TV Show Review 028 WWE Backlash PPV Recap & Review 091116
WWE Backlash in Richmond, Virginia 091116 [1993->] 4/5
} In Ring + Pandering to the crowd was understandably a smart if overdone move as the two crowd favorite General Managers of WWE Smackdown came out to uproarious applause by the audiences and they played it to their advantage well and properly introduced the first match of the PPV for the inaugural Smackdown Woman's Championship. (0 for pandering to the crowd but understandable, and props for only appearing once throughout the event, -1 for new era but with the same old trick {shout-out to King Ross!})
0. Baron Corbin vs Apollo Crews [Pre-Show]
A quick but entertaining match between two rising wrestlers from NXT that hasn't been used properly in the main roster, putting up a solid match that highlighted their abilities in the ring but ultimately putting over the heel and burying the babyface to hopefully being pushed for more proper roles for the titles.
(Baron Corbin won by pin fall [End of Days], Rating = 3.5/5, Duration = 9m 55s, +1 for a solid match despite the circumstances)
> Running Thread: 6-Pax Challenge Elimination Match for WWE Smackdown Woman's Championship
1. Becky Lynch vs Natalya vs Naomi vs Alexa Bliss vs Carmella vs Nikki Bella
Best entrance: Naomi
Best dressed: Alexa Bliss > Naomi > Nikki Bella
Best Bet: Becky Lynch
Underdog: Naomi
Dark Horse: Natalya
Worst Trend: hair tip highlight, oversexualized attire, similarly designed titles with only colour differentiation & their lazily named titles
After a quick scuffle, Becky and Naomi had a grappling exchange showcasing both athleticism but a throw over the rope of the latter and a quick Frankensteiner off the top rope on the former left Carmela and Nikki Bella in the ring, an ongoing feud coming into the match but only teased before intercepted by others. With Natalya dispatching the Princess onto the barricade outside, inside Alexa Bliss executing her Double Double Knee routine on the twin but it was then replied with her scissor kick off the turnbuckle. A quick upside down Powerbomb by Bliss kept Bella at bay but her tantrum in the middle of the ring left her open for the Canadian’s signature kick, as the Lass Kicker jumped in to have a little momentum over the Harley-Quinn doppelganger but cut short with the seasoned veteran’s German Suplex. Another WWE veteran came in to deliver a standing hurracanrana and Full Nelson Bomb on her senior which was followed with a unique submission of her own, a cross armbar off a bridge, but it left her vulnerable for Alexa’s stinging double knee which he quickly recovered to deliver her a double boot to the face. It was all for naught though as a Superkick by Carmela kept her down and as she boasted to the audience, she was blinded to Nikki’s advancement but a solid punch abled her to try to execute her finisher but before it locked in, a quick counter left her open for an Alabama Slam. Determined to eliminate her rival, Bella’s setup for a Superplex was understandably intercepted by the second generation wrestler for a Powerbomb, leaving all three of them splayed all over the ring.
The opportunist newcomer, Alexa, tried her luck on all of them but to no avail and the rushing in fan-favourite redhead was almost pinned with her another upside down Powerbomb. With almost all of the challengers on the ground outside of the ring, a telegraphed off the rope antic almost went to the twin before Naomi had her time on the limelight, jumping on top of the rope and off of it to land on top of others. She couldn’t capitalize on it though as the eager Bliss barged in but she picked the wrong woman to mess with. As Natalya countered her punches on the turnbuckle with a Powerbomb, but not before the other veteran came in to have an impromptu collaboration with her own Brainbuster, allowing her to eliminate the first wrestler of the match. {Alexa Bliss is eliminated}
A slight mistimed move on the rope didn’t really affect the flow as the veterans brushed it aside to move on as Naomi tried to keep her momentum going but it was cut short with a formidable forearm counter by the comeback queen and then a Sharpshooter by the Canadian Queen. {Naomi is eliminated} The Princess of Staten Island tried to gang up with her against Bella but she instead blindsided with a clothesline by her but she also received the same treatment by Nikki and then executed her Fireman’s Cutty Cutter to pin her out of the competition. {Natalya is eliminated}
Carmela certainly took advantage of the situation, pulling her down forcefully by the hair and kept her down just long enough in a pin to surprisingly eliminate her. {Nikki Bella is eliminated}
A slap to the face was Nikki’s retaliation after the elimination and the unnecessary rubbing in afterwards and that made the newer recruit loose her lids and forced her to taking it out on the remaining contender for the title, Becky Lynch, with numerous slaps and a few kicks to boot. Getting caught in the moment, the Irish took advantage with a trio of Exploder Suplexes, her own take of side T-Bone Suplex. Her resurrection was short-lived though as another Superkick kept her down but as the American kept being disrespectful and took too long doing nothing on her, she took a step too close to the Lass for her to lock in her Disarmer and earned herself the coveted Women’s Title which she frankly most deserved.
