Pro wrestling had a presence at the Academy Awards on Sunday.
John Cena, The Rock, and Bad Bunny all presented awards. Cena was the first to do so, first appearing in a skit with Jimmy Kimmel. After Kimmel talked about how a streaker previously interrupted the Academy Awards, he encouraged Cena to do the same. Cena ended up balking at the idea at the last second, wearing nothing but the Oscars envelope to present the award for Best Costume Design. Cena eventually put on a toga to announce the winner, Poor Things.
#JohnCena presents award for "Best Costume" in his birthday suit during the #Oscars đ
As Cena made his exit, he was shown briefly shaking hands with The Rock, who then went to present the award for Best International Feature Film with Bad Bunny. That award went to The Zone of Interest.
(WATCH) Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Bad Bunny present Best Int'l Feature to Jonathan Glazer for 'The Zone of Interest' #Oscarspic.twitter.com/r0PImJZDUI
The Rock has recently returned to WWE television, associating himself with Roman Reigns as part of The Bloodline. On this past Fridayâs SmackDown, it was confirmed that he will team up with Regins on night one of WrestleMania 40 to take on Cody Rhodes & Seth Rollins.
Mercedes Mone was being considered for a role in Bad Bunny’s Spider-Man spinoff film “El Muerto,” although the future of the project is now unclear.
The film was originally scheduled for a January 12, 2024 release date. However, The Hollywood Reporter says the film is no longer listed on Sony’s calendar.
The film losing its release date is reportedly due to the ongoing Writers Guild strike. Additional work is said to be needed on the script, which is not possible at this time.
Casting had yet to begin but THR says Mercedes Varnado (Mercedes Mone/Sasha Banks) had been “circled” for a role.
“The feature was also not yet cast but sources say that the studio was making choices and had been circling professional wrestler Mercedes Varnado, known by her stage name as Sasha Banks, for a role,” THR wrote.
Bad Bunny was to play the starring role in the film. It was to be the first Marvel live-action film to feature a Latino character in the starring role. However, Bunny’s touring schedule is said to be another complicating factor for the film’s future.
“El Muerto” was to be based on the Marvel comic book character of the same name. The title character is a luchador who has inherited his father’s mask, which gives him superpowers.
Logan Paul recently compared his success in WWE with Bad Bunny’s.
Paul feels a key difference between the two is that he had an athletic background before getting in the ring while Bunny did not. He said on his Impaulsive show recently that Bunny “has no business being as good as he is.”
Paul said:
The difference is this – and this is what I say to people who are trying to compare me and Bad Bunny in the WWE – I wrestled in high school, I did sports and athletics. I am a YouTuber but I’m an athlete, bro. I was an athlete first, I always have been.
Paul continued:
I can still surprise people because I’m a YouTuber but I was an athlete first. Bunny is a musician, dude, he has no business being as good as he is. He comes in there and he crushes it.
Bunny has now wrestled three times in WWE, including as an entrant in the 2022 men’s Royal Rumble match. His match against Damian Priest at Backlash 2023 in Puerto Rico was given a four and a half star rating by our own Dave Meltzer.
Bunny also teamed with Priest and defeated The Miz & John Morrison at WrestleMania 37. Meltzer rated that a three and a half star match.
Paul’s WWE return is advertised for next Monday when Raw takes place from his hometown of Cleveland. He hasn’t wrestled since being defeated by Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 39 in a match that Meltzer also rated four and a half stars.
Bad Bunny says wrestling Damian Priest at WWE Backlash was painful but also one of the best moments of his life.
Apple Music released an interview with the world-famous recording artist on Friday. During the discussion, Bad Bunny noted that his “whole body hurt” after the match.
Bad Bunny said:
I said before the WrestleMania fight that day was one of my favorite moments of my life but the Backlash fight in Puerto Rico was another level, was really one of the biggest and best moments of my life. I really enjoyed the fight.
He continued:
My back, my whole body, bro, my whole body [hurt]. I felt that I was going to die after that match. I was really scared about it. I was, ‘Oh no, I’m going to die.’ I really thought that I was going to die after that match but it’s part of it. I was prepared and now I’m going to drop a song.
The street fight in Puerto Rico involved several big spots, including Priest giving Bunny a Falcon Arrow through a set of stacked tables on the outside. Run-ins from Judgment Day, LWO, as well as Carlito Colon and Savio Vega took place as well. Ultimately, Bunny picked up the victory with a Canadian Destroyer. The match received a rating of four and a half stars from our own Dave Meltzer.
In a new interview, Brian Kendrick confirmed previous reports that WWE brought him in to help train Bad Bunny for his San Juan street fight match last Saturday at Backlash.
