Emotional highs and lows are part of the Professional Wrestling fan package - but rarely do you order a package expecting 4 months of unending disgust and disappointment. WinColumn President Spencer Love and I were spared from watching Backlash live. Thank God; the consensus has put this year’s edition on the List.
In the words of the infamous Scott Steiner, the numbers don’t lie. Another month, another sad Sunday. Even if you have a case of the Mondays, let the longest running episodic television show in history cheer you up. Where does Monday Night RAW go coming out of Backlash?
A Brief (Backlash) Recap
- Ruby Riott def. Bayley
- Seth Rollins (c.) def. The Miz - retains Intercontinental Championship
- Nia Jax (c.) def. Alexa Bliss - retains RAW Women’s Championship
- Jeff Hardy (c.) def. Randy Orton - retains U.S Championship
- Daniel Bryan def. Big Cass
- Carmella (c.) def. Charlotte Flair - retains Smackdown Women’s Championship
- AJ Styles (c.) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura ends in “No Finish” - Styles retains
- Braun Strowman & Bobby Lashley def. Kami
- Roman Reigns def. Samoa Joe
This Week’s Preview
This week’s RAW comes after arguably their worst pay-per-view event in years.
Last night’s Backlash event was truly atrocious. Outside of a MOTY candidate between Seth Rollins and the Miz, it was an absolutely abysmal show, punctuated by a double count-out in a No DQ match and - notably - droves of fans walking out of the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey during the main event. Call it stubbornness, call it stupidity - Vince McMahon has officially transitioned Roman Reigns from the next Hulk Hogan into the next Lex Luger. Nonetheless, RAW’s “top babyface” looks set to move on after defeating Samoa Joe; does he set his sights on a new target? Or, is he still set on taking down Brock Lesnar after a controversial loss at the Greatest Royal Rumble? Here’s to hoping for the former.
The aforementioned Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins is unbound. A decisive win over The Miz has the Kingslayer scant for challengers, but not for long. Any number of hungry superstars could step up, but my money is on a man potentially coming off of the injured reserve - Jason Jordan. A “minimally invasive” operation to relieve nerve pressure sidelined the Double Race Dynamo in the midst of a big push. Rumour had it JJ and his former tag team partner were set to square off at WrestleMania, but Jordan’s untimely injury put an end to those plans. Stringent medical policy puts a stop to disabled men competing, and that’s a good thing. If it didn’t exist, Lex Luthor would have shitkicked Superman in the 1978 classic film.
Bayley may have had a can of whoopass opened on her, but even in defeat you can respect the girl. Ruby Riott has quietly been coming out since debuting with Sarah Logan & Liv Morgan back in November, but unfamiliarity can deter momentum like nothing else. A big win over Bayley gives her credibility and makes her a little more recognizable to the more casual members of the audience. A little meat to chew on for the former Heidi Lovelace; however, nothing for Bayley. The Hugger has been in an odd, cyrogenic-esque state of feuding with Sasha Banks, her former best friend and longtime rival. These two ladies have seem destined for a one-on-one matchup for a long while, but nothing has come to pass. Maybe something will pop up tonight on RAW.
One young lady will probably not be popping up on RAW tonight. Former RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss was injured last night by the lady who took the title from her - Nia Jax. On the bright side, Jax has the opportunity to move onto new challengers. On the negative, Nia has injured another opponent. Backlash has been a subpar PPV 2 years running, and this unfortunate incident only adds to that reputation. At the very least, Bliss’ injury opens a spot for other young ladies on the RAW roster, such as the previously mentioned Ruby Riott, Mickie James, or Alicia Fox. She is nuts - reminiscent of the lunchlady from Billy Madison
It may be Kevin Owens 34th birthday today - happy birthday, Kevin! - but after last night, it doesn’t look as though he’ll be celebrating with best friend Sami Zayn. The two bickered throughout their match at Backlash last night, and cracks are starting to form between the two compadres. It led directly to their loss to Braun Strowman and Bobby Lashley last night; however, commentary was quick to point out that the legal man - in this case, Zayn - wasn’t the one pinned to win the match. Could we see a rematch tonight? Hell, could we get a reason that Lashley returned? I can’t be the only one wondering, right?
Good Housekeeping:
- We’re on the road to Money in the Bank, and Smackdown Live has already announced a qualifying match for their show tomorrow night. Could we see a similar qualifier on RAW tonight?
- There was absolutely no mention last night of the RAW Tag Team Championships; will we see the Deleters of Worlds make a statement tonight? Will a challenger step up to the plate?
- Bobby Roode left Elias laying after a ridiculously awesome segment at Backlash last night. Will the two begin to feud? Could we even potentially see a double turn come out of this? Elias is massively over, and Roode has been waning as a babyface since coming to the main roster.
That’s our show, wrestling fans! You watching? As always, leave your thoughts in the comments, or get ahold of us on Twitter!
WWE: Last Five
- WWE Backlash Preview and Predictions
- Spoiler-Free NXT Preview and Predictions
- Smackdown Live Preview: May 1st
- Monday Night Hayden: Predictions for the 30/04/18
- Fry and the Guy: Sammy Guevara Interview
