WWE Backlash 2023 Outcomes: Winners, Grades, Response and Highlights
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WWE
Welcome to Bleacher Report’s protection and recap of WWE Backlash in Puerto Rico.
Right here is the total lineup for the evening:
- Unhealthy Bunny vs. Damian Priest
- Austin Idea vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Bronson Reed (United States Championship)
- Bianca Belair vs. Iyo Sky (Uncooked Girls’s Championship)
- Seth Rollins vs. Omos
- Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar
- Rhea Ripley vs. Zelina Vega (SmackDown Girls’s Championship)
- Matt Riddle, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn vs. The Usos and Solo Sikoa
With a handful of Puerto Rican abilities on the cardboard, the San Juan crowd has been electrical since WWE arrived on the island. Let’s check out what occurred throughout the present.
Bianca Belair vs. Iyo Sky
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Bianca Belair and Iyo Sky each obtained nice reactions from the San Juan crowd. Issues began out aggressive, however this rapidly was The EST of WWE displaying her energy by repeatedly bodyslamming her opponent.
The Genius of the Sky was on their own this time, however she nonetheless managed to make a comeback. She started to give attention to the left arm of the champion as chants of “Let’s go Iyo” echoed from the group.
The longer the match went, the extra the WWE Universe started to show towards The EST. Each time she obtained in some offense, your complete enviornment would start to boo. You could possibly see a glance of pleasure on Sky’s face. When Belair realized what was occurring, she started taking part in into it a bit.
When Sky locked her in a crossface submission, the followers erupted because the champ struggled to flee. The gang turned the challenger into the babyface in lower than 10 minutes, and it ended up making the match a lot extra entertaining because it continued.
Bayley and Dakota Kai got here down and tried to assist present a distraction and supply assist, however Belair was in a position to hit the KOD to attain the win.
Between the standard of the performances and the reactions from the group, this contest was an excellent method to kick off the present.
Winner: Bianca Belair
Grade: A
Notable Moments and Observations
- The present opened with a video that closely featured Unhealthy Bunny.
- Iyo Sky’s music is nice and was positively the correct alternative to make use of that over the Injury CTRL theme.
- Belair wasn’t essentially performing like a heel, however she stopped performing as a lot of a babyface when she noticed how issues had been going.
- Anybody will be billed as having the most effective moonsault, however Sky has earned that title. It at all times seems so nice.
Omos vs. Seth Rollins
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The gang gave Rollins the anticipated response throughout his entrance, however earlier than he might get his jacket off, Omos attacked him with a working kick.
As The Nigerian Large continued to beat him down, the followers stored singing The Visionary’s theme.
Each time Rollins tried to get a little bit momentum going, he would run into Omos like he was hitting a brick wall. The massive man was profiting from the wild viewers and punishing The Visionary with the whole lot he might provide you with.
The previous world champion did rather a lot to promote Omos, however as soon as it was his flip to shine, Rollins pulled out some fast-paced sequences that popped the group each time.
Omos simply blocked the Stomp with pure power and hit a chokeslam that nearly gained him the match.
This went 10:31 and could be the most effective efficiency now we have seen from Omos to this point. Rollins hit his Stomp from the highest rope to get the win and get the group to sing his music yet another time.
Winner: Seth Rollins
Grade: B-
Notable Moments and Observations
- Two bouts in and this was already the most effective crowds of the yr and will go down as the most effective of the last decade. Everybody was so amped for the whole lot that occurred. Everybody within the enviornment made this match higher by being so vocally lively.
- Rollins must be counseled for the way a lot he did to make Omos look good right here. The massive man seemed higher than anybody else has thus far.
- Placing down a large with a sleeper maintain seems oddly acquainted. Does anyone need a peanut?
Austin Idea vs. Bronson Reed vs. Bobby Lashley
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As america Championship match obtained underway, all three males began off scorching. After a couple of minutes, Idea and Reed fashioned a tenuous alliance as a result of that’s what heels do in Triple Menace matches.