(Becky Lynch won by submission [Disarmer], Rating = 4/5, Duration = 14m 21s, +1 to Naomi & Becky Lynch's form, 0 for a couple of botches but it is acceptable considering the hectic nature of the match, +1 to the face of Smackdown Woman's Division)
} In the Ring + Say what you want on the profession of professional wrestling ... getting your just reward after years of training and taking bumps in the ring would mean the world to you and Becky's words seemed really genuine and from the heart, especially right after winning the title. (+1 to the Lass's persona and likability & +1 for the ongoing interview in the ring trend)
} Backstage + Bray Wyatt appeared to ambush Randy Orton whose right leg was kept stuck between a door and the doorframe, being banged a couple more times by the Eater of Worlds as the camera came rushing in. (+1 to Bray's persona) [This is actually as a cover up because of the Viper wasn't clear medically for the match of a reported concussion based injury]
> Running Thread: Tournament for WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship
2. the Usos vs Hype Bros [Second Chance Semifinal Match]
Making a huge statement and the first heel turn for the twins in the last Smackdown Live show, the Usos gained the opportunity to win back a place in the final for the title and the change in their attires and change in demeanor reflected their more insidious intention. It won't be a walk in the park though as the Hype Bros was also given back the same chance and they showed it as the hyped up Mojo Rawley and veteran Zack Ryder kept pressuring the rather reserved twins, highlighted with a dropkick by the latter and a huge double shoulder charge by the former. A quick tag by the Usos behind Zack's back enabled them to turn the table and had their go on one of the Bros, their in-ring moves and interactions with the fans appeared more menacing and have more venom behind them. A number of moves had been laid on the unfortunate recipient with their signature Hip Attack at the turnbuckle appeared to be the most effective but the always reliable Ryder was able to counter a suplex into a standing neckbreaker to make the match come to a standstill. His effort didn't bare fruit though because the other Uso got tagged in first and he went straight to the waiting Rawley and kicked him off the apron and keep their momentum going but a last gasp retaliation by the Bros in the ring finally allowed him to give Mojo the hot tag and his barrages of Stinger Splashes and a Fireman's Carry Drop allowed them to almost land their finishing tag move before being intercepted by Jimmy. The fight between Zack and Jay on the top of the turnbuckle amounted to a Frankensteiner by the boy in the red but again foiled by the remaining Uso from the ringside. With his teammate ran himself into the barrier because of the quick feet of Jimmy and his distraction at the apron allowed Jay to lay down a nasty chopped block to the back of Bro's left knee which followed by a dropkick at the same spot. A sense of dejavu creeping in as the Usos repeated what they did to Chad Gable's leg earlier in the week on Zack Ryder's leg now, putting on a decisive submission smartly targeting the injured anatomy for a quick tap out.
