Skip to main content

WWE Backlash 2020 | A Coherent Review.

Overall, a decent PPV that was highlighted by a few good matches and one greatest match (yea, yea, the pun is worn out already but I just had to). 

As a tradition on this site, I've not seen the pre-show match, however, I've heard it was solid. 

Bayley And Sasha Banks vs Alexa Bliss And Nikki Cross vs The IIconics For The Women's Tag Team Championship. 

WWE Photo


A decent opening match of the evening. Peyton Royce did a unique crossbody onto every participant in the match. 

Moments later, Royce and Billie Kay did their double team move on Sasha Banks but you know who also did a double team move? 

Nikki Cross and Alexa Bliss with a double team DDT on Peyton Royce. 


WWE Photo


As soon as Bliss hits the Twisted Bliss on Peyton Royce, Sasha Banks quickly rolled Alexa up for the victory and retained dos straps. 

The tag team championship reign of the golden role models continues (No sh*t, Omar). Also, I wanna briefly speak on the Alexa Bliss situation. 


WWE Photo


She for the past few days, had to deal with the absolute WORST in wrestling fandom especially the people who claim to be fans of hers. 

And yes, she is in the public eye but she's a human being like all of us and that ain't an excuse to be a dick online. Those toxic Bliss stans should really leave her alone. 

Extreme Rules 2020 announced for July 19 – Wrestling-Online.com

Moving on, WWE announced that Extreme Rules will take place on July 19th along with a brand new logo and a set of new colours in green and purple instead of the usual red. This is an obvious colour scheme to build the show around Jeff Hardy but that's just me. 

Jeff Hardy vs Sheamus. 

WWE Photo


Not gonna lie, I did not like this match. It's slow and uneventful at times. 

Hardy delivered the twist of fate followed by a Swanton bomb but Sheamus put his knee on the ropes to break the pin. 

WWE Photo

Sheamus hits not one but two brogue kicks to win this match. Finally, this awful feud is put to an end. 

Otis gave a warning to John Morrison and The Miz that if they win the Universal championship, he will cash in the title. 

Cool, although it would be cool if he cashes in for the tag team titles. Don't know if that makes sense or not but I like that idea. 

Asuka vs Nia Jax For The RAW Women's Championship. 

WWE Photo


Nia Jax's second-best match in her career is with Asuka so is this championship match an exception? No, because it was an enjoyable match. 

Jax did a sitout powerbomb which actually looked nice. 

While both women were fighting on the outside, they were counted out to 10 for the draw which means Asuka is still RAW women's champion. 

We're definitely going to get a rematch and honestly, I don't mind it due to how good the match was. 

Braun Strowman vs The Miz And John Morrison For The Universal Championship. 

WWE Photo


If The Miz or Morrison pins Strowman then that means that one of them is going to be a sole champion. No free-bird rule in this one. 

They debuted a music video with an 80s feel but that was cut short because Braun Strowman's music hits. 

This was aight. Strowman is still the universal champion with the running powerslam to John Morrison.

WWE Photo

A tag team being in the universal championship should tell you whether that main event scene is lacking or not (I think it is lacking). 

AJ Styles in an interview with Kalya Braxton, made an announcement that on this week's episode of Smackdown, Styles is going to have a championship presentation. 

After that segment aired, you had Samoa Joe on commentary saying that he hopes Styles celebrates the championship win with his family. I see what you did there Joe. 

Drew McIntyre vs Bobby Lashley For The WWE Championship. 

WWE Photo


Before the match started, Bobby Lashley locked in the full Nelson submission for a good minute. 

Side note, The production crew aired the WWE championship graphic with the "Smackdown Live" background on the side of the screen ( I honestly miss those days). 

WWE Photo

During the match, Bobby reversed McIntyre's top rope move into an armbar. Speaking of great transitions, Lashley tried to hit the spear but Drew reversed it into a Kamura lock. 

Drew then hit a BIGGGGG superplex to which Lana came out in support for Lashley. 


WWE Photo


That quote "support" was taken as an opportunity for Drew to hit the claymore kick and is still the WWE champion. A hard-hitting bout that I actually quite liked. 

The Viking Raiders and The Street Profits fought outside the performance centre and inside the performance centre with various of lame-ass skits including the time where they teamed up to fight Akira Tozawa and his ninjas. 

Get it guys? Akira's Japanese? Ninjas originated from Japan? This was a complete waste of my precious time. 

Edge vs Randy Orton. The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever. 

WWE Photo


The main event match that I made the graphic around (at least the specific theme song for this match). 

So, if you've lived under a rock for a week or so (I mean it is possible during the pandemic) then you might know that this main event match was filmed a week early. 


WWE Photo


The match had "unique" camera angles, the referee Charles Robinson wearing an old school ref gear, the late great Howard Finkel's voice announcing their names and dubbed audience cheering and booing sounds during heated moments of the match. 

