WWE Backlash 2023: What a Night in Puerto Rico

Author: Jesse Rucinski

Backlash started as a night that I don’t think too many people had high expectations going into it. That is nothing against the performers, but it felt like they were doing a bunch of matches that made no sense like the Omos v Seth Rollins match. It wasn’t the only match, but it was definitely the biggest of the night. Now after seeing it I have to say that they delivered for the most part on the night. There might have been some terrible finishes and a big botch or two, but the crowd was into it for almost the entire night. There was an electricity in the air, and you could feel it from wherever you watch it. Now to break it all down.

Biance Belair v Iyo Sky - Raw Womens Championship

This was one of the matches of the night that I was really looking forward to. It was something different for Bianca to face and I felt it was going to finally be the moment for Iyo to show what she can do on the main roster. I’ve stated how much I don’t think her in Damage CTRL has really done anything for her. Her performance on Saturday night did not disappoint at all for me. She finally got an opportunity to properly showcase her ability in the ring.

Like I said, it was something new and a different style for Bianca to get to face off against for the Raw Womens Championship. That is where I’m going to leave it though because of several things but most importantly the botch. Her one arm pressing Iyo over her head is truly impressive and something to be admired but if you’re going to do that you need to be able to put her to the mat safely. I didn’t like it when I was watching it live and I still don’t like it now. I haven’t seen anyone that did like the way she dropped her and the angle. I was happy to see her carry on after it because bad things could’ve happened at that angle. The main goal is to protect your dance partner and it didn’t happen in that moment.

With all of that considered, I still think the match delivered for both performers, the WWE, and that crowd in Puerto Rico that was on fire. Did that scary botch take a lot away for me? Yes. Did the ending of the match fall completely flat and take away from what they just did in the ring? Without a single doubt. They could’ve delivered a finish and still worked on breaking up Damage CTRL on let’s say Raw and save the useless finish. That’s just my thoughts on it but I don’t think I’m alone when I say I think the finish was flat and didn’t fit what they accomplished in the ring together.

Seth Rollins v Omos w/ MVP

I don’t think there was one person looking forward to this match going into it besides maybe Omos himself. It never made any sense to just throw them together like they did and especially after Triple H introduced the new Championship. With that announcement it wouldn’t have made sense to have Seth lose to Omos (Granted it wouldn’t make sense without that). They did at least put together a good match for what was possible. They did things to make Omos look good and strong and that’s what he needs. Having matches against people like Brock Lesnar and Seth Rollins will help him get experience and that is what he needs. I just don’t look forward to them because of the limitations there are for most people that he can work with. I will give Seth credit for helping to make Omos look as good as he did on Saturday night in Puerto Rico.

Austin Theory v Bobby Lashley v Bronson Reed - Triple Threat - United States Championship

A match that we all expected great things from that didn’t disappoint. It was what we all wanted it to be, and it had the ending that many expected. Many of the boxes got checked. There were some detractors to the match finish but that comes with everything, and I don’t think what they wanted would’ve worked in this match and been believable. There are several things to dissect after this one.

I want to start by saying that I was on the side of Austin Theory failing to cash in his MITB contract because it was an anchor around his neck. The character with the selfies wasn’t something that people were taking seriously as a heel and personally I think Tyler Breeze did it better. That gimmick was making him a clown and him failing on the cash in was the opportunity to fix that problem. They didn’t miss with the opportunity. This has been the Theory that we all knew he could be, and people are way more into this version as a heel then the selfie taking tool.

We got to see all three competitors showcase pieces of what they can do in their Triple Threat Match. We saw Bobby Lashley act like the ‘Almighty’ and show his strength and speed. We got to see Bronson Reed show what he could do at his side including that moonsault. Finally, we got to see Austin Theory show off his athleticism, charisma, mean streak, and ability to weasel his way to victory by stealing them from his challengers. They also managed to accomplish all of this while making them all look strong and walk away from the match without losing much if anything at all. Reed looked great and is now off to whatever they point him towards on Raw, Lashley didn’t get pinned and was protected in that way heading into Smackdown, and Austin Theory accomplished the mission and is now onto new rivals with his new home on Friday nights.

Rhea Ripley v Zelina Vega - Smackdown Womens Championship

I’m not going to lie and try to say that I had high expectations going into this match. Just where the two of them are in ability and character left everyone knowing that there wasn’t a chance in the title changing hands at all. That isn’t a dig at Zelina but where Rhea has been and where Zelina has been, are on two completely different planets. I do think that it was the appropriate move for the WWE to make for match and it being their first big event in Puerto Rico in 18 years. It was a once in a lifetime moment for Zelina and you could both hear it from the crowd and see it on her face. That was what this match was going to be about the entire time. It wasn’t about a five-star match. It was about the story and the moment that we got out of it. Do we know where Zelina will go from this? Obviously, we don’t know that, but she got her moment in her home country and that was the important part of this story regardless of the outcome.