Kendrick discussed the situation during a podcast appearance, saying the reason was because he helped Bad Bunny train for his debut at WrestleMania 37.
“I think because of the comfort level we had built with Bunny and I, they requested me to come back for that,” he said, later adding that he did not produce the match at Backlash.
While he hasn’t worked with celebrity-turned-wrestler Logan Paul, Kendrick credited both he and Bad Bunny as being “very motivated” because they “want to be good at this.”
“I know Bunny put in a lot of training. He was training for months. I thought the match was awesome,” he said.
It’s not the first time Kendrick has returned since being released in February 2022 as he assisted in producing the Ronda Rousey vs. Shotzi match at last November’s Survivor Series at Rousey’s request.
At Backlash in Puerto Rico, Savio Vega got to take part in a special moment as he returned to WWE.
Vega and Carlito both made cameo appearances during Bad Bunny and Damian Priest’s San Juan street fight at last Saturday’s pay-per-view. While being interviewed by Cultaholic, Vega credited Bad Bunny and Priest for wanting him involved with their match.
“[WWE] got in contact with me because this is the mastermind of Damian Priest and Bad Bunny,” Vega said. “They’re both fans of me and I discovered that when I went to the farewell of The Undertaker. I saw Damian Priest there and I went to him, ‘Hey man, how you doing? I want to take a picture with you.’ He said, ‘No, I want to take a picture with you.’ So I talked to him a little bit there. We don’t talk too much but we keep in touch by phone. This idea was them, more Damian Priest.”
The 58-year-old Vega told Cultaholic that he was “in shock” at the massive reaction he received from the audience when he appeared during a backstage segment at Backlash.
Vega, Carlito, and the LWO fended off interference by the Judgment Day in the Bad Bunny vs. Priest match. That allowed Bad Bunny to get the victory after hitting a Bunny Destroyer.
Vega wrestled for WWE from 1993-1999. He made an appearance for the company in 2020 during The Undertaker’s retirement ceremony at Survivor Series.
Wrestling in his home of Puerto Rico was a dream for Bad Bunny.
Two days removed from defeating Damian Priest at Backlash, Bad Bunny made a post on his Instagram Stories looking back at the moment. Bad Bunny wrote that he’s still processing it, but there are no words to describe what he felt. Bad Bunny wrote that it was “a dream” for him.
Bad Bunny also thanked the red-hot crowd in San Juan, calling them the best wrestling fans in the world. Bad Bunny said the Puerto Rican fans were the stars of the show at Backlash and at SmackDown last Friday.
He wrote (translated from Spanish):
I’m still processing this. There are no words to describe what I felt that day… wow! it was a dream
Thank you PUERTO RICO!!! You were the stars these two nights! There is no energy like the one you provided!! people now know who the best wrestling fans in the world are!!
P FKN R!!!
Backlash was Bad Bunny’s third time ever competing in a WWE ring. His San Juan street fight against Priest included cameos by Carlito and Savio Vega, who helped the LWO fend off interference by the Judgment Day.
Backlash was the first time a WWE pay-per-view has been held in Puerto Rico since 2005.
Bad Bunny’s match at Backlash took place less than a month after he became the first Latino artist to headline the Coachella music festival.
I am back with another Sunday edition of Wrestling Observer Live, joined this week by my We’re Live Pal podcast partner Garrett Gonzales.
Saturday’s WWE Backlash was held in front of one of the rowdiest crowds in a long time in San Juan, Puerto Rico. We break down the card match-by-match and discuss how much the crowd influenced the show like the performance of Bad Bunny and all the run-ins from Puerto Rican stars of old like Savio Vega and Carlito.
Backlash also saw Brock Lesnar bleed in the main event against Cody Rhodes. We discuss if it was a hardway spot or if he bladed intentionally which would be going against WWEâs policy in recent years.
AEW could be headed for a sellout for All In at London’s Wembley Stadium with over 60,000 tickets sold thus far. We talk the significance of a sellout of that size, and how one boxing writer got himself in trouble trying to guess the number of tickets sold.
Plus, we talk WWEâs World Heavyweight title tournament, AEW’s plans for CM Punk, The Firm Deletion match from AEW Rampage, and more!
Cody Rhodes is continuing his story, but will it have a happy ending?
Rhodes did beat Brock Lesnar in front of a hot crowd in San Juan, Puerto Rico at Saturday’s Backlash. It was an effective, explosive back and forth main event, perhaps best known for the spot towards the end of the match where Lesnar hit his forehead on an exposed turnbuckle and proceeded to bleed buckets.