(Usos won by tap-out [submission], R = 3.5/5, D = (49.36-39.25=10m 11s, +1 to the Hype Bro's form, +1 to the heel Usos & their appearance and demeanor change, -1 for the announcer's inability to tell the twins apart now, -1 for the unnatural staged way Zack Ryder went for the tap and waiting for the attack on her leg)
} Backstage + Their opponents for the debut title, Ryback and Heath Slater, were being interviewed by the always splendid Renee Young on their upcoming title match with the hot heel, voicing their concerns of the threat but also determination for the championship but the classic pairing of the jokester and the straight man would always be entertaining. (+1 to Heath's persona & the pairings, 0 for the bathroom humour)
> Running Thread: WWE Intercontinental Championship
3. Dolph Ziggler vs the Miz with Marysse /Intercontinental Champion\
} Backstage + After his best performance on the mic in the talk show Talking Smack, he kept on emphasizing on the rather valid points that he made before and in turns talking pot shots on the early retired Daniel Bryan. (+1 to keep the rather genuine momentum the Miz rightly deserved, +1 to the belated shoot by the Miz with valid points and real life digs on the crowd-favourite GM)
+ With the momentum highly in the favor of the long reigning champion, the truthfully last minute addition of Dolph Ziggler to vie for the title did make sense in the short storyline between them but these two hardworkers would make the match-up worthwhile. The always eager Dolph had the first initiative to gain the upper hand on the overwhelmed Miz but he took advantage with his usual heel moves, such as the toss from below the bottom rope and he even pulled off a new submission move, with both of his knees pushing up on the body while he pulled down the legs and the upper body. After taking a bump after the toss over the top rope onto the barricade and off the top turnbuckle, Ziggler still kept fighting on despite appearing to dislocate his right shoulder earlier. After a rather nasty seated Romero Special or an Inverted Surfboard, the last pull bent his body to a discomforting shape and certainly did some damage on him. The champion's intention to rub it in his GM's face was obvious after the submission move and the mocking 'YES' gesture by him, reiterating his statement before that he could do anything in the ring that Daniel Bryan couldn't do anymore. His three consecutive dropkicks and double axe handles still couldn't keep the Showoff at bay as he came back with a vengeance with his signature moves and even gained a near fall on his opponent. Despite that, the self-proclaimed Hollywood superstar still managed after a shoulder bump into the steel post to pull off a Sit-Up Powerbomb with a momentum off the top rope and down onto the canvas. To set up for his Figure Four Leg Lock, the Miz tried to focus his attack on the leg of Dolph but the challenger did the same by targeting his kicks on the injured shoulder and delivered his Famouser for another two counts. This seesaw momentum between the two wrestlers kept going after a Zig Zag attempt was countered but then turned into a Sleeper Hold on the champion, going for almost a minute in the submission before using the turnbuckle to his own advantage. Trying to ignore his injured knee after his Jumping DDT, his Superkick attempt was countered again into a Snap DDT and being fed his own medicine by the champion with the infamous Leg Lock. Even the deep lock couldn't keep the Showoff down and he crawled and scratched his way to the rope, as the applier kept the lock going until just before the five counts by the referee to ensure maximum effect. The now enraged holder kept the attack going but then ran himself into a vicious Superkick that he could only reacted instinctively with a leg on the bottom rope to cut short the pin attempt. The ring presence by the champion was something to be admired to but his desperation to be counted off to retain the title was definitely to be scorned of and had to be carried over back into the ring. Maryse's first attempt to interfere with the match amounted to a quick roll-up each but with her husband's help in distracting the man in stripes, her second attempt was an effective spray to the eyes of Ziggler that allowed the Miz to deliver his Skull-Crushing Finale and effectively winning the match.
(the Miz won by p/f [Skull-Crushing Finale], R = 4.5/5, D = 20.19-02.00=18m 19s, +1 to both wrestlers' form, +1 for an entertaining match & +1 to the Miz for selling the Superkick)
4. Bray Wyatt vs Randy Orton (?)
+ Rather than facing him one on one in the ring, the sneak attack on the Viper he inflicted earlier predictably caused him the match, which Bray Wyatt wanted to rub it in further with a count-out and his wish was granted with the counts waiting for someone who would not be there at all, but it wasn't all a walk in the park him. Receiving the announcement of him having a no holds-barred match with a mystery wrestler, he was surprised, agitated, arrogantly confident and then shocked to find out his call for his opponent was met with the explosive sound of red fire bursting out, signalling the appearance of the Red Demon himself.
4. Bray Wyatt vs Kane
+ Facing a force he wasn't prepared for, he tried to gain the upper hand first but the returning literal giant was at full force, clotheslining him both in the ring and in front of the commentators. Speaking of which, the experienced veteran started to prepare one of the tables after throwing the leader of the Wyatt Family into the timekeeper's corner but he allowed him to recover and hit him with the sturdy bell. Although he couldn't hit him with the steel chair, he gained back the momentum in the ring and when his opponent began to fight back, he rolled out to pick the aforementioned chair to have the odds go back in his favors with an introductory hit to the leg and then the stomach and the back of one of the Brothers of Destruction. After a near fall, his setup for a Side Powerbomb was countered with a DDT by Kane onto the chair himself which allowed him to land some of his signature moves but before he landed the always decisive Choke Slam, both attempts were countered by Bray with the second was an eye-gouging with both thumbs and then followed with a hard snapping clothesline onto the hard mat. Taking full advantage of the situation, he prepared for a Running Senton on the announcer's table and he did a mocking pose similar to that of Randy Orton and reveled in it for a second before perfectly executed the move, to the worst effect on the Demon but also his own body.