Damian Priest v Bad Bunny - San Juan Street Fight

With everything that we know now, there is no doubt that this match should have been the Main Event of Backlash. There was a debate about it heading into the event and throughout the night as to that exact thing. I don’t understand how they called it a Co Main Event if there was a match between this one and the actual Main Event. I was hoping that by them having this spot, that it meant that there was something special that was going to happen to end the night properly like we saw earlier at Clash at the Castle in Cardiff and at Elimination Chamber in Montreal. They still could have done that without having this match Main Event, but they dropped the ball.

This match gave us everything that you would want to see and expect to see with a Street Fight between Bad Bunny and a member of The Judgement Day but it also gave us another good match. You can tell that Bad Bunny puts in the effort and gives it the respect that it deserves. No matter how you feel about Bad Bunny coming in and having matches, you have to admit that he obviously puts in the work and delivers in the ring. You don’t take those bumps and pull of a Canadian Destroyer for a win without doing that.

There were also many run-ins and shenanigans in the match but those were expected, and they all made sense and fit with everything that was going on. We got to see fellow Judgement Day members Dominik Mysterio and Finn Balor get involved. We saw members of the LWO including Santos Escobar and Rey Mysterio get involved. We also got to see Savio Vega and a surprise return of Carlito through all of the chaos breaking out at ringside. I might add that Savio Vega still looked good doing what he did and that Carlito is yoked. It all fit into the angle they were doing and into the feel and history of wrestling and wrestlers from Puerto Rico. They put forth a Main Event story and match but sadly didn’t get the Main Event spot. It would’ve been the perfect ending to the return to Puerto Rico for the WWE.

Sadly, this match felt like it was just put on the card because they knew what the six of them would deliver in the ring. It didn’t have the same oomph that there was earlier in the night. It comes back to why I said that Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley match at WrestleMania shouldn’t have been the Main Event. It would’ve been unfair to them trying to follow the pop of The Usos losing the tag titles the Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. After everything that happened in the prior match with Bad Bunny, it didn’t matter what this match delivered to the fans. I also think that the fans are burnt out on several aspects of this story and want to see Sami and Kevin move onto someone other than the Bloodline. I’m hoping that they will now that the WWE Draft is going into effect with everyone going to their prospective shows and things starting fresh.

The biggest thing this match did for me was finally getting to the point of Solo Sikoa almost pulling the trigger on a Samoan Spike to his brother Jey Uso. We have all know that it has been brewing and they have done it quite impeccably with Paul Heyman during the segments with The Bloodline minus Roman Reigns. With Jey reminding Solo that he was his brother, not him. That him is obviously the one and only Roman Reigns. It is a move that has been slowly burning for weeks now and it is the move that will make Jey Uso and Solo Sikoa even bigger stars than they are. Jey Uso has earned that with how much he has grown on the microphone since the return of his brother because we always knew that Jimmy was the talker between them. It is the only thing that would make sense coming out of this long story when it comes to Jey.

Cody Rhodes v Brock Lesnar

This was a match that I honestly thought could do a lot to help build and solidify Cody Rhodes more before finishing the story as it is. I have made the argument that Cody didn’t face any real adversity since his return minus the pec injury and feuding with Brock could give him that. I don’t think it delivered in doing that for Cody on Saturday night in Puerto Rico. They did show a more aggressive side to Cody with him attacking Brock before the match even started and the extent of the attack before the match started. Not something we have seen Cody do since his return at last year’s WrestleMania. The finish of the match I think took away from the possibility of what this match could have done for him. With the way the match ended I am not sure if this is where it will end for the two of them. With the way it ended I don’t think it should be the ending of it but only time will tell with that one.

Overall Grade - Low B to High C

It was a night that did deliver for everyone in attendance. I’m not trying to say that with the grade. Some of the finishes diminished some of the matches for me which caused a lower grade for the night. There were also matches that while still good, were there to fill space or give moments for people. There is nothing wrong with that, but they still happened, and I have to grade it accordingly. Making anyone have to follow the Bad Bunny and Damian Priest match was a disservice as well. With how big Bad Bunny is, how many people made appearances during the match, and the quality of the match it should’ve been the Main Event and I feel it would’ve made a big difference on the ending to the night overall. You don’t have to agree with me on all of this, but I think there are things we can all agree on from the night that was in Puerto Rico for Backlash.

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