Unlike at WrestleMania when the Hell in a Cell match had to be stopped so Finn Balor could be stapled up, Lesnar continued the match as a bloody mess (probably because no one is going to tell Lesnar what to do) until the finish when Rhodes pinned Lesnarâs shoulders on the mat while Lesnar had the kimura locked in.
With the World Heavyweight title tournament set to become the major story over the next few weeks, it only makes sense that Rhodes is an early favorite. For whatever reason, I donât feel like this is the end of Lesnar at the moment, especially when thereâs a Saudi Arabia payday incoming later this month. I could see Rhodes winning the Raw portion of the tournament and Lesnar winning the SmackDown portion of the tournament, leading to a rematch at Saudi Arabia later this month.
The question if that happens: will Lesnar do two jobs in a row?
Rhodes and Lesnar headlined this yearâs Backlash, but after watching the show it was clear that the main event should have been Bad Bunny and Damian Priestâs San Juan street fight.
This was a fun match and better than most of WWEâs weapon matches lately. Bunny came out and instantly felt like one of the hottest acts in pro wrestling. It was something special. The crowd, who was the real story of this show, was super hot for everything. It might have gone on a little too long, but the cameos of Savio Vega and Carlito towards the end were fun and I have no real complaints other than Bunny nearly spiking his head on a sliced bread spot.
Still, heâs gotten pro wrestling down pat, and it’s quite amazing how talented he and Logan Paul are at picking up pro wrestling this rapidly.
On the undercard, The Bloodline managed to defeat Matt Riddle, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn in what looks like the final blow-off match between the six.
Although I guess as undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions, Zayn and Owens could still appear on the other brand.
This had to follow the street fight and while it was a perfectly fine match, it felt way too long at 22 minutes especially after having just gone through a 25-minute match. The main story of the match was the dysfunction between The Usos and Solo Sikoa. The question now is if they will manage to make up or if itâs the start of The Bloodline crumbling like Rhodes predicted a few months ago.
Austin Theory retained the United States title over Bobby Lashley and Bronson Reed.
It was fine with every single triple threat trope youâve ever seen in WWE, including the finish. Let me know if youâve seen this finish before: participant one hits participant two with their finish. Participant three, a heel, then throws participant one out of the ring and covers participant two for the win. Very predictable. The Theory run is doing nothing for me still.
Rhea Ripley defeated Zelina Vega to retain the SmackDown Women’s title as expected.
Vega got a tremendous response in Puerto Rico to the point of being moved to tears. The match was alright, but the story was more about the hot crowd as opposed to the match. The Raw Womenâs title match that opened the show was far better with Bianca Belair defeating IYO SKY to retain. In terms of overall wrestling, it was probably the best match on the show. They have been teasing off and on for months that Damage CTRL may be in the midst of splitting up, and based on the commentary during this match and the finish (Damage CTRL attempting to interfere but fail), it seems like the group is heading in that direction again after weeks of start and stop teases.
Seth Rollins and Omos had a fine match.
Rollins, despite the goofy gimmick that has never really fit him, is one of the best wrestlers in WWE so it makes sense that he and Omos had a better than expected match. This seemed to be a way of getting Rollins a big win ahead of the World Heavyweight Championship tournament and it seems clear that he will be in the tournament in some form or fashion, and could even be a favorite if Rhodes is not in it.
Backlash was a real fun show coming off of two strong WrestleMania events.
WWE is on a roll with their pay-per-view shows and we only have to wait a few more weeks until Night of Champions on May 28. Letâs see if Rhodes will finish the story there…or SummerSlam…or maybe theyâll hold off until WrestleMania 40.
Or, maybe heâll form the Allied Powers with the British Bulldog and feud with Tatanka. Weâll see.
With the help of a pair of Puerto Rican wrestling legends, Bad Bunny was victorious at Backlash.
Carlito and Savio Vega both made appearances during Bad Bunny’s street fight against Damian Priest at Saturday night’s pay-per-view in San Juan. Carlito, Vega, and the LWO helped fend off interference by Judgment Day’s Finn Balor and Dominik Mysterio.
As Balor and Dominik were beating down Bad Bunny, Rey Mysterio ran out to make the save. Balor and Dominik were able to fight off Rey, but Carlito’s music then hit. Carlito made his way out to a huge pop from the crowd and then worked with Rey to take out Balor and Dominik.
The roof just blew off for the return of CARLITO in Puerto Rico at #WWEBacklash!!!
Balor and Dominik tried to retreat but were stopped by Vega, who also appeared in a backstage segment earlier in the show. Santos Escobar, Joaquin Wilde, and Cruz Del Toro joined Vega in taking Balor and Dominik out of the equation.
That allowed Bad Bunny to defeat Priest, winning the match with a Bunny Destroyer. There were spots where Bad Bunny used a Figure Four and hit a Sliced Bread #2 leading into the finish.
