WWE Backlash aired from the Performance Center on the WWE Network tonight. Drew McIntyre defended the WWE Championship against Bobby Lashley. Braun Strowman put the Universal Championship on the line against The Miz & John Morrison in a Handicap Match. Edge and Randy Orton battled once again in a bout promoted as ‘The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever’.
Backlash 2020 Results:
- Apollo Crews def. Andrade to retain the US Title (Kickoff Show)
- Bayley & Sasha Banks def. The IIConics and Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross to retain the Women’s Tag Team Championships
- Sheamus def. Jeff Hardy
- Asuka vs. Nia Jax ended in a double count-out
- Braun Strowman def. The Miz & John Morrison to retain the Universal Championship
- Drew McIntyre def. Lashley
- Randy Orton def. Edge
Here are 7 takeaways from WWE Backlash 2020:
Bayley & Banks Retained The Women’s Tag Titles
Bayley and Sasha Banks put the Women’s Tag Team Championships on the line against The IIconics (Billy Kay & Peyton Royce) and Nikki Cross & Alexa Bliss in a Triple Threat match.
Match Recap: Bayley, Nikki Cross, and Billie Kay started it off and it eventually led to everyone in the ring. Peyton, Sasha, and Bliss then tagged in and connected with an Arm Drag on Peyton for a two count. Banks rolled up Bliss but Peyton broke it up.
Banks, Bliss, and Royce knocked everyone off the apron and once again everybody got in the ring. A brawl broke out with Bliss & Cross taking control. Alexa slapped Peyton and Sasha in the face before tagging Nikki in. Peyton booted Nikki in the face for a near fall.
Bayley and Billy Kay tagged in and teamed up on Nikki Cross. Banks knocked Alexa off the apron and delivered a knee to Billy’s face. Bayley went for the cover but Cross broke it up at two.
Bliss tagged in and sent Bayley tot he corner with a Dropkick. Alexa hit Double Knees on Peyton before unloading several right hands to Banks and Bayley. Bliss punched Billy off the apron and hit Bayley & Peyton with a Crossbody.
Sasha tagged in and battled with Alexa on the apron. Peyton Royce took out everyone with a Crossbody and rolled Sasha into the ring. Bliss and Cross slammed Peyton to the canvas and Alexa made her way to the top rope.
Alexa connected with Twisted Bliss but Sasha Banks hopped in the ring and rolled up Bliss for the pinfall victory. Sasha Banks & Bayley are still the Women’s Tag Team Champions.
Opinion: This was a forgettable match but the right team won. Banks & Bayley versus Nox & Blackheart on NXT should be fun this Wednesday on NXT.
Sheamus Defeated Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy squared off against Sheamus tonight at Backlash.
Match Recap: Sheamus dominated early and shouted that Jeff made a mockery of his family by throwing piss on him last Friday night on SmackDown. Hardy battled back with a Dropkick and started targeting his attack on Sheamus’ left knee.
The action spilled out of the ring and Jeff connected with a Crossbody off the steel steps. Hardy bounced Sheamus’ face off the announce table before rolling him back in the ring. Sheamus slammed Hardy’s right knee in to the ring post and posed in the middle of the ring.
Sheamus hit a Knee Drop off the middle turnbuckle and went for the cover but Jeff kicked out at two. Sheamus delivered two Irish Curse Backbreakers for another two count. Jeff battled back with a Suplex but Sheamus shrugged it off and leveled Hardy with a Clothesline.
Hardy hit Whisper in the Wind and went for the cover but Sheamus kicked out at two. Jeff dodged the Brogue Kick and connected with a Slingblade. Hardy made his way to the top rope but Sheamus tripped him up. Sheamus then hit White Noise for a near fall.
Sheamus locked in the Texas Cloverleaf in the middle of the ring but Hardy was able to get to the bottom rope to break the hold. Sheamus dominated the next couple of minutes but Jeff hit a Twist of Fate out of nowhere. Hardy followed it up with the Swanton Bomb and went for the cover but Sheamus got his boot on the bottom rope to break up the cover.
Sheamus rolled out of the ring to regroup and Hardy followed him out there. Hardy hopped up on the ring apron and leaped but Sheamus was ready and hit the Brogue Kick. Back in the ring, Sheamus hit another Brogue Kick for the pinfall victory.
Opinion: Sheamus and Hardy had a solid match tonight but I don’t think it fit the feud. Their storyline has involved a hit & run, and a drug test that resulted in Jeff launching his own urine at Sheamus’ face. It just seems like a No DQ match would have made more sense, especially with Extreme Rules on the horizon.
The RAW Women’s Championship Match Ended In A Double Count-Out
Asuka defended her RAW Women’s Championship against Nia Jax tonight at Backlash.