Taking awhile to recover himself, he rolled the downed opponent into the ring and as he prepared to land the Sister Abigail, their previous history together triggered him to also mocked the Brothers of Destruction by copying their signature thumb across the neck but it also triggered the masked brother to snap out of it and countered with his own Choke Slam that he miraculously kicked out of. Trying to keep him down for good, Kane tried to set up for that move again but countered by Wyatt's own Uranage on the intended steel chair, which he also managed to kick out. A sudden burst of cheers by the audience were followed by the injured Viper limping towards the stage, making the one who inflicted that injury more cautious but as his view on the left was met with the magically risen up Red Monster, his expression was that of a person who was stuck between a rock and a hard place. That split moment of hesitation was enough for Randy Orton to capitalize and landed an RKO out of nowhere and that opened it up for Kane to land the final blow in the shape of his Choke Slam as the second generation wrestler walked away albeit slowly in triumph.
(Kane won by p/f [Choke Slam], R = 3.5/5, D = 10m 58s, +1 to the feud of Bray Wyatt vs Randy Orton but 0 for the booking making Bray looked afraid yet made Randy looked superior, -1 for the wonky camera work throughout the match)
} Backstage + With his unshaken confidence still sky high, he ran into a couple of indie wrestler and tried to inflict some knowledge that he himself went through in his long career but although there were a couple of sound advice, he couldn't help himself to slightly put them down due to his arrogance. (+1 to his persona)
> Running Thread: Tournament for WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship
5. the Usos vs Heath Slater & Rhyno [Final Match]
As rightly mentioned by one of the commentators, the absence of Hakka in the entrance of the Usos showed their decision to move on from their original ways to a more no-nonsense and even cruel approach in their wrestling. The most determined wrestler in the ring though was Heath Slater because he succeeded in putting himself over over the course of the week following the Draft until right before this PPV, endearing charmingly to the WWE Universe with his extraordinary storyline and his own charisma and personality to carry it through. Rhyno was on the other hand just at the right place and time to partner up with him, serving as a perfect foil to his antiques outside the ring as well as providing the much needed muscle inside the ring.
With that said, the crowd favourite One Man Band started the match with aplomb, as his tag partner tagging in to keep one of the Usos at bay but it wasn't long before they took advantage of the redhead's tendency to roll out after suffering a big hit and they followed the headbutt to the stomach with a suplex straight into the LED display over the steel post and even a straight Superkick to the injured abdomen. Heath then suffered through a barrage of attacks by the twins and he even stuck out a double boot to the oncoming Jay Uso to try to even things up but Jimmy was tagged in quickly to snuff out that intention. A successive throws straight into the turnbuckle and a backbreaker/ diving elbow drop combo targeting the body of Slater showed their experience together in the ring and smart gameplan while kicking away the extended hand of Rhyno represented their ill intention to play around with the other's emotions. Talking trash and a pull of the hair were new experience to see from the second generation wrestlers that would be in their repertoire for the foreseeable future, but a last gasp attempt by Slater amounted to a double crossbody collision in the air for both of them. The long awaited hot tag was finally received by Rhyno who handily dispatched the Usos with throwback body check and belly to belly suplex but his attempt to lay down Gore missed the mark and landed instead on the middle turnbuckle. Only a moment to rest after the brutal beating earlier, Heath was adamant to keep the momentum going by tagging himself in to a surprising pop by the attendees and maybe even to himself, running on presumably pure adrenaline to land E Minors on both of the Usos and then deliver his Smash Hit on Jimmy but the pin was disrupted by Jay from the ringside. He then was able to distract the livid Slater just enough for his twin to land a Superkick on him but he also distracted the referee on the apron from seeing a brutal Spear being inflicted on the unfortunate soul. The grizzled veteran then rolled out straight away and cheered the One Man Band along with the roaring crowd to pin the motionless opponent, and they were all behind him (just like throughout the match), counting down together to the historic moment of the first holders of the Smack Down Tag Team Title.