After his victory, Bad Bunny celebrated in the ring with Carlito, Vega, and the LWO.
What a win for Bad Bunny in the San Juan Street Fight at #WWEBacklash!
This was Bad Bunny’s third time competing for WWE. One of the hottest recording artists in the world, he made his in-ring debut by teaming with Priest against The Miz & John Morrison at WrestleMania 37 in 2021. Bad Bunny’s second match was as a surprise entrant in the 2022 men’s Royal Rumble match.
Date: May 6, 2023 Location: Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan, PR
**********
Show Recap —
KICKOFF SHOW —
The pre-show hosts Jackie Redmond, Peter Rosenberg and Matt Camp arenât hosting live in Puerto Rico but rather in-studio.
They aired various video packages and called the Bad Bunny/Damian Priest match the co-main event.
I admittedly watched most of this on mute but I turned the sound on in time to hear Rosenberg gleefully celebrate the internet being wrong about the World Title tournament inevitably coming down to Seth Rollins against Cody Rhodes which canât happen now that itâs been announced that the finals will come down to Raw vs. Smackdown.
Wade Barrett was shown drinking at the beach.
This was quite literally the most pointless preshow ever. Even the usual pointless preshow has a few new interviews and appearances. This had none of that.
**********
BACKLASH 2023 —
Michael Cole announced a sold-out crowd of 17,944. Cole and Corey Graves are on English commentary, while Marcelo Rodriguez and Jerry Soto handle Spanish commentary.
Bianca Belair defeated IYO SKY to retain the Raw Womenâs Championship (18:00)
SKY was the crowd favourite. Belair got a big reaction on the way out but the crowd booed her offense like she was John Cena and wildly cheered SKYâs offence.
SKY was in control until Belair came back with a backbreaker, dropkicks, and delayed vertical suplex. Belair held SKY up with a one-arm press slam and dropped her but they mistimed it and SKY landed on her face. Belair followed with a moonsault for two. SKY missed a charge and Belair went into the buckle with her previously hurt arm. SKY followed with a springboard dropkick.
Belair shoved SKY off the top but SKY got her knees up on Belairâs 450 splash attempt. SKY applied a crossface but Belair countered out of it. Belair tried a powerbomb but SKY countered into a facebuster for two. SKY followed with double knees in the corner and they traded counters until SKY blocked a second KOD attempt and chucked Belair out of the ring.
SKY hit Belair with a moonsault off the top to the outside which drew a two count in the ring. SKY tried a hurricanrana off the top but Belair held on and hit an avalanche powerbomb for a nearfall.
Bayley and Dakota Kai marched out to distract Belair and SKY grabbed her by the braid. Belair used SKYâs body to knock Kai off the apron and SKY rolled her up for a very close nearfall. (The way the ref countered made it look like it was three but it wasnât. The crowd was going nuts.)
Bayley got in the way so Belair tossed her aside. As the ref checked on Bayley, Kai kicked Belair in the head. SKY went to the top for the moonsault as Bayley held Belair down by the braid. The ref caught Bayley and a slight hesitation from SKY allowed Belair to avoid the moonsault.
Belair followed with KOD for the pinfall win.
This was great and the crowd made it even better. They should turn SKY babyface as soon as possible.
********
Rey Mysterio approached Bad Bunny as he got ready in the back. Savio Vega popped in and the crowd went nuts. He presented Bad Bunny with a Puerto Rico flag kendo stick.
Seth Rollins defeated Omos (w/MVP) (10:31)
Before the match started, Omos dropped Rollins with a boot as Rollins basked in the crowd singing his song. The ref checked on Rollins before starting the match and Omos immediately dropped him with a shoulder tackle when it began.
Rollins posted Omos and hit a suicide dive but Omos barely budged. Rollins tried another but Omos caught him and slammed him on the apron.
Rollins came back with a flying knee, kicks to the leg, and a dropkick to the leg, bringing Omos to one knee. Rollins hit a thrust kick but Omos countered a Pedigree with a back body drop. Rollins managed to hit Omos with a tornado DDT and he followed with a frog splash but only got a one count.
Rollins followed with strikes but he couldnât hit a curb stomp because Omos no-sold it by not budging (like Bobby Lashley has done previously). Omos followed with a chokeslam for two.
Rollins hit a stomp as MVP distracted the ref so Rollins superkicked MVP off the apron. Rollins stomped Omos again for a nearfall. Rollins acted shocked as the crowd sang his song.
Rollins climbed the ropes and hit a stomp off the top for the pinfall win. The crowd was very happy.
(This match was fine and Rollins did well but they could have cut a few minutes out of it.)
