Share. Welcome to so much Backlash'ing! Welcome to so much Backlash'ing!
It's been a hella busy month in the world o' WWE!
We had WrestleMania 34, then the RAW and SmackDown after Mania, then the Superstar Shakeup, and most recently The Greatest Royal Rumble - the latter being more of a glorified house show than the loaded PPV-style event many thought it might be.
Now we've made it to Backlash - a dual-branded PPV (as they'll all be going forward). Will this event - despite not having Cena, Undertaker, Triple H, Brock, or a giant Rumble match - move the needle at all? Well, in the very least it'll have three women's matches, right?
WWE Champ AJ Styles once again takes on Shinsuke Nakamura - this time in a "No DQ" match (signifying that both dudes are just going to kick each other in the groin over and over). Plus, Roman Reigns and Samoa Joe clash in a grudge match, The Miz attempts to topple IC Champ Seth Rollins and both Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss will try to win back their respective Women's Championships.
Keep it locked in here for all the WWE Backlash action! Let us know what you think of the results down below as they roll in over the next four hours. I'll also be live-tweeting over at @TheMattFowler, so feel free to follow me over there.
The Greatest WrestleMania Surprises 10+ IMAGES Fullscreen Image Artboard 3 Copy Artboard 3 ESC 01 14 HULK HOGAN SLAMS ANDRE THE GIANT
Looking back at what wrestling was during the height of the '80s boom, you'd of course expect Hulk Hogan to bodyslam Andre the Giant during their WrestleMania III match. But for those who lived through it, this was a miracle from up on high. And still one of the most impressively surprising moments in wrestling history. 01 14 HULK HOGAN SLAMS ANDRE THE GIANT
Looking back at what wrestling was during the height of the '80s boom, you'd of course expect Hulk Hogan to bodyslam Andre the Giant during their WrestleMania III match. But for those who lived through it, this was a miracle from up on high. And still one of the most impressively surprising moments in wrestling history. The Greatest WrestleMania Surprises Download Image Captions ESC
Bayley vs. Ruby Riott (Backlash Kickoff Match)
Now that Absolution is no more, the Riott Squad can stand a bit taller as a much more formidable female heel stable on TV. We won't have to watch the "numbers game" play out on both shows as much - though the Iconics and Carmella are forming their own little clique that might prove problematic for Charlotte.
Bayley was able to swat away a few cheats but eventually she fell to fell to outside interference. I'm not sure what any of this has to do with anything unless Ruby eventually challenges for Nia's title, or if this all works, for whatever reason, to unite Bayley and Sasha - but it was a decent opener. Bayley's top rope Macho Man Elbow is still awesome, by the way.
Winner: Ruby Riott
Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins vs. The Miz
Side Quest: I've never understood the "Miz Can't Wrestle" hate. Especially over the past two or three years. Dude's freakin' solid in the ring. Purposefully, his move-set isn't dazzling or dynamic because he's an old school heel who doesn't want to get too over in the ring based on cool maneuvers. Anyhow, this was a really hot one-on-one bout with an alive crowd and some really nerve-wracking near falls.
Every time it seemed like Rollins' hurt leg was going to cost him the title (he kicked out of two Skull-Crushing Finales), he preservered and powered out. They really need to set Seth against Brock next. He's way over right now, and certainly more over than Roman (Miz is more adored than Roman). The best part of this one was that we all knew Seth was winning because the IC title had to stay on RAW, but the match was so good that it created these moments of doubt and disbelief.
Winner, and still Intercontinental Champion: Seth Rollins
Raw Women’s Champion Nia Jax vs. Alexa Bliss
To be fair, given the size discrepancy between these two, their matches will never be a clinic or a showcase. But also, to their credit, between WrestleMania and this Backlash bout they've now given us two pretty fun encounters that have creatively played up that size difference. I don't know that it could go for much longer though so it's best to kill it here, with Alexa's second loss.
Nia catching Alexa mid-Twisted Bliss, and turning it into a Samoan Drop, was a cool way to cap off the match. The after-match PSA chat, about bullying and such? Not so much. Good message, but someone over-salted the stew. It felt like someone was loudly answering a question no one had asked.
Winner, and still RAW Women's Champion: Nia Jax
United States Champion Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton
One of the rumors heading into this match was that Orton could turn heel. Which...doesn't seem like it would mean too much. He's already an aloof a-hole who RKOs everyone. I guess, maybe after this clean Swantan Bomb loss to Jeff, he could snap and become...more unpleasant somehow.
