WWE Backlash took place last Sunday at the AllState Arena just outside Chicago. NXT Takeover was on the night before and that was a good event. Will Backlash be the same? Let's take a look.
The match on the Kick Off Show was
Tye Dillinger taking on
Aiden English. English gets the advantage with a swinging neckbreaker. He then wears down Dillinger with a chinlock. Dillinger makes his comeback but English comes close a couple of times. Dillinger goes on to get the win with the Tye Breaker. This was a decent match between the two.
Winner: Tye Dillinger (1 for 1)
The first match of the event was
Dolph Ziggler taking on
Shinsuke Nakamura. During the match, Ziggler grabs Nakamura as he was getting into the ring and hits a neckbreaker to get the advantage. Ziggler comes close after avoiding a Kinshasa to hit a Fameasser for 2. However, Nakamura managed to get back into it and hit the Kinshasa to get the win. This was a good match between the two but I'm not sure whether WWE are ready to push him to the moon yet or to keep him in a holding pattern.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura (2 for 2)
We now get our first Championship match as
Breezango challenges
The Usos for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship. During the match, Breeze was disguised as a janitor then an old lady. The Usos don't take this very well and proceed to destroy Breeze. Breeze gets to make the hot tag to Fandango and they come close when Breeze hits an Unprettier. In the end, Fandango goes for his top rope legdrop but Jimmy Uso holds his leg, allowing Jey Uso to hit a super kick to get the win. This match was a mixed bag. I hated most of it as it was just stupid with the disguises and stuff; but the last few minutes was entertaining.
Winner: The Usos (3 for 3)
Next is
Sami Zayn taking on
Baron Corbin. Zayn dropkicks Corbin out of the ring, hurting his lower back in the process. Corbin takes advantage by charging him into the turnbuckle then focusing on his lower back with moves such as a bearhug. Zayn reverses a super plex to hit a sunset flip powerbomb but Crobin responds with a Deep Six for 2. Zayn then hits the Helluva Kick to get the win. This was a good match and even though the finish came out of nowhere I think it works in this case. Corbin was dominant for most of the match yet he makes one mistake and Zayn takes advantage. An enjoyable contest.
Winner: Sami Zayn (3 for 4)
It's now time for the Women's tag team match. It's
The Welcoming Committee (Carmella, Natalya and Tamina with
James "Why He Is Still Here?" Ellsworth) versus
Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair and Naomi. Charlotte gets clotheslined that gives the Welcoming Committee the advantage. She manages to tag in Naomi but Carmella shuts it down pretty quickly to regain the advantage. Becky eventually gets the hot tag and even though she has Natalya in the Dis-Arm-Her, which Carmella breaks up; in the end, Natalya makes Becky submit with the Sharpshooter. This match was ok and I was quite surprised that The Welcoming Committee won.
Winners: The Welcoming Committee (3 for 5)
Now a match I was really looking forward to:
AJ Styles challenging
Kevin Owens for the United States Championship. Owens goes for the right leg that he injured earlier in the week. The match goes back and forth before Owens bounces Styles' head off the turnbuckle followed by a clothesline. Owens keeps Styles down with moves such as sentons before Styles gets back into it with a kick. Styles comes close a couple of times but he almost loses when Owens hits a pumphandle neckbreaker for 2. Owens then focuses his attack on the right leg, resulting in applying a half leg Boston crab then an ankle lock. The match goes to the outside when Styles hits a suplex to the apron and they both land on the floor. Styles then goes a Styles Clash on the German announce table but Owens gets out of it and Styles gets caught up in the cables, meaning that Owens wins by count out. Owens then attacks Styles afterwards.
This was a really good match. It was a bit of a shitty ending as you don't want a match between the two to end in a count out. However, it was probably the right way to do it and it gives Styles a case for a rematch.
Winner: Kevin Owens (4 for 6)
We now go from one match that I was looking forward to to one that I don't care about:
Luke Harper versus
Erick Rowan. Rowan gets the advantage early on but Harper makes his comeback sending Rowan into the announce tables with a suicide dive. Harper goes on to get the win with a discus clothesline. I can sum up this match with one word: meh
Winner: Luke Harper (5 for 7)
The main event is for the WWE Championship as
Jinder Mahal challenges
Randy Orton. Orton doesn't fuck around and attacks Mahal during the introductions. The referee restores order and the match starts at a fast pace. Mahal gets the advantage and wears Orton down, focusing on the left shoulder. Orton gets back into it but the injured shoulder hampers him at times. Orton does hit the RKO (outta nowhere) but his shoulder prevents him from making the cover and The
Bollywood Boyz Singh Brothers pull Mahal out of the ring. Orton attacks the Singhs, including a very botched suplex onto an announce table in which one of the Singhs landed on his head. After Orton hits the Singhs with a double hanging DDT, Mahal slides in and hits the Cobra Clutch Slam to get the win and become the WWE Champion...?? Yes, you read that right. Jinder Mahal, who has gone from being the least talented guy in 3MB to becoming the WWE Champion, shocking the wrestling world.
This was a good match although it's making me start to hate Randy Orton. I feel that he's just going through the motions and is ok botching moves that can really hurt people. As for Jinder Mahal, I'm happy that, on Smackdown at least, they are trying new things. Mahal is probably someone that I wouldn't consider to give him the Championship but he has been booked well so since his return. Here's hoping he gets a decent title reign.
Winner: Jinder Mahal (5 for 8)
I thought that Backlash was a good event. It did feel more like an extended episode of Smackdown but I'm ok with that. It was great to see Nakamura wrestle on the main roster and at the minute, with the roster Smackdown have, they have the ability to do new matches and I'm looking forward to seeing what they will do.