********
Triple Threat Match: Austin Theory defeated Bronson Reed and Bobby Lashley to retain the United States Championship (6:51)
An AI studied every heel win in a WWE triple threat and generated this match.
Lashley was working over Theory until Theory and Reed worked together to take down Lashley. That unit didnât last long because Reed dropped Theory with a body block. Lashley held Theory in the Hurt Lock until Theory was able to use the ropes to escape. With Lashley down, Reed hit Tsunami but Theory broke up the cover.
Theory gave Reed a rolling blockbuster and got the big man on his shoulders but Reed slipped out before he could hit A-Town down. Reed hit a powerslam and tried a moonsault but Theory moved and Lashley speared Reed. Theory chucked Lashley from the ring and rolled up Reed for the pinfall win.
********
Rhea Ripley defeated Zelina Vega to retain the SmackDown Womenâs Championship (7:10)
Vega received a huge ovation during her in-ring introduction and she was practically in tears. Vega wore Puerto Rican flag-themed gear with a huge flag cape. Ripley wore white with purple lining.
Vegaâs mother Monique gave her a chancla and she chucked it at Ripley. It didnât matter because Ripley took control anyway. Vega fought back with forearms as the crowd cheered her on but Ripley cut her off with a headbutt. Ripley tried Rip-tide but Vega spiked her with a DDT.
Vega followed with a 619 and Meteora for two. Ripley kicked Vega in the head and hit a Rip-tide for the decisive pinfall win.
â The crowd gave Vega a big ovation post-match.
********
Damian Priest wore the same vest he wore when he teamed with Bad Bunny two years ago at WrestleMania. Like Ripley earlier tonight, Priest also wore white. Corey Graves said it was because Priest considers himself the good guy in this story.
Bad Bunny received a massive reaction.
San Juan Street Fight: Bad Bunny defeated Damian Priest (25:04)
This was a genuinely great WWE street fight.
Priest tried toying with him early but Bad Bunny responded with a damn Michinoku Driver a minute into the match for a two count. Bad Bunny grabbed a kendo stick but Priest cut him off, ripped the stick in half and slammed him.
Bad Bunny tried fighting back a few times but Priest worked him over easily and hit his South of Heaven finisher. Priest pinned him had it won less than five minutes in but he pulled Bad Bunny up at two.
Priest wasted too much time before trying a dive and Bad Bunny chucked a chair at his face. Bad Bunny followed with kendo stick shots and a tornado DDT. Bad Bunny went to the top and hit a flying crossbody to the outside. Bad Bunny smacked Priest with trash can lids and hit a falcon arrow for two.
Priest realized he was bleeding as Bad Bunny invited him back into the ring. Priest acted like he would leave but as Bad Bunny came after him with a trash can, Priest turned around and booted it into his face. Priest hit Bad Bunny with the kendo stick that Savio Vega gave him as the crowd chanted âBenitoâ (his name).
They fought into the crowd which led to Priest giving Bad Bunny a falcon arrow off some high equipment boxes through tables. Adam Pearce and other officials ran out to check on Bad Bunny but Priest brushed them off and carried him back to ringside.
Priest tried a roundhouse kick but Bad Bunny ducked and Priest kicked the ring post. Bad Bunny attacked Priestâs injured leg with the kendo stick and drove it into the post. Priest pleaded with the ref as Bad Bunny smacked his knee against the post with a steel chair.
Bad Bunny was about to finish the job with one final chair shot but Priest begged him off. Bad Bunny hesitated so Priest kicked him in the face. Priest grabbed the chair so Bad Bunny gave him a low blow.
Dominik Mysterio and Finn BĂĄlor ran out to ambush Bad Bunny. (Dom wore white, BĂĄlor was still in black. BĂĄlor did have on a white bandana.) Rey Mysterio ran out to make the save but they knocked him down.
Carlito ran out to his music and the place went absolutely nuts. He assisted Rey and gave BĂĄlor a backstabber. Carlito took a bite out of an apple but Dom tried attacking from behind. Rey gave Dom a 619 and Carlito spat the apple in Domâs face.
Dom and BĂĄlor backed away up the ramp when they were cut off by Savio Vega who also got an insane reaction. Vega brought out LWO who went to town on BĂĄlor and Dom. Actually, they put the boots to Dom as BĂĄlor left but Vega beat up BĂĄlor and dropped him with a roundhouse kick. Vega also decked Dom. Dom and BĂĄlor ran for their lives and were chased to the back.
Back in the ring, Bad Bunny put Priest in a figure four. Priest grabbed him by the throat and tried a chokeslam but Bad Bunny countered into a cradle for two. Priest tried a charge but crashed into a steel chair and Bad Bunny followed with a sliced bread #2 for two.
