WWE Backlash 2018 Review
WWE Backlash was last night and I’m going to review it, Match by match. Who will walk out as champions? Who will walk out as the All Things Wrestling Prediction Championship? Jack or Ben? Let’s review it.
Seth Rollins (C) Vs. The Miz (Intercontinental Championship)
The first match is Seth Rollins defending his intercontinental championship against The Miz.
The match starts slow and Rollins starts off strong. The match doesn’t feel too fast paced and is more slow than anything.
Rollins hits a nice suicide dive and goes for the springboard knee but Miz almost catches him with the skull crushing finale but Rollins rolls him up for a 2 count.
Rollins goes for the ripcord kneestrike on the apron but Miz ducks and Rollins knees the LED post. After that, Miz locks in a figure four leg kick which Rollins turns over.
Miz does a fantasy reversal into the skull crushing finale, beautiful stuff. After reversing their finishers, Rollins catches Miz with a curbstomp to win this match.
Thoughts: Fantastic opening match to start the show. This makes the Intercontinental championship feel important again. Good stuff, there.
Match Rating: 4 Stars
Jack: 1 I Ben: 1
The match starts slow and Rollins starts off strong. The match doesn’t feel too fast paced and is more slow than anything.
Rollins hits a nice suicide dive and goes for the springboard knee but Miz almost catches him with the skull crushing finale but Rollins rolls him up for a 2 count.
Rollins goes for the ripcord kneestrike on the apron but Miz ducks and Rollins knees the LED post. After that, Miz locks in a figure four leg kick which Rollins turns over.
Miz does a fantasy reversal into the skull crushing finale, beautiful stuff. After reversing their finishers, Rollins catches Miz with a curbstomp to win this match.
Thoughts: Fantastic opening match to start the show. This makes the Intercontinental championship feel important again. Good stuff, there.
Match Rating: 4 Stars
Jack: 1 I Ben: 1
Nia Jax (C) Vs. Alexa Bliss (RAW Women’s Championship)
Nia Jax defends her RAW Women’s championship against Alexa Bliss.
The majority of the match is Alexa Bliss trying to ware Nia down.
Nia Jax tosses Alexa all over the ring.
While Nia was on the middle rope, Alexa pushes her over to the outside.
Jax retains the title with the Samoan drop. Nia gets a post match interview which means somebody will come out. I reckon it will be Ember Moon. Nope! It’s just Nia Jax talking about bullying.
Thoughts: It was a little bit of a disappointing match followed by a promo to promote be a star. Not a good combination.
Match Rating: 2.5 stars
Jack: 2 I Ben: 1
The majority of the match is Alexa Bliss trying to ware Nia down.
Nia Jax tosses Alexa all over the ring.
While Nia was on the middle rope, Alexa pushes her over to the outside.
Jax retains the title with the Samoan drop. Nia gets a post match interview which means somebody will come out. I reckon it will be Ember Moon. Nope! It’s just Nia Jax talking about bullying.
Thoughts: It was a little bit of a disappointing match followed by a promo to promote be a star. Not a good combination.
Match Rating: 2.5 stars
Jack: 2 I Ben: 1
Jeff Hardy (C) Vs. Randy Orton (United States Championship)
Up next is Jeff Hardy verse Randy Orton for Harry’s United States Championship.
The match is alright, it isn’t exactly perfect but it’s not terrible. Orton enjoys his rest holds throughout the match. Orton gets the upperhand for what I’d say is the majority of the match but Hardy hits him with the twist of fate followed by a swanton bomb to retain his title.
Thoughts: This felt like a TV match which was back and fourth. Wasn’t fantastic but was tolerable.
Jack: 3 I Ben: 2
I’m not going to talk about the Elias segment. It wasn’t good.
The match is alright, it isn’t exactly perfect but it’s not terrible. Orton enjoys his rest holds throughout the match. Orton gets the upperhand for what I’d say is the majority of the match but Hardy hits him with the twist of fate followed by a swanton bomb to retain his title.
Thoughts: This felt like a TV match which was back and fourth. Wasn’t fantastic but was tolerable.
Jack: 3 I Ben: 2
I’m not going to talk about the Elias segment. It wasn’t good.
Daniel Bryan Vs. Big Cass
Anyway up next, should be a decent match between Big Cass & Daniel Bryan. A feud which could only be described as “not great”.
Daniel throws strikes towards Cass like leg kicks, punches and all sorts but Cass tries to use his size advantage but Bryan counters that by using speed advantage.
Bryan eventually wins the match with the YES lock.
Thoughts: Fine match with the right winner.
Match Rating: 2.75 stars
Jack: 4 I Ben: 2
After the match, Big Cass attacks Daniel Bryan. I REALLY hope this feud continues for a good few months. Maybe even a year. How GOOD would that be? Hell, make it two years I just can’t get enough of Daniel Bryan in a mediocre feud.
Daniel throws strikes towards Cass like leg kicks, punches and all sorts but Cass tries to use his size advantage but Bryan counters that by using speed advantage.
Bryan eventually wins the match with the YES lock.
Thoughts: Fine match with the right winner.