Match Recap: Asuka went for a Sleeper Hold right away but Nia blocked it. Asuka then applied the Octopus submission in the ring but Jax broke free and hit a Clothesline.
Jax dominated the next few minutes of the match and kept Asuka on the canvas. Nia planted Asuka with a Spinebuster and went for the cover but Asuka kicked out at two.
Asuka battled back and hit a Shining Wizard for a near fall. Asuka hit Jax with a Dropkick off the second rope and followed it up with a Hip Attack for another near fall.
Nia connected with a Powerbomb and went for the cover but Asuka kicked out at the last moment. Jax charged at Asuka but the champ got out of the way and Nia crashed into the ring post.
Asuka made her way to the top rope but Jax caught her with a punch to the face. Asuka dragged Jax over the top rope and to the floor outside the ring. Asuka applied the Arm Bar outside the ring but Jax broke free by awkwardly slamming Asuka into the barricade. Asuka kicked Nia in the face as the referee counted to ten to end the match in a double count-out. Asuka is still the RAW Women’s Champion.
Opinion: Unfortunately, it looks like this feud is going to continue after tonight’s result. I don’t want to see this match again at all and was really hoping Asuka was going to turn the page after tonight.
Braun Strowman Retained The Universal Championship
Braun Strowman defended the Universal Championship against The Miz & John Morrison in a Handicap Match. It was announced that whoever pins Strowman will be the Universal Champion. Miz and Morrison were apparently not aware of the sole champion rule and were distraught when Kayla Braxton told them during a backstage interview.
Match Recap: The Miz and Morrison controlled the action early by making frequent tags. Strowman caught Morrison with a massive right hand and John fell to the canvas. The Miz tagged in and hit kick but Strowman was unaffected.
Strowman hit Miz with a boot to the midsection and sent him into the corner. Miz and Morrison battled back and sent Strowman out of the ring. Back in the ring, Miz and Morrison took turns beating Braun down. Miz hit a Skull Crushing Finale and Morrison followed it up with a Double Stomp.
Morrison went for the cover but Miz broke it up. The Miz realized he made a mistake and let Morrison attempt another cover but Strowman kicked out. Braun hit a Chokeslam on Miz and followed it up with a Running Powerslam for the pinfall victory. Strowman is still the Universal Champion.
Lana Cost Lashley The Match
Drew McIntyre defended the WWE Championship against Lashley tonight at Backlash. Before the match, Lashley locked in the Full Nelson on McIntyre.
Match Recap: Lashley dominated early and beat McIntyre down in the corner of the ring. Lana was shown backstage watching the match with a smile on her face. Lashley applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring but McIntyre battled to his feet.
McIntyre connected with a Northern Lights Suplex but Lashley hit a Neckbreaker for a two count. The action spilled outside the ring and Lashley slammed McIntyre on the floor. Drew looked like he landed right on top of his head during this spot.
Lashley launched McIntyre into the ring post as MVP cheered him on. Lashley sprinted at McIntyre but Drew was ready and sent Bobby flying into the barricade. McIntyre followed it up with a Suplex and rolled Lashley in the ring.
McIntyre hit a Clothesline and made his way to the top rope. Drew hit a Flying Clothesline and both superstars fell to the canvas. McIntyre hit a Spinebuster and went for the cover but Lashley kicked out at two.
Lashley hit a Spinebuster of his own but McIntyre kicked out at one. Lashley set up for the Full Nelson but McIntyre blocked it. Drew planted Lashley with a reverse Alabama Slam for a two count.
Drew went for another Clothesline but Lashley countered into a Crossface in the middle of the ring. McIntyre countered and set up for a Tombstone but Lashley escaped. Lashley applied an Ankle Lock but Drew quickly escaped.
Lashley went for a Spear but McIntyre countered into a Kimura Lock. Lashley battled through the pain and reached the bottom rope to break the hold. McIntyre hit a Superplex and went for the Claymore but Lashley hit a Spear for a two count.
Lana interrupted and made her way to the ring. She wound up accidentally getting knocked off the ring apron and onto MVP. Lashley got distracted and McIntyre capitalized with the Claymore for the pinfall victory. After the match, Lashley left Lana behind and left with MVP.
Opinion: First of all, this match was way better than I thought it was going to be. Lashley and McIntyre put on a great match tonight despite the terrible finish. The entire match I was just thinking that Lana was going to ruin it and of course it happened. It was obvious that this was match was going to end this entire feud. I hated the storyline because it revolved more around the bickering between Lana and MVP than building Lashley up. Still, this title match delivered, unlike the dumpster fire that was the Handicap Match for the Universal Championship.