The Greatest WrestleMania Feuds 10+ IMAGES Fullscreen Image Artboard 3 Copy Artboard 3 ESC 01 14 HULK HOGAN and ANDRE THE GIANT
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan managed to convince the beloved "8th Wonder of the World," Andre the Giant, that he'd never received a title shot, despite being undefeated, because world champ Hulk Hogan was selfish and scared. This led to what's arguably considered the greatest WrestleMania showdown of all time - and the "bodyslam heard 'round the world." 01 14 HULK HOGAN and ANDRE THE GIANT
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan managed to convince the beloved "8th Wonder of the World," Andre the Giant, that he'd never received a title shot, despite being undefeated, because world champ Hulk Hogan was selfish and scared. This led to what's arguably considered the greatest WrestleMania showdown of all time - and the "bodyslam heard 'round the world." The Greatest WrestleMania Feuds Download Image Captions ESC
As much as I got a kick out of them sticking with Jeff here (I mean, it's a boring either/or scenario between two Ruthless Aggro Era singles stars) I'm wondering...will we see any big title changes on this PPV? I'd hate for this to be a zero-sum three plus hours.
Winner, and still United States Champion: Jeff Hardy
Daniel Bryan vs. Big Cass
Haha, I loved that Daniel Bryan just basically muscled Big Cass down to the mat for the Yes-Lock and made him tap. He didn't catch him with a quick move or a reversal, he just grabbed the dude's arm and pressure pointed him down and then mashed him to a pulp.
The mystery/question here, heading into Daniel Bryan's first PPV singles match since his big return, was: Will Bryan be used as a stepping stone for newer guys or would he get rocketed back into the main event? Well, we went halfsies. Bryan definitely won with a submission. It wasn't a roll up or something that protected Cass. But then Cass attacked Bryan after the bell to, assumedly, keep the feud going. In the end, we need Bryan to feud with Miz so maybe Cass eventually gets a "W" over Bryan thanks to Miz-terference...down the line.
Side Quest: Whenever a heel decimates an opponent after the bell, after a loss, I always wonder “Why didn't they do this type of attack during the match? It clearly works.”
Winner: Daniel Bryan
SmackDown Women’s Champion Carmella vs. Charlotte Flair
Well, that was sort of a barf-o finish. Carmella needed to cheat more to retrain that gold, against the woman who freakin' ended Asuka's streak. For Charlotte to just jam up her knee a little bit after a moonsault and then get kicked in the leg? And that leads to a pin?
Bulls***.
Seth Rollins worked with a "hurt" knee for most of his Miz match and still kicked out of multiple predicaments AND finishers. This was a really wonky win. AGAINST!
WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Welp, WWE made us all hang on the edges of our seats for a low blow/nut shot. That was the entire point of this "No DQ" match. Not that a chair wasn't brought out - a chair that AJ threw into Shinsuke's knee, that then came flying back into his face, drawing blood! (aka literal Backlash) - but mostly everyone was waiting for the groin-apalooza. Oh, and it happened. Shinsuke got one in, then AJ got one in. AND THEN THEY BOTH ROCKY II'D EACH OTHER IN THE BALLS! What a world.
Listen, these two are still fighting. Nothing was solved here. I feel like nothing will get solved either until Nakamura either wins the belt or AJ smartens up and wears a cup to protect himself. The funny thing is, technically, they've only been wrestling a month. Sure, the lead up to 'Mania lasted longer, but they've only been physical for 30 days-ish. They've just faced each other on three big PPV deals in a short span so it feels longer. It's clear WWE either doesn't want it to end just yet or...they don't know how to end it.
Winner: No Contest, because balls.
Braun Strowman & Bobby Lashley vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn
So...Sami was legal but Kevin got pinned and...WWE doesn't know what to do with Bobby Lashley and...this was weird. At least Sami managed to take off Bobby's dumb headband. It just makes him look like he's got a detachable skull cap that you can pull off to expose the brain underneath.
Okay, so Sami and Kevin are big heels and they lost pretty cleanly to Braun and Bobby a few weeks back. Now they were facing them again and no one expected them to fare much better. But why bury them twice? As an asterisk here, Sami wanted to leave and Kevin wanted to keep fighting and then Sami betrayed Kevin so, in the end, they were undone by infighting but...are we going to have them feud now? Or is this just another Sami/Kevin feud tease? Also, are Braun and Bobby in the mix to actually go after the tag belts? Mehhhh.
Winners: Braun Strowman and Bobby Lashley
Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe
So, obviously, this match had no business going last. No title was on the line. No one was fighting Undertaker. This was literally WWE just saying "Roman's bigger than everyone and every title." Naturally, as usual, the crowd audibly disagreed. Honestly, he didn't NEED to go on last tonight, except that the WWE title match had a non-finish and the Charlotte/Carmella match had a s*** ending.
Part of me is happy that Joe got to be in the main event, even though the PPV, overall, could have been a tight 3 hours and not run over. Anyhow, the best part off this match was Joe catching Roman mid-Drive By in the Coquina Clutch. Other than that, this was pretty standard. As was the show in general. It was a lot of non-happenings.
