu applied the Tongan Death Grip to the Champion before decimating his opponent. He took the title with him and said “I told you” to the camera as the show went off air. Now, that’s how a star is born. Whether or not that was a heel turn is yet to be determined, but Jacob Fatu has cemented himself as a main event player.
What a night for WWE after all the backlash from WrestleMania 43. It’ll be intriguing to see what they have in store for the rest of the month. Saturday Night’s Main Event is less than two weeks away, and Clash in Italy is a week after that.
Paul Heyman told Cody Rhodes his showdown with Gunther will be at Clash in Italy as long as the American Nightmare gets the Career Killer to sign the contract. With Randy Orton out of action with back issues, WWE put the top face and heel on a collision course. Perhaps Gunther beats Rhodes to become the WWE Champion.
Let’s hope Triple H can continue this momentum amidst the releases and TKO approaching talent for 50% pay cuts while they continue to reap most of the profits.
Next time, we are going to take a deep dive into the transformation of WWE once TKO took over. No matter what the ticket prices are or the number of subscriptions fans have to pay, the company isn’t going anywhere. Tune in for a journey down what many people claim to be the “Death of WWE”.
