WrestleMania Backlash was a really solid, fast-paced pay-per-view with excellent in ring action, some interesting storytelling, strong performances... oh, and a bunch of zombies.
Fortunately, promotions for the film Army of the Dead didn't ruin the rest of the show, assuming you're not one of the few members of the WWE Universe who thought it was the worst creative display in WWE history. Just think about the fact that the last match you saw was one between Roman Reigns and Cesaro and that was a potential match of the year.
Here are your winners and losers for WrestleMania Backlash, May 16, 2021:
Winner: Ricochet
Likely getting an opportunity because Humberto Carrillo took a nasty bump on Raw this past week, it was Ricochet who answered Sheamus’ open challenge on the Kickoff Show. While he lost, had a good showing.
Hopefully, this opportunity turns into something for Ricochet. He’s deserving of so much more than he’s being given these days and this relatively short match showed it. There was also a moment after the match where his personality shined as he grabbed Sheamus’ jacket and hat and danced around, mocking the ginger-headed juggernaut. Considering he sold being knocked out, it might have been a bit quick to be dancing, but all in all, not bad.
Expect this feud to continue on Raw this Monday. More television time for Ricochet is only good news.
Winner: Ripley Wins Triple Threat Match
This was a much better matchup than the two previous bouts that featured Asuka and Ripley on Raw. It goes without saying that adding Charlotte to the contest made it much more watchable. The chemistry between the three women was much better and Ripley pulled out the win after a chaotic last couple of minutes.
The downside here is that Asuka keeps taking the pin on the same move. That wasn’t enough to say this match wasn’t a great way to open the show, it's just unfortunate. It went 100 MPH and there were tons of reversals and counters. Not everyone loves Triple Threat Matches, but this was a case where three competitors was so much better than two.
Winner: Dominik and Rey Win Tag Team Gold
Dominik was “injured" thanks to an attack in the pre-show and he wasn’t cleared to compete. The medical staff told Rey Mysterio he needed a new partner but he tried to go it alone versus the SmackDown Tag Team Champions. Ziggler and Roode dominated Mysterio throughout most of the match, working on the injured leg.
Dominik did eventually make his way out and after Rey took more punishment, Dom tagged himself in. The flurry of offence didn’t last long as his sore ribs looked like they may be too much to overcome. He got his father tagged in and again, and again Roode and Ziggler stopped the challenger’s momentum.
They did eventually gain the upper hand and a splash by Dominik put the champions away. It was a super underdog story and the announce crew heavily sold the idea that the father and son story was an incredible moment. It was, in fact, the first time a father and son duo won the tag titles.
Bully Ray did point out something interesting when he tweeted “Rey / Dom should have NEVER won tonight. MITB is on Fathers Day this year - 6/20/21. Since no Father/Son team has ever won Tag titles, what BETTER gift / moment than to win them ON FATHERS DAY!!”
Loser: Zombies As Lumberjacks
Simply put, there aren’t many positives to take from this match. It wasn’t the most egregious thing WWE has ever done creatively, but it’s up there.
That WWE sold out to a sponsorship deal with the Army of the Dead film studio, and as a result put zombies in the bout as lumberjacks meant this was bound to be a mess. Whatever... That said, it's a shame this is the way WWE might have finished off a feud that had been running on weekly programming since The Royal Rumble.
I guess the only logical question now is, what happened to John Morrison and The Miz, who it appears have been devoured by the undead?
And, for anyone calling this the worst thing WWE has ever had the nerve to do on a pay-per-view, ask yourself if this is really all that different from stuff Alexa Bliss or Bray Wyatt are doing? Or, if this is as bad as Mae Young giving birth to a hand. Remember, this is sports entertainment and not everything is a home run.
This wasn't good, but there's been a lot worse.
Winner: Belair Uses The Hair To Retain Title
Another strong match, Bayley and Bianca Belair went toe-to-toe and came up with a finish I’m not sure I’ve ever seen before. Wrapping her hair around the leg of Bayley during a pinning attempt, Belair picked up the win and retained her title.
It’s intriguing that WWE has chosen to go with a finish that saw a babyface Belair bend the rules a bit. While it might not be technically illegal, is there much difference between this and using the tights to keep a competitor down?
All in all, this was an excellent contest between two competitors that could easily be the face of WWE's Women's Division. Bayley reminds us with each successive match that she's so much better as a heel and Belair is an athletic freak of nature.
Winner: Lashley Retains
A physical match between three behemoths was actually won by the competitor with the most smarts. After Lashley was sent through an LED board and essentially left for dead, Braun Strowman and Drew McIntyre went at each other with reckless abandon. They weakened each other to the point Lashley could sneak back in, deliver a spear on Strowman and pick up the win.
This was an excellent match. It was fast-paced, hard-hitting and also well booked to make the most of all three combatants. It included a number of close pins, high spots and crazy action. This would have been match of the night if not for the main event.
Winner: Cesaro vs. Roman Reigns Was A Five-Star Match
Out of gate, let's just say that this might have been one of the best matches of the year. We all expect Cesaro to be good and Roman Reigns is proving he can tell an incredible story in the ring, but these two together put on a display of near perfection. It was a captivating match from start to finish. The small nuances in the bout were incredible and that mixed with the old school build of a match, excellent selling of a body part, back-and-forth action, a few false finishes and a clear win for the champion. It doesn't get much better than this.
Not everyone is going to love that Seth Rollins came out after it was all over and I agree, it could have been saved for next week's SmackDown to start that battle up again. That said, that's nitpicking from an otherwise fantastic main event.
If WWE hasn't realized by now that Cesaro can hang in the main even scene in WWE after that contest, nothing is going to convince them.
WrestleMania Backlash Winners And Losers: Great Matches... And Some Zombies - TheSportster
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