WWE Backlash - 14/06/2020
- LDR
- Jun 15, 2020
- 6 min read
WWE promised us "The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever" ahead of Backlash, a feat made almost impossible by the amount of hype placed in it and the fact that AJ Styles recently put on an absolute banger with Daniel Bryan on SmackDown. We also had multiple title matches and the culmination of a very personal rivalry between Sheamus and Jeff Hardy. Read on to find out what was worth your time and what was wasting time...
Source: wwe.com
Apollo Crews defeats Andrade (United States Championship Match)
Kevin Owens played spoiler here, helping Apollo overcome the numbers advantage of Zelina Vega's men. As Angel Garza tried to help Andrade, Owens jumped up from commentary and took Garza out, allowing Apollo to hit the sit out powerbomb for the win.
As pre-show matches go, this was on the higher end of the scale. There were stakes, a story, heat between all men involved and a lot of talent. The break up of Zelina Vega's group continues to be teased but I still believe it is too soon for that. This could have been on the main show, especially with a strap on the line, and probably should have.
Source: wwe.com
Bayley & Sasha Banks defeat Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross and The IIconics
This was a strong opener for the show. WWE made the smart decision to have a member of each team in the match at all times - going against their usual weird habit of having only two people in at a time. Each team had their moments to shine, with there being at least one moment where each team looked to have got the win. The finish came when Alexa Bliss hit the Twisted Bliss on Peyton Royce while everyone else was down on the outside. Sasha Banks managed to slide into the ring, pulling Bliss into a tight roll up for the win.
Keeping the belts on Bayley & Banks was the right decision here, clearly leading towards a loss and split between the pair. Based off of this match, keeping The IIconics strong until that point is the way to go. They are my pick to take the straps and have looked great since their return.
Source: wwe.com
Sheamus defeats Jeff Hardy
After being called a junkie and having Elias' accident blamed on him, Jeff Hardy was out for revenge here. Unfortunately for him, Sheamus was too much on the night. Hardy was beaten down for most of this match and, though he fought back, he just couldn't keep the bigger man from taking the win. Sheamus hit a Brogue Kick as Hardy dove at him from the barricades at ringside, then rolled The Charismatic Enigma back into the ring, hit another Brogue and took the win.
Jeff was great as a babyface in trouble here, but the match dragged as Sheamus controlled long portions. This could have been a shorter match with a squash type vibe and had the same effect, as it looks like this feud will continue. Both men played their role well, but this one just went too long.
Source: wwe.com
Asuka and Nia Jax Ends in a Double Count Out (RAW Women's Championship Match)
Nia's power was the main force in the early stages, but Asuka countered with big hitting strikes and excellent technical wrestling and submission moves. As the aggression grew and the fight spilled to the outside, both women were counted out before Asuka hit a hip attack from the apron to leave Jax down.
Nia Jax has been dominant since her return but also dangerous. She left Kairi Sane with a busted head after their match a few weeks ago and has a history of reckless botches. This one ended with both performers safe and sound, but Nia needs to be removed from the higher end of the picture until she can hone her craft.
Source: wwe.com
Braun Strowman defeats The Miz & John Morrison (Universal Championship Handicap Match)
The way this match was going was clear as soon as it was announced that the FIRST man to get a pin or submission would be Universal Champion and that Miz and Morrison could not be co-champs. It looked as though the former tag champs may have had Strowman beat but Miz pulled Morrison off the pin before both men were taken out and Strowman hit Morrison with a running powerslam to tie this one up.
This was a weird match. Having either Miz or Morrison go one on one with Strowman with the other man in their corner might have made more sense, or even just a straight up Triple Threat. The tag stipulation gave no room for doubt about the winner and therefore reduced one of the main titles to nothing more than filler.
Source: wwe.com
Drew McIntyre defeats Bobby Lashley (WWE Championship Match)
Lashley jumped the champ before the bell, putting him in the Full Nelson until he was down. The advantage lasted throughout the match but Lashley couldn't keep the champ down. Both men got some near falls and Lashely seemed to be taking charge. Lana headed to the ring to help her man, but was knocked from the apron onto MVP by Lashley, creating the opportunity for a Claymore and the win for Drew.
The ongoing Lana/Lashley angle is a lot better when Lana isn't screaming down a camera. Drew was never going to lose here, but Lashley looked fantastic and - if WWE can keep their booking of him up to par - he should be able to stay in the main event scene permanently now.
Source: wwe.com
The Street Profits v The Viking Raiders Gets Cancelled
This is one of the most bizarre segments I have seen in a while, which literally had myself and those I was watching with in complete bafflement but definitely amusement. It started off as a generic WWE brawl in the outside and backstage areas, before showing off some flashbacks of the recent vignette series and some decent comedy spots. The brawl was interrupted by a group of people dressed like ninjas appearing on motorbikes. It turned out they were led by Akira Tozawa and a comedy brawl with action/superhero movie undertones ensued. The Raiders and The Profits teamed up Avengers style before Tozawa summoned a huge man to take them out. The quartet ran off, restarting their fight on top of a production truck before they all ended up either falling or jumping off it into a massive dumpster. As they all climbed out, some kind of tentacle was seen coming towards them.
This was weird, but massively entertaining. If you liked The Firefly Fun House match between Bray Wyatt and John Cena at Wrestlemania, this will be right up your alley. Myself and my flat mate are big wrestling fans and really enjoy this cheesy kind of thing, but even my fiancee, who isn't into wrestling, said she "would watch it if it was more like this". This won't be to everyone's taste and, in fact, a lot of people will hate it, but it was fun.
Source: wwe.com
Randy Orton defeats Edge
This match had far too much hype to ever live up to its billing, but Orton and Edge worked their damned hardest to make it as close as possible. Edge looked better than he had at his prime for a lot of this, showing off technical prowess most people won't ever have known he possessed. Orton was clearly motivated here and a motivated Orton is one of the best performers in the company on his day - it's a shame he's not motivated very often. After a long bout that evolved as it went on - including a fantastic section where both men pulled moves from WWE legends such as the Pedigree by Orton and the Rock Bottom by Edge - and each man refused to give up, kicking out of multiple finishers. Orton eventually went to his darkest place, hitting the punt on Edge to keep him down.
This match had no right to be as good as it was, with Edge's long time away from the ring and Orton's habit of not even bothering. Both men looked like the Hall of Fame worthy wrestlers that they both are here, showing that they can both still go above and beyond what people expect. Bringing in moves from old rivals and other legends was a nice touch, as was mirroring some of the consensus best matches of all time, but at the end of the day I have nothing but praise for these two in this match. If you only watch one match from this show, make sure it is this one.
Overall, this was a mediocre show held up by an energetic opener, a hard hitting WWE Championship match, some great comedy and one of the most surprising matches of all time - even with the billing it was given. It probably won't be something I go back and watch, but I also don't regret staying up until 3am to see it.
What did you think of Backlash? What is next for Orton and Edge? Who will challenge Asuka, Braun Strowman, Bayley & Sasha Banks, Apollo Crews and Drew McIntyre next? Have we seen the end of Jeff Hardy and Sheamus going up against each other? Let us know what you think of this and more down below...
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