Also, Roman more or less put Joe to bed last winter when Joe challenged him for the IC title and eventually got beat clean. This really served nothing because both guys are on different shows now. All it did was give Roman a big win after he lost in the final matches of 'Mania and GRR. It's just another chapter in the Roman Reigns book that WWE keeps assigning as homework - but none of us want, or do, the reading.
Winner: Roman Reigns
Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association (TCA). Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.
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WWE Backlash 2018 Results: Live Updates, Results and Reaction
Newark, New Jersey
Welcome to Bleacher Report's live coverage of WWE Backlash 2018. This event will feature Superstars from both Raw and SmackDown, so a few titles were left off the card. We will see AJ Styles defend the WWE title against Shinsuke Nakamura in a No Disqualification match headline a show filled with mostly singles matches. The only tag team bout on the card will have Bobby Lashley and Braun Strowman facing Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. Keep it locked right here for live updates of all the action.
WWE Backlash 2018 is an oddly timed pay-per-view featuring inter-brand matches such as Samoa Joe vs. Roman Reigns and The Miz vs. Seth Rollins, which presents WWE with an interesting scenario.
Credit: WWE.com
Because there are so many matches that, quite frankly, seem random or thrown together, there is little intrigue and excitement heading into the event. In fact, SmackDown is fresh off its worst viewership of the year while Raw viewership has dropped by more than 800,000 viewers over the last month, meaning that WWE clearly needs to do something big to put a jolt of excitement into its programming. The good news for fans is that this could set the stage for a number of big shockers at Backlash as a way to reengage fans.
Despite the lackluster build for the PPV, there are plenty of matches, including Reigns vs. Joe and Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton, that are well positioned to result in some shocking creative developments. Will there be a heel turn or two? What about an astonishing upset, a surprise return or a debut that leaves fans dumbfounded? Here are five potentially huge surprises we could see at Backlash.
Randy Orton Turns Heel
SmackDown is loaded with top babyfaces, including AJ Styles, Daniel Bryan, Jeff Hardy and Randy Orton, so it's interesting that two of them, Orton and Hardy, are actually in the midst of a feud right now.
Perhaps it's telling that Orton, who has made it clear he wants to be a heel, is feuding with Hardy to set the stage for a potential heel turn at Backlash. With Orton working a reduced schedule in 2018 that includes more dates than your standard part-timer but fewer than most full-timers, WWE doesn't figure to push him above the likes of Styles, Bryan or Hardy on the babyface side, which is fine because Orton is well known to be a fantastic heel. Plus, with Bryan recently demonstrating his drawing power and Styles perhaps surpassing Roman Reigns as a top merchandise seller, that leaves some room for Orton to move over to the dark side.
We've seen Orton and Hardy engage in a game of one-upsmanship in recent weeks, and that's often indicative of an impending heel turn. Given that Hardy has a history of being an elite level merchandise mover nearly on the same level as John Cena and the fact that he's a much better babyface than he is a heel, he's not going to be the one to turn heel at Backlash. Perhaps Orton won't either, but with "The Viper" working fewer dates now that he's an established veteran, he's less needed as a babyface and could potentially thrive as a heel who feuds with SmackDown's top faces.
Alexa Bliss Recaptures The Raw Women's Championship
If Nia Jax retains the Raw Women's Championship at Backlash, there won't be a whole lot of intriguing feuds lined up for her. Jax is penciled in as a babyface, and most of Raw's other top female superstars are as well, including Bayley, Sasha Banks, Natalya and Ronda Rousey.
Although Nia Jax is the heavy betting favorite at Backlash, WWE has made it clear that it views her opponent, Alexa Bliss, as perhaps the biggest star in the women's division not named Charlotte Flair. Bliss has been knocking it out of the park with her mock "Moment of Bliss" anti-bullying promos, and she's a rare breed who is technically a heel on TV but is also one of WWE's most popular performers and one who appears to have very strong merchandise sales.
Bliss is indeed positioned among names like Styles and Rousey on WWEShop.com, suggesting she's indeed a merchandise moving machine, and as someone who's both a fantastic heel and a rapidly improving in-ring performer, WWE may be able to get better long-term storytelling out of putting the title back on her. That would leave her as a cowardly heel champion to be chased by Banks, Bayley and potentially Rousey, while creating a better heel/face dynamic for the women's title picture than there would be if the babyface Jax were to feud with other babyfaces during her reign.
Big Cass Essentially Squashes Daniel Bryan
Vince McMahon has apparently long been a big supporter of Big Cass, which explains why he's getting a massive push after his recent return to WWE programming, which has instantly positioned him as one of SmackDown's biggest heels.
