Just three weeks after Wrestlemania, and in the midst of the controversy about the slew of releases, the WWE returned to pay-per-view for Backlash in Tampa. I was somewhat surprised that the first two matches on the card were simulcasted on the standard ESPN channels, mostly because I assumed it would be something that was reserved for Wrestlemania. It’s a decent strategy, and given that ESPN quite literally has a vested interest in the success of the PPVs on the ESPN app, the amount of WWE coverage this week in the lead up to Backlash was noticeable on the network. More mainstream exposure to more of the causal audience is important, but I’m honestly not sure how effective it will be in the grand scheme of things. I’m not being sarcastic when I say that, I’m just not sure if the general public in 2026 will be drawn into the product with the current crop of stars the way that they could’ve been without this type of publicity years ago. On one hand, oversaturation, while good for the conference calls and the earning reports for investors, might be something that sways the average television viewer away from the current product. Realistically, how many casual fans are going to commit to watching several hours of WWE programming per week across different platforms? Sure, the typical American viewer might already have a subscription to Netflix, but are they going to dedicate the time to follow the WWE product? It was a much different dynamic when there was only one prime time show each week for fans to keep up with the storylines. On the other hand, WWE is currently doing something that Vince McMahon attempted to do for decades, integrate professional wrestling into the general sports conversation. Pro wrestling will probably always have some of the low brow stigma that has followed the industry for years, and some of that rightfully so, but at the same time, the more common WWE becomes on ESPN, the further it gets away from some of the cliche criticisms of the past.
That being said, there’s a reason that most of the general public still considers Steve Austin, The Rock, or John Cena a representation of the business instead of the current stars of today.
As advertised, the show opened with Seth Rollins vs. Bron Breakker, and the structure of this segment was designed for the ESPN audience. This contest got a fast start with action that spilled out of the ring almost immediately. This was a solid bout, as far as it’s presentation, but it seemed to have a bigger purpose than just the result that put Breakker over. This match was the longest match on the show, as it went over the 20-minute mark, and essentially this proved that Breakker can go if he’s put in the main event scenario where a bout is given a similar amount of time. Taking into account that this was a showcase segment, as it should’ve been, I really think the inference wasn’t needed and actually took away some of the overall shine. A clean win would’ve been more definitive and reinforced the notion that Breakker is ready to be a star to an even further degree. There were a few clunky moments, but overall this segment had a level of drama as the advantage tilted back and fourth, which could be seen as somewhat of a preview of Breakker in the main event. Eventually, Bron got the victory, and the biggest takeaway from this was that despite his younger age, he can swim in the deep water and deliver when the opportunity presents itself.
Trick Williams vs. Sami Zayn was another solid bout, everything they did was crisp and smooth. Trick retained the belt, which was the right decision. As far as the in-ring action, there’s not too much to say, mostly because this was basically a better version of the match that had a few weeks ago at Wrestlemania since it was given more time to develop a natural pace for the segment as opposed to the way it was rushed last month. Sami is such a polished pro that he doesn’t need the United States title, but planting the seeds for a heel turn throughout this feud was the right choice since it can freshen up his character. Along with that, Trick Williams is progressing very well on the main roster. He looks like a guy that is ready to be perceived as a star, not a forced push simply because the writing team has something for him to do. Trick looks natural in the role and has done well with what he was given so far. Obviously, there are a lot of factors to determine how over a performer gets as far as their fullest potential, but at this point, Trick Williams has a major upside as far as being a long-term asset for the company. It will be interesting to see how his tenure on the main roster develops, and more specifically how much stock the promotion invest in him going forward, especially with the Money In The Bank pay-per-view later this year.
