WWE Backlash was a surprisingly decent PPV event for a "nothing" show, and for the first show (or so they tell me) that's co-branded for the rest of the year, it set at least a low-bar for what we can expect the rest of the year.
While the show didn't lend itself to high-profile storyline advancements, it did feature several fun and interesting matches en route to an overall quality show. Alas, as with most events now, it flattened out at the end.
Here's how the show played out.
MORE: Complete Backlash results, highlights
Seth Rollins vs. The Miz: 4 Stars (out of 5)
This was the best match of the night, and nothing could really follow it.
Seth Rollins is an absolute star; he can talk, he resonates with the fans, he can wrestle a mop to a five-star match.
It's not disappointing per se that Rollins isn't a main-event stalwart now, because he's still getting to work excellent matches like the one he did at Backlash vs. The Miz. But it is disappointing that he isn't having routinely great matches for the biggest titles in the company. Instead, we are subjected to Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns, which has more sequels than the "Friday the 13th" film series.
At some point, Rollins has to get a main-event run. He's just fine where he is for now, but with the way fans have rejected anything Reigns in the last year or so — and with the way they've taken to Rollins — he makes too much sense to highlight the last segment of "RAW" every week.
In the other corner, the exact same thing can be said of The Miz. He was red-hot before being sent over to "SmackDown" last year, just before he was in line for a title shot. Now back on "SmackDown," he's going to have a great feud with Daniel Bryan, but who knows how long it'll be until The Miz gets his next well-deserved title reign.
What's next: Seth Rollins will get a lengthy run with the Intercontinental Championship on a talent-deprived "RAW." It's tough to see his reign ending any time soon with the lack of true challengers on the brand outside of Finn Balor. The Miz will probably end up in a feud with Daniel Bryan, which is a long time in the making.
Nia Jax vs. Alexa Bliss: 3 Stars
Nia Jax is decent enough, but her act/gimmick concern me. At some point, the "I'm really big, bigger than all of you" shtick has to end, which leaves a lot of work to be done for her character. She's still pretty cumbersome in-ring, which is something that will hopefully be remedied with more work and high-profile matches with great women's wrestlers.
Bliss worked her ass off in this match to make Jax look really good, and she succeeded. It's amazing to see how much Bliss has improved in the ring and is easily one of the preeminent women's stars in WWE today, worthy of putting her name beside Charlotte and Asuka. Really — she's great on the mic and in the ring and hasn't had an out-and-out bad match in quite some time.
What's next: It seems as though the feud between Bliss and Jax is over, with Jax giving some roody-poo speech after the match about social norms and cultural stuff (really, a bunch of nonsense), while Bliss cried on the side of the ring.
Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton: 3 Stars
Decent match here, but the U.S. Championship scene is really confusing and not one that really has any steam right now, and it doesn't look like that's going to change any time soon.
This was a good enough match, though, even though Hardy has really seemed to labor in the ring since his return (and his singles run).
Randy Orton, on the other side, continues to confuse with his character. He's a guy that needs a defined gimmick to really work, and the "From Outta Nowhere" RKO stuff is so stale it's starting to grow mold. Orton hasn't seemed motivated in about a decade — or more — and while he still has the tools to be a huge star, he's got no juice left.
I still think it was a mistake splitting up the Broken Hardys, but WWE still clearly views Jeff Hardy as a star who resonates with the kiddies. Yeah, despite his suspensions and all. Right. I buy it.
What's next: I'm just not sure why Jeff Hardy is U.S. Champion right now. It's doing nothing for him, it's doing nothing for the belt and there's no end in sight. Randy Orton needs to be a heel or a face, the tweener just doesn't work for him right now.
Elias: Double platinum, no features
Seriously. Elias is money. Take Elias and inject him straight into my veins.
But really, the segment with Elias, New Day, Aiden English & Rusev, No Way Jose and Bobby Roode was hysterical and well paced. Typically, I hate segments like this, but I found this whole spiel to be really, very well done. Kudos.
Daniel Bryan vs. Big Cass: 3 Stars
It wasn't the coming-out party that was expected for Big Cass, but it was a decent enough scrap. The crowd was very into it — despite chanting "We Want Enzo" early on — which helped hide some of the deficiencies of the match.