Match Rating: 2.75 stars
Jack: 4 I Ben: 2
After the match, Big Cass attacks Daniel Bryan. I REALLY hope this feud continues for a good few months. Maybe even a year. How GOOD would that be? Hell, make it two years I just can’t get enough of Daniel Bryan in a mediocre feud.
Carmella (C) Vs. Charlotte (Smackdown Women’s Championship)
After that, we have Carmella defending her women’s title against Charlotte in a match which is great on paper but it wasn’t good here but I feel like these two could have had a better match on a better day.
Charlotte gets a lot of the offence in while Carmella plays the chicken heel.
Charlotte goes for a moonsault onto a standing Carmella but she moves out of the way and Charlotte lands but tweaks her knee. Carmella superkicks her leg and rolls her up for the win.
Thoughts: A tough match to watch. Lots of screaming, hope these two have a better match because we know they can.
Match Rating: 1.5 stars
Jack: 4 I Ben: 3
Charlotte gets a lot of the offence in while Carmella plays the chicken heel.
Charlotte goes for a moonsault onto a standing Carmella but she moves out of the way and Charlotte lands but tweaks her knee. Carmella superkicks her leg and rolls her up for the win.
Thoughts: A tough match to watch. Lots of screaming, hope these two have a better match because we know they can.
Match Rating: 1.5 stars
Jack: 4 I Ben: 3
AJ Styles (C) Vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (NO DQ; WWE Championship)
WWE title on the line and we still have two matches left. I’m not a fan of that but whatever.
The match begins but Nakamura immediately gets out of the ring.
The match itself was alright and was better than their Greatest Royal Rumble encounter which in turn was better than their Wrestlemania encounter which was not better than their Wrestlekingdom encounter but that’s what they’re working towards I’m sure.
Nakamura went for the kinsasha but Styles cuts him off by throwing a chair at his knee. The match ends with a double low blow and the two men can’t get up before the count of 10.
Thoughts: Decent match but unfortunate ending. I think their next match will most likely be a last man standing match.
Match Rating: 3 stars
Jack: 4 I Ben: 3
The match begins but Nakamura immediately gets out of the ring.
The match itself was alright and was better than their Greatest Royal Rumble encounter which in turn was better than their Wrestlemania encounter which was not better than their Wrestlekingdom encounter but that’s what they’re working towards I’m sure.
Nakamura went for the kinsasha but Styles cuts him off by throwing a chair at his knee. The match ends with a double low blow and the two men can’t get up before the count of 10.
Thoughts: Decent match but unfortunate ending. I think their next match will most likely be a last man standing match.
Match Rating: 3 stars
Jack: 4 I Ben: 3
Bobby Lashley & Braun Strowman Vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn
A tag match is up next. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn takes on Lashley & Strowman.
Sami Zayn is rolling out of the ring a lot. Like, he’s out more than he’s in.
Nothing notable in this match, to be honest. Owens & Zayn isn’t working well as a team and keeps fighting.
Lashley & Strowman pick up the win.
Thoughts: Could have had this match on RAW.
Match Rating: 2.5 stars
Jack: 5 I Ben: 4
Sami Zayn is rolling out of the ring a lot. Like, he’s out more than he’s in.
Nothing notable in this match, to be honest. Owens & Zayn isn’t working well as a team and keeps fighting.
Lashley & Strowman pick up the win.
Thoughts: Could have had this match on RAW.
Match Rating: 2.5 stars
Jack: 5 I Ben: 4
Roman Reigns Vs. Samoa Joe
Mainevent time as Roman Reigns takes on Samoa Joe.
Samoa Joe attacks Reigns before the match and even puts him through the Spanish announce table.
The match itself isn’t bad and is actually kind of great as expected from these two.
However, that’s the opening and the rest of the match is slow and lost momentum.
Roman Reigns wins because of course he did. He’s the big dog and he REALLY needed this win to make him look strong.
Thoughts: Good opening to the match, bad for the rest. Joe should’ve won.
Match Rating: 2.75 stars
Jack: 6 I Ben: 4
And that was Backlash. What did you think? I thought it was bad. Like really bad. It should’ve been called “Badlash”...
Anyway! Feel free to follow us on twitter @ThingsCombat. Jack won the All Things Wrestling Predictions Championship with the score being 6-4. Congratulations to Jack and I’m sure he’s very honoured to win this belt. Can Ben fight back and get the All Things Wrestling Predictions Championship? Find out at the next PPV. I’ve been Josh and that was Backlash.
Samoa Joe attacks Reigns before the match and even puts him through the Spanish announce table.
The match itself isn’t bad and is actually kind of great as expected from these two.
However, that’s the opening and the rest of the match is slow and lost momentum.
Roman Reigns wins because of course he did. He’s the big dog and he REALLY needed this win to make him look strong.
Thoughts: Good opening to the match, bad for the rest. Joe should’ve won.
Match Rating: 2.75 stars
Jack: 6 I Ben: 4
And that was Backlash. What did you think? I thought it was bad. Like really bad. It should’ve been called “Badlash”...
Anyway! Feel free to follow us on twitter @ThingsCombat. Jack won the All Things Wrestling Predictions Championship with the score being 6-4. Congratulations to Jack and I’m sure he’s very honoured to win this belt. Can Ben fight back and get the All Things Wrestling Predictions Championship? Find out at the next PPV. I’ve been Josh and that was Backlash.