Three-way bouts are inclined to play out in particular methods. The heels at all times dominate a lot of the motion till one among them decides to activate the opposite and attempt to win for themselves.
Nonetheless, Reed was getting loads of optimistic reactions from the group. When Idea stopped him from hitting his top-rope splash, there have been audible jeers.
Lashley nonetheless had the assist of the group, but it surely felt like Reed might have been the popular competitor by these in attendance.
As anticipated, A-City stole the win, however you could possibly see loads of potential for an eventual Reed victory. This was a stable outing from three nice athletes.
Winner: Austin Idea
Grade: B
Notable Moments and Observations
- The ref was in the way in which when Idea tried to hit a rolling dropkick from the apron, so it got here off trying a little bit awkward.
- Lashley’s delayed vertical suplex is at all times spectacular.
- Reed going for a moonsault brings up reminiscences of Bam Bam Bigelow.
Rhea Ripley vs. Zelina Vega
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SmackDown ladies’s champion Ripley modified up her typical darkish search for whiter gear with purple accents for her title match towards Vega.
The Eradicator taunted her challenger and cornered her, however Vega’s quickness allowed her to keep away from any punishment. She grabbed a flip-flop from the group and threw it at Ripley earlier than hitting her with a dropkick by way of the ropes.
As soon as the powerhouse was in a position to floor the challenger, she took her aside earlier than pinning her with the Riptide for the win.
This match might have used just a few extra minutes, however the whole lot we obtained was nice. As soon as once more, the group fed into the whole lot they had been doing and gave Vega an ideal welcome.
Winner: Rhea Ripley
Grade: B+
Notable Moments and Observations
- Vega had a particular entrance outfit with an enormous Puerto Rico flag as her cape. She and Ripley each seemed superior.
- Michael Cole stated Vega was dedicating this match to her late father, so there was much more cause for her to be emotional.
- Ripley’s counter if a hurricanrana right into a powerbomb seemed superior.
Unhealthy Bunny vs. Damian Priest
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In WWE’s first-ever San Juan Road Combat, Priest took on the person he as soon as referred to as a detailed good friend, worldwide singing star Unhealthy Bunny.
Each males obtained applicable responses, however WWE made positive to play Bunny’s music for a little bit longer than typical as a result of the group was so into it.
The Archer Of Infamy shoved Unhealthy Bunny to the nook to show he was stronger, however the musician rapidly confirmed he wasn’t right here to joke round by virtually pinning Priest.
Each time the powerhouse was in management, the group gave him the suitable warmth. Each time Benito made a comeback, everybody would cheer. It went backwards and forwards like that just a few instances, but it surely took them a while earlier than they started to reap the benefits of the stipulation.
As soon as they started utilizing the setting and weapons, in addition they took the match into the group. They did rather a lot and had a very long time to work, in order that they overserved the followers in a couple of means.
Dominik Mysterio and Finn Bálor got here out to intervene earlier than Rey Mysterio ran all the way down to make the save. He was taken down, however former WWE star Carlito then made a shock look. He and Rey cleared the ring of the remainder of The Judgment Day, who had been then minimize off within the aisle by Savio Vega and the LWO.
Bálor and Dom took a extreme beating as they had been run off, which allowed Unhealthy Bunny to use a figure-four lock to the injured knee of Priest. He did not win with the submission, so he grabbed a chair and began teeing off.
In the long run, it was a Canadian Destroyer that secured the win for the hometown hero.
This match was precisely what it wanted to be after which some. If you did not have no less than a little bit of enjoyable watching this, it could be surprising.
Winner: Unhealthy Bunny
Grade: A
Notable Moments and Observations
- Priest matched Ripley and wore all-white gear with another accents and an enormous Puerto Rico flag on his leg.
- In case you had been questioning, Unhealthy Bunny obtained a really loud response from the group, however in the event you weren’t anticipating that, you have not been paying consideration.
