The WWE Backlash 2023 report card is in as the company made a rare visit to Puerto Rico. See which pay-per-view matches scored high and those that did not deliver.
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WWE Backlash 2023 Report Card
Seth Rollins vs. Omos
When it comes to building towards a match, nothing makes sense about Seth Rollins vs. Omos. Both finished their individual WrestleMania 39 programs and were then paired together.
As expected, the electric crowd sung Rollins to the ring. Considering Omos has a long way to go towards being in the main event, he looked decent out there.
Rollins takes the win and inches closer to becoming the new World Heavyweight Champion. If Omos keeps wrestling someone with talent like Rollins, he might start inching to the title picture.
Even the lowest scored WWE Backlash 2023 report card match was rather decent. Grade: B-
SmackDown Women’s Championship: Rhea Ripley vs. Zelina Vega
Rhea Ripley has been given a huge push over the past few months. She started by winning the Royal Rumble from the beginning and then defeating Charlotte Flair for the title.
Despite Zelina Vega having the crowd, and her family significantly behind her, it was an uphill battle. The audience was there for Vega, but the odds were not great.
So, the crowd did not have the perfect evening as Ripley remained champion. The crowd still loved the talent involved, which might have slightly helped. Grade: B-
United States Championship: Austin Theory vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Bronson Reed
Looking at the participants, Austin Theory was not the same size as Bobby Lashley and Bronson Reed. Although, in pro wrestling, that is not a bad thing.
We saw the heels work together opposite Lashley to moderate success. Reed showed amazing talent for someone able to fly at his size.
Theory keeps his title and will bring it SmackDown. Hopefully, WWE is able to get back to Lashley against Reed sometime down the road. Grade: B
The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa, Jey Uso & Jimmy Uso) vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn & Matt Riddle
Typically, The Bloodline is the favorite. That was how the past few years went, but not so much lately.
Clearly, The Usos look to be on the bad side of Roman Reigns, even though they won. So, look for Reigns and/or Solo Sikoa to turn on the twin brothers in the near future.
Nothing wrong with the match, but they were following Bad Bunny’s appearance, so the bar was extremely high. I think the days of Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn being a problem for The Bloodline are over. Grade: B
Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar
A Brock Lesnar match is never easy to predict. Basically, what makes Lesnar such a star, is never knowing the outcome of his matches.
Cody Rhodes really needed the win after failing to defeat Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39. For Lesnar, win or lose, he is still a major draw and he cares more about the paycheck.
I think WWE should have closed with Bad Bunny, but not a bad alternative. The hard-hitting action was quick, which is helped keep the crowd hot. Grade: B+
Street Fight: Bad Bunny vs. Damian Priest
Two years ago, Bad Bunny and Damian Priest were teaming at WrestleMania. Now, they are standing on opposite sides of the ring.
When it pertains to celebrities competing inside a WWE ring, Bad Bunny might be the most talented. Also, he is a huge star outside of wrestling and helped the WWE Backlash 2023 report card.
Honestly, I thought the match would be stronger, but The Judgement Day, LWO, Rey Mysterio, Carlito an Savio Vega was a great balance. Bad Bunny will draw tons of positive attention for WWE in the weeks follow. Grade: A-
RAW Women’s Championship: Bianca Belair vs. IYO SKY
For the first time sine joining the main roster, IYO SKY did not have Damage CTRL by her side, at first. And, the fans loved to see the former NXT Women’s Champion as she was easily moreover than Bianca Belair.
There were moments where it looked like SKY was going to capture the title. In the end, Damage CTRL likely cost SKY the belt and that group seems to be headed towards a split.
By wining, Belair is the longest RAW Women’s Champion in modern history. The draft will see Belair seemingly need to vacate the gold, but at least she was allowed to surpass Becky Lynch’s record. Grade: A-
And, that is a wrap for our WWE Backlash 2023 report card from Puerto Rico. So, how was your WWE Backlash 2023 report card compare to ours?