Bryan sold Cass' size and strength very well throughout the bout. I was a bit surprised that Big Cass tapped as quickly as he did, but I guess it's not quite Zack Ryder-fast territory. Still a second too fast.
Cass has the look, but it remains to be seen just how much of everything else he's got. Now that Enzo Amore is totally out of the picture, this is all on Cass to succeed. He's got the WWE machine behind him, as they view Cass as the next, big-time star. I'm not sure I see that, at least not yet.
What's next: Daniel Bryan and Big Cass probably won't end their program just yet, but The Miz is waiting for Bryan once that's over. Big Cass still needs more marinating before they put him in a big-time feud.
Charlotte vs. Carmella: 2 1/2 Stars
Crowds still have not taken to Carmella, which is upsetting. She's not the most technically gifted wrestler on the roster, but she's certainly improving and her championship run hasn't been all bad.
Charlotte did a lot to make Carmella look good, but the finish of the match was really just eh , and didn't do much to further Carmella as a legitimate champion or as a cowardly heel.
This match just kind of existed without having a true focus and goal and didn't tell much of a story, either. I'm interested to see where this feud goes, but for now, it's not much of anything.
What's next: Charlotte will continue her quest for the WWE "SmackDown" Women's Championship, and will likely recapture it soon. Carmella's reign hasn't exactly fallen on its face, but it hasn't been everything that it should be, especially given how long she held on to the Money in the Bank briefcase.
AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura: 3 1/2 Stars
This was closer to what a match between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura should be, but it just wasn't there yet.
Heel Nakamura adds a new dimension to the feud, which helps a lot. I just wish they would have turned him leading up to WrestleMania and not afterwards: it would have given their match much more intrigue and momentum.
The biggest problem with this match is the end: this makes two matches in a row where they've wrestled to a no decision, and I'm not quite sure that's what fans wanted to see.
The low blows and kicks to the nether-regions were well done and great storytelling, but without a definitive end to this feud, I'm not sure what's left.
Styles can hold the belt until the cows come home, and that's fine, because he's a worthy champ and a show-stealer.
What's next: We're going to see another installment of this feud, though they better get it resolved quick or fans will lose all interest.
Braun Strowman and Bobby Lashley vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn: 2 Stars
Admittedly, I forgot this match was actually taking place until it actually happened.
This was nothing more than a stay-busy match for all four guys, and the apparent Zayn and Owens breakup (again) would have been so much better if it actually meant something as opposed to a random nothing match near the end of the card.
It also does nothing for Braun Strowman, whose momentum is stopped dead like a train hitting the bottom of the Shonash Ravine . It also does nothing for Lashley, who has done nothing but do some suplexes since returning the night after WrestleMania.
What's next: Who knows? It looks like Owens and Zayn have broken up (again), while Braun Strowman will continue to toil and not be a championship contender. I don't get it — they're so hell-bent on making Strowman a thing, but refuse to pull the trigger on him as a champion. Meanwhile, Owens and Zayn need a high-profile feud.
Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe: 3 Stars
The hot start with Samoa Joe whipping Reigns around the arena and through tables was great for Joe, but the ultimate Reigns victory makes no sense. Zero sense. It was a good match, but I wish I knew why Joe lost.
Listen: Reigns vs. Lesnar is dead in the water, and that's what's going to happen next — again. It's not even a matter of whether or not people like Reigns — the feud has got no juice left and until they turn Reigns heel, then he's doing nothing for himself or the roster as a face.
I don't understand why WWE does this to itself: You have bona-fide stars who the crowd will support and cheer for unanimously — Samoa Joe, Finn Balor, Seth Rollins to name a few. But they're absolutely determined on making Reigns "The Guy" and it makes no sense. Why do they refuse to give the people what they want? Why not turn Reigns heel to save him?
Some people view it as sour grapes or complaining, and it's not. There are a million directions the company could go, but they're set on one, and it's got no steam left.
In any case, Samoa Joe is a main-event star and "SmackDown" will hopefully be his playground him. He deserves a main-event title run, as he's been among the most consistently great performers in WWE since his debut. He deserves it.
What's next: Samoa Joe will probably inject himself into the "SmackDown" main-event scene, and rightfully so. There's so much talent on that side of the 'E that he'll stand out and be cheered and accepted regardless. Roman Reigns will continue being WWE's conquering hero and fans will continue to dislike him until they turn him heel or start him from scratch.