Viking Raiders & Street Profits Battled Ninjas
Street Profits defended their RAW Tag Team Championships against Viking Raiders tonight at Backlash.
Match Recap: For some reason, this turned into a cinematic match and it started backstage. Angelo Dawkins tackled Ivar through a window before a bunch of motorcycles showed up.
Akira Tozawa got off a bike and said “anything you can do, we can do better”. Street Profits lifted up red cups and Viking Raiders grabbed their shields. Ivar had a turkey leg but it got knocked into the bushes by the ninjas that accompanied Tozawa.
Street Profits and Viking Raiders beat everyone down and slammed a ninja on top of Braun Strowman’s car. A giant ninja showed up and Ivar summoned his turkey leg from the bushes. They escaped the giant ninja and argued with each other about who beat the ninjas.
Ivar shoved everyone into a dumpster and hit a Senton off a truck. Referee Jessika Carr showed up and told Ivar he was kind of cute and that Erik wasn’t. They then exited the dumpster to end the match. It was announced that the RAW Tag Team Championship match will not be happening tonight.
Opinion: The build to this match was nothing but goofy axe throwing and bowling segments but I was still shocked at how stupid this was. I didn’t find it remotely entertaining and was more confused as to what the hell I was watching the entire time. Is it that difficult to just have a match between two great tag teams?
Randy Orton Defeated Edge In An Awesome Match
Edge and Randy Orton battled in the main event of this year’s Backlash. They used the late Howard Finkel’s voice for the introductions and had piped in crowd noise. Charles Robinson was sporting old school referee attire.
Match Recap: Edge hit a couple Arm Drags to start the match off. The two superstars locked up in the middle of the ring and Edge applied a Headlock. Randy escaped and sent Edge out of the ring.
Back in the ring, Orton hit Edge with an uppercut and knocked Edge to the canvas. Edge hit another Arm Drag and the invisible crowd went wild. Edge applied another Headlock and then transitioned into an Arm Bar.
Randy escaped and stomped on Edge’s left foot. Edge connected with a headbutt and followed it up with a Clothesline that off the second turnbuckle. Orton was busted open and smiled as the blood trickled down his face.
Edge slammed Orton’s shoulder onto the apron before the action returned to the ring. Edge locked in a Crossface but Orton reached the bottom rope to break the hold. Orton went for the RKO but Edge dodged it.
Orton brought Edge outside the ring and slammed him into the plexiglass. Randy beat Edge down some more and slammed him into the steel steps several times. Orton connected with a Back Suplex on the announce table before rolling Edge back in the ring.
Orton stomped on Edge’s right hand a few times and raked his eyes. Randy hit two Suplexes in a row and went for a third but Edge blocked it. Edge then paid tribute to Eddie Guerrero and hit Three Amigos.
Edge went for a chop but Orton countered with a Dropkick. Orton slammed Edge into the ring post and then perched him up on the top turnbuckle. Randy connected with a massive Superplex and followed it up with an uppercut.
Both superstars went for a Crossbody and collided in the middle of the ring. Randy hung up Edge in between the ropes and went for a DDT. Edge escaped and hit a DDT of his own for a near fall.
Edge made his way to the top rope and hit a Crossbody for a two count. Edge locked in the Crossface again but Orton broke free and hit an Olympic Slam for a two count. Edge connected with a Powerbomb for a two count.
Orton launched Edge over the top rope and to the floor outside the ring. Back in the ring, Orton hung up Edge on the ropes and planted him with a DDT. Edge hit the Edge-O-Matic for another near fall. Edge followed that up with the Unprettier for another two count.
Randy hit the Pedigree but Edge kicked out at two. Edge connected with a Rock Bottom for another two count. Orton hit the RKO out of nowhere and went for the cover but Edge kicked out at two.
Orton set up in the corner and went for the Punt but Edge countered with a Spear. Edge followed it up with another Spear and went for the cover but Orton somehow kicked out at two. Randy hit another RKO but Edge kicked out at two. Edge went for a submission but Orton hit him with a low blow. Orton then hit the Punt for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Orton told Edge to go him and be with his girls and tell them that Uncle Randy says hi. Edge refused to get on a stretcher as Randy watched on from the entrance ramp.
Opinion: I was thrown off by the fake crowd noise for the first few minutes but wound up forgetting about it because the match was so good. The homages to superstars and moments of the past were well very well done. I was looking forward to their Last Man Standing match at WrestleMania and found it disappointing. This match made up for that in spades and was a pleasure to watch. Orton and Edge worked their asses off and it resulted in a terrific match. The rest of this year’s Backlash varied from good to awful, but at least it ended on a high note.