This "greatest wrestling match ever" started with wrist locks but to be fair, great matches do start with wrist locks. 

Edge locked in the armbar on Randy Orton which is smart given that Orton had a history with shoulder injuries. 

WWE Photo

Orton tried to pull a WWE 13 OMG move with a superplex on the outside floor but Edge thankfully got out of it. Both men then delivered three Amigos. 

Edge took a page out of his best friend, Christian's book and nailed the unprettier to a near fall. 


WWE Photo


Speaking of taking pages out of people's books, Randy Orton hits the pedigree to which Edge executed The Rock bottom. 

Edge responded after Orton's first RKO with two spears. But then, Randy Orton hits a move that he's been teasing on doing to others for a decade now, the punt kick and that's how Randy Orton won "the greatest match ever". 

I did not mind the "greatest wrestling match ever" tagline as it is a storytelling device in my opinion, for Edge whether he can still deliver a great match. 

With that being said, is this the greatest match ever? No. Is this one of the greatest matches ever? 


WWE Photo


Probably. Other than the poorly mixed crowd noises, this was a very good encounter between two of the best performers. 

I liked how Edge and Orton used moves that their friends or allies are known for. Sole spots like this enhance a match in my opinion and I marked out for it when they did it. 

Apparently, the news broke out just before I went to bed (because the PPV usually airs at 4 am and I need my sleep) from Fightful that Edge suffered a torn tricep. 

That sucks given that he just returned to the ring and now, he's going to be out of television for a while. Speedy recovery for the Rated R Superstar. 

So, to recap for all of you slow mofos. 

Like: Drew McIntyre vs Bobby Lashley For The WWE Championship, Asuka vs Nia Jax For The RAW Women's Championship, Edge vs Randy Orton.

Didn't like: The bad crowd dubbing in the Orton and Edge match, Viking Raiders vs The Street Profits skit, Jeff Hardy vs Sheamus.  


Sound off in the comments below on what do you think about Backlash 2020? Follow the blog for honest pro wrestling opinions as well my twitter @omartheplayaguy. Anywho, stay safe smarks.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The 5 News Week: An Interview With ROH's Eli Isom, Fans Singing Petitions For Charlotte Flair Not Winning Titles Anymore!?

Hello, my fellow wrestling fans and welcome to the 5 news week. The post where I report 5 major or minor news of the week that I don't have time to do it separately. Without further ado, here are the 5 news week. An Interview With ROH's Eli Isom.  Yes. After several and several and several of The 5 News Week articles that I've been putting out since late 2018, I finally got an interview for you guys.  The person in question is Ring Of Honour's Eli Isom. Since graduating from the ROH Dojo, Isom has worked and learned from the absolute best in the industry:  "I’m lucky that I got a chance to train from scratch with ROH, without that kind of training who knows where I’d be right now." So, without further ado, here is the conversation I had with Eli.  Omar: My first question is, how would you describe the persona of "Eli Isom" to resident WWE shills like myself? Eli Isom: For me, my wrestling persona isn’t too far off from who I real...

The 5 News Week: There Was Supposed To Be A New Nation Of Domination Stable!?

Hello, my fellow wrestling fans and welcome to the 5 news week. The post where I report 5 major or minor news of the week that I don't have time to do it separately. Without further ado, here are the 5 news week. Why Did The Sasha Banks And Asuka Match Have A Head Scratching Ending? The boss and the empress of tomorrow had a match of the night at Extreme Rules this past Sunday but the ending is a different story.  So, why did an over-complicated type of an ending like this was written into the PPV?  Well, good old Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez stated on Wrestling Observer Radio (From Cagesideseats ) that the finish was layed off like that so that the rematch (which was announced on the recent episode of Monday) will happen.  The hope for that is to "pop a number" in the ratings.  In other words, it was a reported marketing decision (no f'ing sh*t, Omar). Hey, at least we're getting a rematch, right?  Mike Bennett On Contemplating Leaving Pro...

WWE Smackdown 17/12/21 | A Coherent Review.

Another week, another meh episode of Smackdown although the ending was pretty eye-opening.  Images via WWE.com   The Viking Raiders vs Jinder Mahal And Shanky.  After a backstage segment that included The Usos roasting Xavier Woods' kingship, the blue brand really started the show with a match (not this one) which is a rare thing to see on main roster television. And the match wasn't bad at all.  The Viking Raider defeated the team of Jinder and Shanky with a splash from Ivor. Does everyone want a Happy Corbin segment? Well, no and Drew McIntyre agrees as he took out Corbin and Madcap Moss to retrieve his sword which sounds like a bad King Arthur comedy flick or something.  Naomi Wants A Match With Sonya Deville.  Naomi is upset at how Sonya Deville acted like a Susan over the past few months so the glow queen challenged the actual manager to a match at Day 1 and Sonya was like, "Ahhhh, no".  Naomi then had a match with Shayna Baszler and within minute...