There’s a very fine line between entertainment and disaster with comedy wrestling, that’s why so many miss the mark, often resulting in tedious drek. Danhausen was put in a no-win situation when he arrived on the scene at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view a few months ago, but he’s such an entertaining performer that when he was given the chance to get over with the audience, it was very successful. Danhausen is the exception, not the rule, which is why scripting these type of segments, even for him, should be a delicate process. In some ways, the writing team booked themselves into a corner with another mystery gimmick. Randy Orton’s mystery caller was so underwhelming that Pat McAfee stepped away from the business as soon as he could to avoid the association with the storyline. John Cena’s announcement later in the night was questionable. So, when there was a mystery partner for Danhausen, there was speculation that it might be Cody Rhodes or CM Punk since neither of them were booked for the show. There was also some online chatter that it might be a legend that would make a cameo for a fun segment. Instead, we got Minihausen, and it’s something that probably would’ve been better received initially if it was presented organically rather than pushed as a mystery that created unrealistic expectations.
The segment was almost panned, as fans booed loudly during the opening spots. Thankfully, El Torito, who had a run in the WWE years ago, is a tremendous in-ring performer and more or less saved the match with his incredible athleticism. There were some disjointed spots because The Miz and Kit Wilson aren’t familiar with lucha, but Torito won the audience over by the end of the match. While I completely understand if someone wasn’t a fan of this segment, if something is over, it’s over with the crowd. If nothing else, this provided a way to pace the rest of the pay-per-view.
The Iyo Sky vs. Asuka bout was tremendous. It was hard-hitting and fast-paced with the Joshi style, but was still tailored to the WWE audience so the crowd didn’t get lost throughout the segment. Iyo got the victory, and after the emotional embrace post-match, there was some discussion that this potentially could’ve been a retirement bout for Asuka. Since that time, more details have emerged from the rumor mill, with the notion that Asuka isn’t retired, but is taking extended time off to deal with personal matters. It’s very possible that it could be a family situation so it would be unfair to speculate any further. At 44, Asuka is at the latter portion of her career, but she undoubtedly has a few solid years left. As I’ve written several times before, Asuka is a true MVP of the modern era and one of the most consistent quality workers anywhere in the business. She should and will be regarded as a legend by the time she hangs up her boots. Given how she always makes the best with whatever she’s given to do, and her stellar in-ring skills, hopefully she will return to have another major run in the organization before she gets a proper retirement.
Even a few days later, I’m still puzzled as to what exactly the John Cena classic is supposed to be. The explanation was murky and it almost sounded like Cena had too many points to cover in one promo. There are qualifying matches, but the fans can still vote for who is the winner even if they lose so what exactly is the point of the qualifying matches? Unless I’m missing something, this sounds like nothing more than a participation trophy, which would literally take away the value of winning matches. If nothing is truly at stake and the result of the actual contest doesn’t matter, why should the audience pay to watch it? This is another example of when Cena promised something “historic” for the announcement, the fans probably thought it was going to be something more than just another tournament. Unfortunately, this segment was over hyped and under delivered. Taking into account that the announcement was a flop, I don’t have much faith that the John Cena Classic will have a level of importance for the actual tournament.
The main event had a “big fight” atmosphere, and similar to how the opening contest was somewhat of a test for Bron Breakker working with Rollins, I’d say that the bout against Roman Reigns was a way for management to gauge where Jacob Fatu is as a potential main eventer. This could be a preview of things to come or a one-off, depending on if management got what they wanted out of this segment. They were able to build a level of drama as the advantage tilted back and fourth, proving that Fatu is a well-rounded performer as far as the “glue” of ring psychology to go along with his impressive move set. As I said last week, I wouldn’t have booked this match unless Fatu was going to win the title because I think it can hinder a wrestler’s progress if they lose in the pursuit of a title. I’m guessing that’s why the post-match attacked was scripted to allow Fatu to still look strong before the show went off the air. At this point, the biggest piece of the puzzle is if management keeps Fatu in the title picture or not. If the office shuffles him back down to the mid-card, It’s possible that him won’t be able to recapture the momentum that he has right now. If nothing else, WWE brass should make it a top priority to start to run with guys like Oba Femi, Breaker, and Fatu, especially because with the amount of recent retirements, they will have to replenish the star power on the roster.
What do you think? Share your thoughts, opinions, feedback, and anything else that was raised on Twitter @PWMania and Facebook.com/PWMania.
Until next week
-Jim LaMotts
Email [email protected] | You can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @jimlamotta89