While the oddsmakers have positioned Cass as the underdog at Backlash, Daniel Bryan has been booked like an underdog for most of his WWE career, and in fact, that's when he's had the most success and gotten the most over with the crowd. What established Bryan as a top merchandise mover and a perennial dark horse was that he seemingly always had to overcome the odds before he finally got his big career-defining victory at WrestleMania 30. WWE knows that's what makes Bryan such an appealing character, so it makes little sense for him to slay Goliath so quickly after his return to WWE programming.
As pointed out by Bleacher Report's Ryan Dilbert,Big Cass is facing a "pivotal moment" at Backlash, one that could help entrench him as a main event star or show that he doesn't belong there. If he loses to Bryan at Backlash, his push could essentially be dead in the water, leaving fans little reason to believe that he's WWE's next unstoppable monster and more reason to think that he's the next big man who is simply a flash in the pan. If WWE realizes that, don't be surprised if Cass not only proves the oddsmakers wrong by beating Bryan but does so in quick and convincing fashion as WWE's way of saying, "This is a guy you need to pay attention to."
Roman Reigns Loses Again
Roman Reigns was the overwhelming betting favorite at WrestleMania 34. He lost. Reigns was again the clear-cut favorite at Greatest Royal Rumble. He lost at that show, too.
WWE has moved on from the days of Reigns dominating the competition as "The Big Dog" has lost considerably more big matches than he's won as of late, including the 2018 Royal Rumble and that unforgettable gauntlet match on Raw in February, when he was cleanly pinned by Seth Rollins. Now, Reigns is yet again the obvious betting favorite to beat Samoa Joe at Backlash, and a report from Sports Illustrated says that Reigns is indeed expected to leave the pay-per-view victorious.
However, that same report notes that Joe is in line to be the next challenger for Styles' WWE Championship, which means that he's in need of a big win to gain some momentum heading into a potential world title feud. Joe has been on a roll as of late, especially in the promo department, and it looks like WWE is pushing him heavily as perhaps the biggest heel on SmackDown going forward. There is no better way to solidify him as such than by having him defeat Reigns, and judging by all the big matches Reigns has had recently, it wouldn't be surprising to see the oddsmakers proven wrong a third straight time when Reigns picks up another major loss.
What does that mean for Reigns? We can't be sure, but given that Cena has lost almost every big match he's had as of late as well, perhaps Reigns will follow a similar path as a top babyface who's at a career crossroads and badly needs to change things up to get back on track.
Bobby Lashley Turns Heel
Bobby Lashley has been, well, just kind of there since his return to WWE last month as the company has done virtually nothing to make him stand out from the pack on the crowded Raw roster.
Maybe, just maybe that's been done by design to set the stage for a heel turn at Backlash, especially given that Lashley will be teaming with Braun Strowman. Raw is loaded on the babyface side, boasting most of the company's top merchandise movers in that department, including Reigns, Rollins, Strowman and Finn Balor. To an extent, that makes Lashley expendable in that role and sets him up as a prime candidate for a heel turn. While Baron Corbin has developed into quite the troll/heel on Twitter, boasting about his lavish livestyle and all the money he makes, that hasn't translated over to TV, and really, the red brand is sorely lacking in the heel department as names like Corbin and Jinder Mahal don't seem to be "the guy" on the heel side.
Having Lashley turn on Strowman at Backlash would be a rather easy way to remedy that and would position Lashley as arguably the show's top heel, allowing him to potentially feud with guys like Strowman, Balor, Rollins and Reigns. That sounds like a much better use of Lashley, who might very well be one of WWE's biggest draws but has limited room for advancement as a babyface. Perhaps something goes awry during his tag team match at Backlash that causes him to turn on Strowman, giving the duo the "L" but setting up a great rivalry between the two behemoths.
After all, Lashley needs something to differentiate him from the rest of the Raw roster because right now he's just another guy with a ton of wasted potential.
Blake Oestriecher is an elementary school teacher by day and a sports writer by night. He’s a contributor to the Forbes @SportsMoneyBlog, where he primarily covers WWE. You can follow him on Twitter @BOestriecher.
WWE takes over the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey tonight (Sun., May 6, 2018) for its Backlash pay-per-view (PPV) extravaganza featuring Shinsuke Nakamura turning all his low blows on AJ Styles into another shot at the WWE championship, Roman Reigns and Samoa Joe settling their differences once and for all, Charlotte getting her rematch for the SmackDown women’s championship against Carmella, Alexa Bliss getting the same for the Raw women’s championship against Nia Jax, Randy Orton challenging Jeff Hardy for the United States title, and more! This StoryStream will be the spot for all results, recaps, videos, and post-event fallout. Enjoy the show!