- Priest was bleeding from the mouth a bit after the singer used some weaponry on him, however he obtained his revenge when he kicked a trash can into his face.
- The chair shot Priest took to his knee seemed stiff.
- Seeing Savio Vega and Carlito was a extremely enjoyable second.
The Usos and Sikoa vs. Riddle, Zayn and Owens
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The Usos and Sikoa had been out first to tackle Riddle, Owens and Zayn in a six-man match. Paul Heyman was not with The Bloodline for this one.
Jey and Zayn began for his or her groups, and as quickly as the previous scored a takedown, he went to the nook to have a good time like he gained one thing. Zayn made him pay with a clothesline.
Any match with six or extra rivals normally follows a sure sample: Everybody will get time within the ring, and the heels normally management extra of the match till somebody makes a scorching tag.
Jey and Sikoa started to have some communication points and talked a little bit trash to one another earlier than Zayn knocked the latter off the apron with a Helluva Kick.
He nailed Jey with one other kick, however Sikoa saved his brother from the pin. He virtually hit Jey with the Samoan Spike, and it brought about one other argument.
Regardless of all the stress, Sikoa ended up getting the pin for his crew over Riddle.
This match might have been a bit overbooked, but it surely was finished nicely and made some good storyline developments.
Winners: The Bloodline
Grade: B
Notable Moments and Observations
- As with Rollins, the group sang Zayn’s music for his total entrance.
- The delicate issues Sikoa does, like being hesitant to slap fingers along with his brothers, are so good. He has low-key been the most effective components of The Bloodline lately.
- The Usos might overuse the superkick, however they at all times make it look good.
Brock Lesnar vs. Cody Rhodes
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The primary occasion of the evening was the large showdown between Rhodes and Lesnar.
After dropping to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania, The American Nightmare was trying to rebound and regroup by overcoming one among his largest challenges.
Rhodes attacked The Beast Incarnate by hitting a suicide dive earlier than he even made it to the ring. He continued to assault Lesnar with the ring steps and a metal chair.
The bell rang as soon as they obtained into the ring, however Rhodes stayed on him and hit two Catastrophe Kicks in a row. He went for a 3rd, however Lesnar caught him and hit a German suplex.
As soon as he was in management, The Beast began taking him to Suplex Metropolis. Lesnar was busted open after some time, and Rhodes wiped a few of his blood on his chest. He hit a Cody Cutter adopted by two Cross Rhodes, however Lesnar kicked out.
A couple of moments later, it was Rhodes who needed to kick out of the F5. Lesnar had him locked within the Kimura, however Rhodes rolled him over right into a pin to steal the win.
Not solely was this the correct end result, however the match was additionally well-paced and had loads of enjoyable spots. The best way Rhodes gained could possibly be debated, however the truth that he gained in any respect is that issues.
Winner: Cody Rhodes
Grade: B+
Notable Moments and Observations
- The best way the digicam was positioned for the suicide dive was good. It seemed like Rhodes got here out of nowhere.
- You could possibly see Lesnar countering the third Catastrophe Kick from a mile away.
- Lesnar was bleeding fairly a bit. He seemed actually mad because the present was going off the air.
Remaining Ideas
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As an entire, Backlash was a unbelievable PPV. Not solely was this one of many hottest crowd now we have seen in a very long time, however WWE additionally truly booked the present with largely satisfying outcomes.
Whereas the group was behind Sky, Ripley profitable was nonetheless the correct name. Her reign has solely simply began and taking the title off her this quickly could be a mistake.
The entire Puerto Rican Superstars and legends who confirmed up got the star remedy, which made the whole lot really feel that rather more particular.
Even Omos and Rollins was satisfying due to the new crowd, and that was most likely the match that had the bottom expectations going into the present.
WWE made the correct name going to Puerto Rico. And based mostly on its success, it could not be a shock to see San Juan grow to be a daily cease on its worldwide touring schedule.
Grade: A-