(Heath Slater and Rhyno won by p/f [Gore!], R = 4.5/5, D = 9m 55s, +1 for a perfect storytelling, +1 to the heel Usos)
} In the Ring + Seeing all the emotions running through the face of Heath Slater, from shock, relief, gratitude and then pure joy was the culmination of his fast trajectory throughout this current run, definitely deserving the title on his shoulder. The ecstatic crowd wanted him to know that as well but was cut out by his own unbridled joyous scream, then followed with a huge sigh of relief and acknowledgement of the support from the audiences and the GMs. Mixing the real world and kayfabe, his acceptance speech was a mix of genuine emotions and a nice bow to his storyline, amounting to one of the biggest moments in his life . (+1 for the amazing achievement by Heath Slater himself and of course +1 for Rhyno for being a perfect supporting character and remained professional throughout)
> Running Thread: WWE World Championship
6. AJ Styles vs Dean Ambrose [Final]
+ After a much deserved win over John Cena in one of the match of year contender at Summerslam, AJ Styles' self-proclaimed title of "the man that runs the place" was definitely warranted but to be the real main man in the show, he had to get the the main title that was around Dean Ambrose's waist. Despite the rather tepid interaction between these two wrestlers considering the over the top nature of the Lunatic Fringe and the Phenomenal One's ability to match that level of craziness, these two best workers would certainly put their best performance in the ring and warranted the match-up for the prestigious championship.
+ An arrogant challenger for the title, he stayed true to that character with a slew of trash talking aimed at the cautious champion and when the latter started to push back, he had to be serious as well to keep him at bay. After the first roll out of the ring, the second one turned out to be a bait as he ran back into the ring to stop the rushing Ambrose by applying a grab toe hold and forced him to went straight into the middle rope because of the momentum, AJ then kept on targeting the same place with a sleeper hold and a toss onto the top rope and when he was being resisted again, he relied on his more athletic moves to keep the flow going in his favor. The title holder would not take it sitting down though as his more 'lunatic' side came out but it was only for a moment as the opponent's agility came to play again to move out of the way and letting him ran himself into the steel post. Despite that, he managed to make him take his own medicine by letting him bounced off the top turnbuckle, followed it up with a hard fought execution of Spider Drone Suplex which made it all a level playing field. Being the champion of the masses before, it was pretty evident if taking the crowd's reaction into consideration that Dean's title reign didn't go as they hoped for and they made themselves known of who they were favoring to win the match. His tenacity though kept himself going with a swinging knee backbreaker, an elbow drop off the top ringside down onto the mat below and even a sit-up wheel barrel facebuster but they weren't enough to keep Styles down as he started his comeback with a suplex straight onto the turnbuckle.
When both of them failed to land their finishing moves, the Phenomenal One started to think more tactically and targeted his left leg with a crossed leg drop, a successive of kicks and a submission hold. Although the Lunatic Fringe was able to kick himself out of it, he had to dig deep and crawl himself to the rope when he was caught in the Calf Crusher and the second time was countered with literal bounces of the head of the applier. Making the mistake of attempting the Styles Clash too close to the rope, he also made a mistake by taking too long to apply it on the apron and was countered into a Slingshot straight into the steel post. The former SHIELD member started to dominate again but a devastating ishiguro fireman's carry neckbreaker cut that momentum short and his retaliation was turned into a Rack Bomb. Clearly being frustrated with all the near falls, he landed a springboard 450° splash which still couldn't get the job done but he did switched on the the Lunatic Fringe's switch as he delivered a slurry of punches, knees, dropkick and a jump through the rope straight into him and pushed him over the announcer's table. Reveling in the mixed reactions of the attendees, he threw him over the divider wall and ran over the two tables to jump onto him among the crowd and as that conjured up an uproarious reactions by them, a Pele Kick out of nowhere was quickly countered after a bounce off the rope with a hard clothesline. With the end appeared nigh, the WWE Universe in the stadium appeared to be won over by AJ despite his role in the storyline, and it was evident when he pushed Dean onto the referee and decided to take the opportunity to do the ultimate heel move which was a low blow behind the referee's back. He then executed his Styles Clash to the second biggest pop of the night (second only to the babyface Heath), winning himself the coveted title that he rightfully deserved especially in his second stint in this company after making it big all over the world.
(AJ Styles won by p/f [Styles Clash], R = 4.5/5, D = 02.36.12-02.11.15=24m 57s, +1 to both form, +1 to the crowd's reaction, +1 for AJ Styles selling every bump and committing for the whole match)
"The first Pay-Per-View Main Event for the inferior brand of the WWE Universe far exceeded the low expectation considering the tepid response to the brand split with the wrestlers had more time to tell their best stories in the ring."
(WWE Channel, Rating - TV-PG, Founded 02211980, Episodes >>, Founders Vince & Linda McMahon, Duration - 2 hrs 15+ mnts, Genre - Wrestling, Action, Drama, Comedy, WWE Universe, Violence)
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