Bad Bunny beat the crap out of Priest with a steel chair and hit a Canadian Destroyer for the pinfall win. Crowd exploded.
Rey, LWO, Vega and Carlito came out to celebrate with Bad Bunny.
********
Six-man tag team match: Solo Sikoa, Jimmy Uso & Jey Uso defeated Matt Riddle & Tag Team Champions Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn (22:05)
(This was a good match but the main thing coming out of this was Sikoa almost going for the Samoan Spike on Jey Uso.)
The babyfaces worked over the Usos until Sikoa tagged himself in to get the better of Zayn and the Bloodline took over from there. There was a brief âwe want Romanâ chant and Jimmy Uso told them, âheâs not here.â Zayn fought back but his partners were taken out.
Zayn dropped Sikoa with a tornado DDT and made the tag to Riddle who went to town on the Usos before wiping out the Bloodline with a dive. Jimmy nailed him with a superkick back in the ring for two. Riddle suplexed Jimmy off the top and Owens followed with a senton bomb for two.
Owens avoided a superkick which resulted in Jimmy superkicking Jey by accident. Owens took out Sikoa and hit Jey with a pop-up powerbomb for two. (Graves noted that we almost never see miscommunication like that from the Usos.) Owens tried a senton but Jey got his knees up. Owens and Jey traded superkicks until Owens dropped him with a clothesline.
They tagged out and Zayn gave Jimmy a Blue Thunder Bomb for two. Zayn fought off both Usos but they caught him mid-air with superkicks for two.
Jey yelled at Zayn for trying to destroy their family. Jey set up for a running hip attack but Sikoa tagged himself in. Before Sikoa could do the move, Jey tagged himself in by smacking Sikoa in the chest (which got a reaction from the crowd).
Zayn gave Sikoa a Helluva Kick after Jey ducked. Zayn caught Jey with a Helluva Kick anyway but Sikoa broke up the cover.
The crowd buzzed as Sikoa seemed to turn his attention to Jey but Riddle cut him off with a knee strike. Jimmy chucked Riddle from the ring, Owens superkicked Jimmy, and Sikoa turned Owens inside out with a Samoan spike.
Sikoa felt someone touch him and he grabbed them to set up for the Samoan Spike. It was Jey Uso. Jey didnât fight out but instead asked Sikoa if he would hit him. This was broken up by Zayn.
Riddle tagged in and gave Jey the Bro Derek. Sikoa had tagged himself in and he gave Riddle a Samoan Spike for the pinfall win.
â Jimmy was all smiles after the match because of the win, perhaps not realizing what happened with his brothers. Jey and Sikoa gave each other looks as they individually celebrated the win.
********
Cody Rhodes defeated Brock Lesnar (9:41)
Rhodes attacked Lesnar during his entrance and hit him with the steel steps and a steel chair.
The ref started the match and Rhodes hit a Disaster Kick but Lesnar caught a Cody Cutter and hit a big German suplex. Rhodes tried fighting back but Lesnar hit a fallaway slam. Lesnar easily hit Rhodes with suplex after suplex after suplex.
As Lesnar hit another German suplex, Rhodes accidentally ripped off a turnbuckle cover. There were chants of âSuplex cityâ and âletâs go Cody.â
Rhodes dodged a charged and Lesnar went face-first into the exposed buckle. Lesnar immediately came up bleeding and his entire face was quickly covered in blood. Rhodes hit a cutter and Disaster Kick.
Rhodes hammered away at Lesnar, whose blood was all over Rhodesâ midsection. Rhodes followed with a Cody Cutter and consecutive Cross Rhodes for a nearfall.
Lesnar blocked another Cross Rhodes and hit an F5 for a nearfall. The ref had a handful of towels but perhaps someone in his ear told him to put them away because he kicked them aside before using them.
A bloody Lesnar put Rhodes in a Kimura Lock but Rhodes countered into a cradle for the pinfall win.
(They went off the air pretty quickly after this ended at about 11:05 pm ET.)
We didnât quite finish the story at WrestleMania.
It’s ok though as the stories never truly end in WWE, or so we have been told. The next chapter in Cody Rhodesâ unfinished story has him facing Brock Lesnar in front of what will be a lively sold-out crowd in Puerto Rico. Whatever WWEâs plan is for him moving forward, it will really start to take shape at Backlash Saturday night.
There is a path for Rhodes to go from losing to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39 to becoming an even bigger star than he would have been. Iâm definitely not saying it was a good idea or that I have confidence in WWE to craft a beautiful multi-year storyline, but it is possible. What if WrestleMania 39 was The Empire Strikes Back and WrestleMania 40 is Return of the Jedi? They might not even blow up the Death Star until Mania 41, 42, or even higher.
