Welcome to the SmackDown Live PPV, Backlash, where we have the much-anticipated debut of Shinsuke Nakamura. SmackDown Live has been called the land of opportunity, and that is very much true. Jinder Mahal, who’s been a jobber, fought Randy Orton for the WWE Championship. In another surprise, Tyler Breeze and Fandango, better known as Breezango, battled the Usos for the SmackDown Live tag titles. Kevin Owens took on A.J. Styles for the United States Championship.
Of course, Shinsuke Nakamura took on Dolph Ziggler as he finally made his in-ring debut since joining SmackDown Live. Baron Corbin battled Sami Zayn, and the SmackDown ladies battled in a 6-Woman contest. Let’s see how things turned out, and hopefully, they delivered close to the NXTTakeover: Chicago special.
We started the evening with Shinsuke Nakamura taking on Dolph Ziggler. Ever since Nakamura debuted on SmackDown Live, Ziggler has been pestering him and trying to discount his abilities. They have come face-to-face a few times, with Nakamura getting the best of Ziggler. Coming into the match, we knew that both could go in the ring, and they put on a show for the fans. Honestly, I was surprised by the amount of offense Ziggler could get in the crowd in the entire match, which is a good sign as Nakamura is being built as a major superstar. During the match, Nakamura kicked out of the Zig Zag and Super Kick, which is rare. In the end, Nakamura nailed a nice Kinsasha to finally put away Ziggler. Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura
Match Rating: 3.75/5- Terrific way to open the PPV, and this was a great match.
The next match-up saw the Usos defending their tag team championships against Breezango. We know that Breezango became the new #1 contenders on SmackDown Live and have been impressive since then. Honestly, I don’t think too many people expected Breezango to win the tag titles, as they’re like a comedy act. It’s unfortunate because both guys are talented and could do wonderful things if given the chance. The match itself wasn’t bad, but the comedy act crept in with Breeze dressing as a grandmother and janitor. In the end, Fandango got his with a superkick, allowing the Usos to retain their championships. Winners and Still Tag Team Champs: Usos
Match Rating: 3/5
The match between these two happened because they have been going at it since Zayn came to SmackDown Live. To be honest, I’m a huge fan of Sami Zayn and Baron Corbin, but for some reason, the WWE doesn’t see much in Zayn. On the other hand, reports have it that they see Corbin as a future world champion and star, which I agree. My initial thoughts coming into this match were that Corbin would be using Zayn as a stepping stone. As far as the match, they battled for damn near 15 minutes, and it was a good match as expected. What was unexpected was that Sami Zayn picked up the win over Baron Corbin. Winner: Sami Zayn
Match Rating: 3.25/5
This was the 6-Woman tag match, as these ladies have been feuding for the last few weeks. Naomi, Charlotte, and Becky Lynch battled Tamina, Natalya, and Carmella, plus they had James Ellsworth with them. I’ll be honest, I haven’t liked anything about this storyline. The Welcoming Committee picked up the win over Naomi, Charlotte & Becky Lynch. For me, I’m not feeling Tamina, Natalya has become annoying, and Carmella may have promise. On the other side, I’m counting down the days when Charlotte turns on Becky Lynch and Naomi. Winners: Natalya, Carmella, and Tamina
Match Rating: 2/5
This was the match I was looking forward to the most as Kevin Owens took on A.J. Styles. The match was for the United States title, as Owens just regained the title from Chris Jericho a few weeks ago. These are two of the best wrestlers in the world, and they delivered a great match. Owens and Styles did everything in this match, from nearfalls to great wrestling, and the fans hung onto everything they did. Coming into this match, I knew that Owens shouldn’t and wouldn’t lose the title after just winning it back. The match ended in a countout, and I’m all for it because this will extend this feud further into the summer. Winner by Countout and Still United States Champ: Kevin Owens
Match Rating: 4.25/5- Excellent match, and this feud has the potential to be a feud of the year candidate.
We have a battle between former Wyatt Family members. Luke Harper battled Erick Rowan in a rematch from SmackDown Live a couple of weeks ago. I have high hopes and expectations for Luke Harper as he’s really a great wrestler. Luke Harper has also changed his look, and I would love for him to get a nice push. In the end, Harper picked up the win, and hopefully, he can move on to bigger and better things. Winner: Luke Harper
Match Rating: 2.75/5
Finally, we have the main event as Randy Orton defended the WWE title against Jinder Mahal. Mahal became the new #1 contender for the WWE Championship a few weeks back on SmackDown Live.
Ever since then, he’s been getting the best of Randy Orton with help from the Singh Brothers. During this feud with Orton, Jinder Mahal even took possession of the championship in the process. The Singh Brothers were heavily involved in the match. After Orton hit the Singh Brothers with a double DDT and turned around to get hit by a Cobra Slam by Mahal for the win. Winner and New WWE Champion: Jinder Mahal
Match Rating: 3.5/5- People are furious about Mahal winning the WWE title, but I love it. This gets people talking, and it adds shock value despite reports claiming this happened so the WWE can tap into the Indian market.
Overall Rating: 7/10- Backlash was way better than I expected, as it was a great PPV. Below are my top 3 matches of the PPV!!
- Kevin Owens© vs. A.J. Styles
- Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Dolph Ziggler
- Randy Orton© vs. Jinder Mahal
What did you think about the Backlash PPV? What was your favorite moment of the night? What was your favorite match of the night? Head to the comments section below and give me some feedback.