If this was NJPW, the booking wouldnât even be considered controversial. Kazuchika Okada lost to Hiroshi Tanahashi in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom twice before finally beating him. Then, Tetsuya Naito lost to Okada at WK12 before beating him at WK14. The idea is fans witness the wrestler grow, learn, or find something deep within themselves they didnât know was there previously, and this helps them overcome an obstacle that once proved too great.
If done right, these can be inspiring stories to see play out in wrestling and in life (which are different).
And sometimes, the story is about getting up after youâve been knocked down and never giving up on your dreams or something cheesy like that. Rhodes is perfect for that role. If thatâs where WWE wants to go with him post-Mania, it will start Saturday when he faces “The Beast.”
Also, I think Bad Bunny is on the card.
Here are previews and predictions for WWE Backlash 2023:
Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar
Heading into WrestleMania 39, Rhodes was a -800 favorite to dethrone Reigns. However, heâs only a -300 favorite to beat Lesnar. Although some of this drop is due to the greater potential for a screwy or DQ finish, Iâm sure itâs also in part due to there being less confidence that Rhodes is âthe guy.â Nonetheless, Iâd say itâs pretty likely that WWE still has him listed as their top babyface.
It might be the case that Rhodes lost at WrestleMania in order to send him onto a heroâs epic journey of sorts. Heâll spend the next year, maybe even longer, overcoming a series of obstacles and then cutting passionate promos about said obstacles until he finally wins the big one. That doesnât necessarily mean he wins at Backlash, though.
If he and Lesnar are only ever having one match against each other, Rhodes likely wins on Saturday. If this is a story playing out over multiple PPVs, Lesnar could win. The former winning seems more likely, though.
Prediction: Cody Rhodes
Bad Bunny vs. Damian Priest
Bunny is currently listed as a -2000 favorite to beat Priest. This was once rumored to be a tag match with Bunny and Rey Mysterio vs. Priest and Dominik so if it has been changed to a singles match, WWE must have faith in what the musician is going to be able to do in the ring.
The crowd is going to be super into this one and that should create a fun environment. It will be a well-choreographed and, also, entertaining match. Judgment Day and the LWO will get involved but when the smoke clears, the hometown favorite will be the winner and everyone will have had a lovely time.
Prediction: Bad Bunny
Matt Riddle, Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn vs. The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa, Jey Uso & Jimmy Uso)
With these two teams having been drafted to separate brands, I guess this is it for now between Zayn, Owens, Riddle, and The Bloodline.
There are a couple of storylines to watch for that could play out during this match. WWE is teasing that Reigns (through Paul Heyman) may give the word at any moment to Sikoa to turn on one, or both, of the Usos. There is also the possibility of Jey Uso eventually turning against his family and going babyface as that seed has been planted in his head by Zayn. These are the stories fans will watch play out on SmackDown over the next year.
The finish here will likely involve the brewing inner turmoil of The Bloodline costing them the match somehow. Zayn can then run off to Raw knowing that his goal of dismantling The Bloodline has been accomplished as the faction crumbles from within. The Tribal Chief will not be pleased.
It should be interesting to see what happens with The Bloodline storyline after this too. Itâs possible by this time next year, Jey Uso will be one of the biggest babyfaces in the company.
Oddsmakers have the babyfaces as a -300 favorite and I donât disagree.
Prediction: Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn & Matt Riddle
WWE SmackDown Womenâs Champion Rhea Ripley defends against Zelina Vega
Vega is not going to win, but the possibility of her becoming a much bigger star definitely exists here.
Zelina will get a huge reaction from the Puerto Rican crowd. She doesnât have to win to maintain that crowd support after Backlash, though. She just has to perform well in a big opportunity. If the crowd starts to believe there is a chance she can win (even though there really isnât) or if they bite on a few near falls, it could make for a really exciting atmosphere.
The most likely end has Zelina getting a series of nearfalls before Ripley does something underhanded to gain an advantage and get the win shortly after. Zelina won’t get her hand raised but everyone will see her as a bigger star and one who can possibly hang with the wrestlers at the top of the division more frequently.
Oddsmakers have Ripley as a whopping -10000 favorite, the biggest of the night.
Prediction: Rhea Ripley
WWE Raw Womenâs Champion Bianca Belair defends against IYO Sky
Belair has just ripped through Damage CTRL over the last year.
In storyline, aside from a few runs with the Womenâs Tag Team titles, Damage CTRL has been a largely unsuccessful faction. Belair has retained her title over Bayley on PPVs twice, they lost at WarGames to a bunch of babyfaces and then they did the same at WrestleMania.
If the rumors are true, Bayleyâs faction is on a path to being broken up. Based on comments she made to Ariel Helwani earlier this year, it seems like creating a large and successful faction of female wrestlers was really important to Bayley. Also during that interview, she mentioned that Triple H once told her there needs to be a reason why her faction has joined together in order for it to be successful.
Iâm not sure if we ever learned why Damage CTRL was together. To me, it has felt as though they are just three wrestlers who have joined together for the sake of joining together even if all three are great.
Perhaps there is still hope for the group. A new member or a shakeup of current members could change its course.
The likely end has Bayley somehow costing IYO the match and it leading to more turmoil within Damage CTRL.
Oddsmakers have Belair as a -2000 favorite and itâs pretty hard to disagree with that.
Seth Rollins vs. Omos
This match appears to be happening for no reason, but that doesnât necessarily mean it will be bad. Rollins is a pretty creative wrestler and a match with Omos will give him some unique ideas to play around with.
Rollins is currently the betting favorite to win the new World Heavyweight Championship so if thatâs where heâs headed, itâs unlikely heâs going to lose here.
Where Omos stands in the company right now is anyoneâs guess. He was given one of the peculiar âfree agentâ designations in the draft and itâs not clear if thatâs a good thing or a bad thing. If WWE wants to make Omos more of an attraction, he will have to start winning big matches at some point.
Oddsmakers have Rollins as a -1000 favorite and that does seem about right.
Prediction: Seth Rollins
WWE United States Champion Austin Theory defends against Bobby Lashley and Bronson Reed in a triple threat match
Theory is currently listed as a -2000 favorite to retain and I certainly wouldnât recommend betting against him.
Theory will end up stealing the pin from either Reed or Lashley. Heâll run cowardly into the night with his title while the two big heavyweights are left fuming at each other. At first, I figured this match would likely further the rivalry between Lashley and Reed but then they got drafted to separate brands, so who knows? They went to a double countout on the April 10th Raw and I guess weâre just not getting another singles match between them now.
Prediction: Austin Theory retains
Follow along with our live coverage on Saturday night.
In front of a red hot crowd in Puerto Rico, WWE finished building to Backlash on last night’s SmackDown.
The episode included an appearance by Bad Bunny ahead of his street fight against Damian Priest at Saturday’s pay-per-view. Bad Bunny led the Latino World Order out to make the save when Judgment Day attacked Rey Mysterio last night.
Rey & Zelina Vega defeated Dominik Mysterio & Rhea Ripley in last night’s main event. Judgment Day attempted a beatdown of Rey after the match, but Bad Bunny and the LWO were able to put a stop to that. Bad Bunny, who was wielding a kendo stick, went face-to-face with Priest. But before the two could fight, Dominik got involved. That gave Priest time to get away while Bad Bunny struck Dominik with the kendo stick.
The show went off the air with Bad Bunny accepting an LWO T-shirt.
SmackDown also featured an appearance by Cody Rhodes, who delivered one final message before facing Brock Lesnar at Backlash. Rhodes vowed that Puerto Rico will be the place where he gets back on the road to finishing his story and claiming his kingdom.
Andrew and Rich are back with another packed episode of Mat Men, talking about the latest in professional wrestling.
Tickets went on sale for AEW All In at Wembley Stadium in London, and the early numbers are leading to some records for a non-WWE event.
WWE held their Draft this past week. We talk about the new rosters and who might do well on their new brand.
WWE Backlash is this Saturday so we run through the card and wonder if Bad Bunny vs. Damian Priest might actually main event since they are in Puerto Rico.
On AEW Dynamite this week, the main event was set for Double or Nothing, but will MJF vs. Darby Allin vs. Jungle Boy vs. Sammy Guevara be the big draw for the show?
Plus, we talk changes to AEW programming, WWE financials, your questions, and a special appearance by everyone’s friend, “French Tony Khan.”
The host of Backlash will appear in San Juan, Puerto Rico just 24 hours before the premium live event next Saturday. Following the events of Raw, Bunny will now take part in a Puerto Rican street fight against former friend Damian Priest.
Also set for next Friday is Shinsuke Nakamura taking on Karrion Kross. While Nakamura was being interviewed about being drafted to Raw, Kross attacked him from behind. Kross has focused on Nakamura ever since Nakamura made his return to WWE following WrestleMania.
Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows, who have been drafted to SmackDown along with the rest of the OC, will take on The Viking Raiders. AJ Styles, who made his return to SmackDown on Friday, was about to speak when The Viking Raiders arrived. The OC then brawled with the Raiders, eventually sending them reeling.
Hereâs the lineup so far for next weekâs WWE SmackDown:
