Monday’s episode of WWE RAW opened with Randy Orton challenging Christian to an Unsanctioned Match.
This came after Christian interrupted the former WWE Champion who was doing a promo talking about beating Edge in the Greatest Wrestling Match Ever the night before at the Backlash pay-per-view event. He also mentioned that Edge suffered a torn triceps in the contest.
Orton suggested that Christian walked out to the ring because he wants one more match. Christian denied that was the case.
Orton challenged him to a match on the show and it would be unsanctioned. The former WWE World Heavyweight Champion had the rest of the night to give him an answer and if he didn’t then he was a coward.
Christian agreed to do the match. It ended up in the final segment of the show. Ric Flair tried to talk him out of it before hitting him with a low blow. Orton hit him with a punt kick then pinned him to win the match.
Christian was stretchered out, and a neck brace put on him. Orton cut a promo while talking to Christian about how he didn’t want to do this. Time will tell where this leads to next after this angle.
Jessica Eye issues statement after UFC on ESPN 10: 'I am never ashamed of myself' https://t.co/V9XqsC8r0S
Shawn Michaels looked back on his retirement from pro wrestling while doing an interview with Bleacher Report.
The former WWE Champion retired following a second straight loss to The Undertaker back in 2010 at WrestleMania 26.
It turns out that the original plan for his retirement wouldn’t have happened at WrestleMania. Instead, they had an idea to do something similar to what many pro athletes like Kobe Bryant and Derek Jeter have had done.
Michaels would’ve had a final match in major cities. Ultimately, he decided against it the night of WrestleMania 26.
“After that match, myself and Taker and Michael Hayes were doing what we did the year before too, sitting in a room by ourselves with a shot of Jack Daniels,” Michaels said.
“I told them, ‘You know what? That might be the one to end it all. I don’t think I’m going to do that other thing.’ And Michael said, ‘I agree.’ And so I just sort of decided right there that was going to be it.”
He teamed up with Triple H to beat The Undertaker and Kane in a tag team match at WWE Crown Jewel on November 2, 2018, at King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This match ended up being the main event of this show.
It marked the first time that Michaels had wrestled a match since 2010.
WWE has not only confirmed that Edge suffered an injury during his latest match but also has undergone surgery to fix it.
Word broke on Sunday afternoon just hours before the match was aired on the WWE Network that Edge had sustained a torn triceps during his singles match against Randy Orton at the Backlash pay-per-view event.
On Monday afternoon, WWE issued a statement that confirmed the injury. The company also noted that “Edge has undergone successful surgery and is currently rehabbing at home.”
The injury occurred during his bout against Randy Orton that had the “Greatest Wrestling Match Ever” tagline to further hype the headliner of the show.
WWE taped this match in advance to make sure it was the best match possible. It’s been reported that Edge was injured while doing re-takes for the contest. There’s no word as to what spot he suffered the injury, but you could clearly see the bruise on his arm.
Unfortunately, a triceps injury could mean that the WWE Hall of Famer will be out of action between 4-8 months.
Thus, he will miss this year’s SummerSlam pay-per-view. He also could be out until early 2021 as it just depends on how quickly he’ll be able to recover.
Darren Young isn’t the only former WWE star who has recently come out and stated that WWE had plans for a Nexus reunion as Stu Bennett shared some details.
A few weeks ago, Young recently revealed that WWE had plans for members to return to form the group once again at WrestleMania 36. However, due to the coronavirus, those plans were nixed.
Bennett, also known as Wade Barrett, joined The Wrestling Inc Daily podcast for a new interview to offer more insight into the idea. Of course, he was the leader of the group.
He recalled getting a phone call in January or February by the Talent Relations team in WWE. The company pitched a reunion to coincide with the 10th anniversary of Nexus at WrestleMania 36.
“I actually turned it down as I didn’t like the offer or the plan. I saw Darren just after that and he said he was gonna go and do something with them. But I wasn’t going to be involved in whatever it was.”
He continued, “In all honestly if it had been something more significant, I would have paid it more attention. But it was something, to me, that I wasn’t interested in doing. There was no benefit at all, for me, in doing it and I wasn’t excited about it, so I turned the offer down.”
The Nexus debuted on WWE television in June 2010. The group featured the likes of Barett, Daniel Bryan, Heath Slater, David Otunga, Justin Gabriel, Ryback, Michael Tarver, and Young.
Despite the unknown of the coronavirus, WWE still has plans to do house shows in addition to having fans in attendance for all events in the near future.
Pwinsider.com reported on Monday that WWE officials are preparing to host fans at events again by the end of this summer.
Per the report, there are several people in the company who are hoping to start in August. However, those same people did admit that the timeframe could be later due to the unknowns that come with the virus.
With the recovery from the pandemic changing, WWE’s plans are constantly changing and those in charge have come up with several different plans. It should be noted that several people who were in charge of handling live events or house shows are still on furlough after a mass talent and staff releases due to budget cuts.
It was noted that WWE is currently advertising dates for September but nothing is guaranteed at this stage.
This comes in line with what’s been reported about this year’s SummerSlam pay-per-view event as WWE Chairman Vince McMahon is said to be determined to hold the show with fans in attendance. Whether that will be in Boston as planned remains to be seen.
Hulk Hogan once filed suit against Post Foods, the manufacturer of Cocoa Pebbles. The cereal once marketed a character named “Bulk Boulder” in commercials that was portrayed as a professional wrestler. The two sides settled out of court in 2010. No financial terms of the settlement were ever revealed but the commercial was pulled.
On a recent episode of the 83 Weeks podcast, Eric Bischoff commented on the suit.
“One of the things that people don’t realize is when you have a trademark, you have to protect it,” Bischoff said.
“If you, through your attorneys, don’t take some kind of action, affirmative action in response to it that is, in effect, abandoning your trademark.”
“Had Hulk Hogan and his attorneys not protected that trademark, they could have easily lost the rights to that trademark by not defending it.”
“I don’t think that Hulk Hogan was looking for a billion-dollar payday or any of those things. I think he just wanted a cease & desist and prove to the USPTO.gov group that he was indeed protecting his trademark.”
In 2016, Randy Orton was critical of Colin Kaepernick’s taking a knee during the national anthem. In a recent interview with CBS Sports, however, Orton stated it took him some time but he now understands that “until black lives matter, all lives can’t matter.”
“It took me a little time, but what I had to do was realize, Kaepernick, he wasn’t sh****ng on the flag. He wasn’t disrespecting the people that have given their lives for our freedom. He was taking a stand against police brutality,” Orton said during the interview. “As a white guy, I don’t see it. But then I started listening to my black brothers and sisters, especially the ones I’ve known for years and some for more than a decade. I was hearing first-hand accounts of interactions with cops that took advantage of the situation and the power they had because they maybe felt a certain way about the color of someone’s skin. That’s when the lightbulb went off.”
Orton has been posting several Tweets in support of the protests in the wake of George Floyd’s killing by police.
“The more that social media has allowed us to see these horrific videos — and it wasn’t just George Floyd. I’ve seen so many after I did a little digging,” Orton continued. “You realize it is tough to be a black person in this country, and we’ve got a ways to go before all lives truly matter. I think what we have to do is make sure black lives matter.”
Orton fell under criticism for the below Tweet and similar posts from 2016:
Americans are dying. Pigment of skin doesn't matter. American people matter. https://t.co/MgUbMiPteM
AEW owner Tony Khan noted on Twitter that Orton said the N-word during a video game streaming session last fall. The interaction came after Khan cracked a joke about the incident involving the WWE roster in Saudi Arabia for last year’s Crown Jewel event.
No one is safe? Sounds like a plane full of wrestlers in Saudi Arabia!
I thought you only tagged me in your posts when you were grasping for leverage. That article’s over a year old + is about baseless claims made about my dad years ago. That’s the best you can do, nothing. Meanwhile in the time since that was written, you used the N word on twitch.
The Viking Raiders faced the Street Profits in a fairly bizarre cinematic match at Backlash last night. The match played off the recent videos that have been airing on RAW pitting the two teams against each other in various competitions.
During their encounter last night, however, the two teams were forced to team up to take on a team of ninjas led by Akira Tozawa.
“The Viking Profits” managed to fend off Tozawa’s band of motorcycle-riding ninjas but then Tozawa motioned for someone to come forward. A ninja much larger than the rest then scared off both the Viking Raiders and the Street Profits.
The ‘giant ninja’ in question is WWE Performance Center trainee, Jordan Omogbehin. His height is listed at 7ft, 3 inches.
Jordan Omogbehin In WWE
Jordan Omogbehin is a former basketball player from the University of South Florida. He was born in Lagos, Nigeria in 1994. Omogbehin signed with WWE in the fall of 2018 and would make his in-ring debut the following year. He’s only wrestled in 6 matches for WWE, all on NXT live events.
Last November, Kevin Nash & Scott Hall commented on working with Omogbehin at the WWE Performance Center.
“And I saw this new kid they have down there, Jordan, big kid about 7’4’ about 440, just a monster, and I was there for his debut match,” Scott Hall said.
“I got to produce it. And it’s just that connection, you know how it is when you connect with a guy and when he doesn’t know anything and you teach him something.”
The Undertaker has shared his initial impressions on Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson during a recent interview with 5-time New York Times Best Selling Author, Gary Vaynerchuck. When asked by Vaynerchuck which wrestler surprised him the most in terms of growth and development throughout his storied career, ‘Taker revealed it was none other than “The Great One,” The Rock.
The Undertaker shared how it was an easy question to answer before naming Johnson, labeling him “the biggest star in the world.” ‘Taker recalled how Johnson debuted at Madison Square Garden as Rocky Maivia, sharing how it was “awful.” According to him, they “handcuffed him right out of the get-go.”
He reflected on how fans in Madison Square Garden will always be honest with you, whether they like you or not. ‘Taker noted how they were “merciless” with Johnson that night and that they “lit him up.”
The Undertaker’s Opinion On Rocky Maivia
Judging Johnson solely by his debut, The Undertaker confessed he had no clue how charismatic he was capable of being. Instead, he chalked Johnson’s debut up as “a shame” and figured that he wouldn’t be in WWE for long.
Things changed, however, after Johnson aligned himself—and then broke away from—the Nation of Domination. “It didn’t take long for him, once he got to the Nation of Domination, it flipped,” The Undertaker explained. “By the time he was at the end of his run with them I knew he wasn’t going to be with them for long. You could just tell he was destined for success.”
Following the taping of his WWE Backlash matchup against Randy Orton, rumors had been rife that Edge suffered an unfortunate injury. These rumors were later confirmed by Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select. With Edge having torn his tricep during the taping of “The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever” WWE is now forced to change its alleged SummerSlam plans.
Randy Orton emerged victorious from their matchup during last night’s pay-per-view. Given that Edge won their WrestleMania 36 bout, Orton’s Backlash victory set up a potential rubber match between the Superstars. A tricep injury, however, would scupper any immediate plans for the two to tangle a third time.
Edge’s Recovery Time
At the time of writing, neither WWE nor Edge have confirmed the injury. Depending on the severity of the injury, “The Rated R Superstar” could potentially be out for between 4-8 months. It is unknown whether the injury will require surgery or not.
Whatever rubber match may have been planned between the former Rated RKO partners will be in limbo until Edge is well enough to return to in-ring action. It also forces WWE to create a new feud for Randy Orton heading into Extreme Rules and beyond.
This injury comes at a time when WWE is without some of its biggest Superstars, including Roman Reigns, Becky Lynch, and Bray Wyatt. Edge’s clash with Orton was only his third match back in WWE since coming out of retirement.
Last night’s WWE RAW Women’s Championship match saw defending champion Asuka go to a double count-out finish with her opponent, Nia Jax. It has been reported, however, that this may not have been the original finish planned for their clash.
According to Bryan Alvarez of Wrestling Observer, WWE supposedly changed the ending of the match up hours before WWE Backlash began. Alvarez explained how he was given the impression that WWE’s initial plans would have seen Asuka decisively pin Nia Jax. However, as fans saw last night during the pay-per-view, WWE ultimately went with a double count-out instead.
It has been previously reported that Asuka is in line to feud with Charlotte Flair. The original planned ending of her Backlash match up would have helped propel Asuka as a strong defending champion.
With her match with Nia Jax ending the way it did, however, there is speculation that WWE may continue their feud into next month’s Extreme Rules event.
If that is the case, whatever plans WWE had in place may be put on hold. A potential Asuka versus Charlotte Clair match may not take place up until their August pay-per-view, SummerSlam.
Flair recently lost the NXT Women’s Championship during NXT TakeOver: In Your House. This title change helped free her up as a potential contender to compete for Asuka’s gold.
A former WWE Superstar is now a confidential witness in a lawsuit against the company. WWE is being sued by stockholders who feel the company has misrepresented the nature of its dealings in Saudi Arabia. In documents relating to the case, a former WWE wrestler who was in Saudi Arabia last year for Crown Jewel, speaks about what happened that caused members of the WWE roster to be unable to fly out. Several wrestlers missed that week’s Smackdown as a result.
“A former WWE wrestler, who performed for the Company from 2012 to April 2020 and who participated in the October 31st, 2019 Crown Jewel event, confirms the substance of media reports,” reads documents relating to the suit.
“CW-2 (the former WWE wrestler) explained that he spoke with a stewardess on the flight about the delay, who told him ‘it seems someone doesn’t want us to leave the country.’ CW-2 further explained that the pilot sounded ‘distressed’ when he informed the passengers the flight was unable to take off.”
The report continued to mention that the witness feels they weren’t being allowed to leave the country due to an argument between the Crown Prince and Vince McMahon over late payments.
“CW-2 explained that he asked the Senior Director of Talent Relations, Mark Carrano, about what was going on and that Carrano told him that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and McMahon had gotten into an argument over late payments in connection with the June 7, 2019 Super ShowDown event.”
Middle East Broadcasting Center Employee Also Confidential Witness
The documents also include statements from an employee of the Middle East Broadcasting Center (MBC). These statements confirm that the Saudi government-controlled network and WWE encountered issues coming to terms on a licensing deal.
“WWE then reduced its licensing fee ask to $50 million. However, MBC felt it could not go above $14.5 million. CW-1 (the MBC employee) was later informed that MBC and WWE concluded their negotiations due to the differences in ‘numbers.'”
Kris Statlander will be out of action for an extended period of time.
“The Galaxy’s Greatest Alien” tore her ACL in her match last week on AEW Dynamite. Statlander was teaming with AEW Women’s Champion, Hikaru Shida, in a bout against Penelope Ford & Nyla Rose.
She confirmed on social media that she tore her ACL while diving onto Kip Sabian during the match. Statlander also confirmed the injury will require surgery.
Statlander is currently ranked #2 in the AEW Women’s division. She’s twice challenged unsuccessfully for the title, once against Riho and again against Nyla Rose. Her record in 2020 is 5-7 and she is 8-9 overall in her AEW career.
Statlander was also a guest recently on the AEW Unrestricted podcast. During the discussion, she spoke about how her alien gimmick came to be.
“I kind of feel like in a weird way it’s a weird play on how I’ve always been perceived in life. No one really cared to get to know me until I had something interesting to say or I had something to offer that interests them and that’s kind of like what aliens are in a way. So, I was just kind of like ‘why not just play up how odd I am?”
Today, New Japan Pro-Wrestling will hold their first wrestling event in 110 days. Since late February, the promotion has cancelled all events as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. However, with testing of workers and staff, and approval of the Japanese government, that hiatus ends today.
Watch: NJPW World (English Commentary) NJPW World (Japanese Commentary) Note: This show was held in an empty arena.
NJPW Together Project Special Results
Yota Tsuji def. Gabriel Kidd (8:43) Even without a crowd, the fire of young lions often leaps off the screen. The noise of the commentary, the ring, the grunts and growls of the wrestlers, and their hard strikes more than compensated for the lack of an audience to react. Yota Tsuji hit a spear and then submitted Gabriel Kidd with a Boston crab.
Suzuki-gun (El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) def. Tomohiro Ishii & Yuya Uemura (12:57) Yuya Uemura has clearly gained muscle mass over the last several months. Ishii and Uemura attacked the Suzuki-gun junior heavyweights before the bell rang. The main focuses of this match were Suzuki-gun beating down Uemura together, followed by Ishii fending off both of them by himself. Suzuki-gun worked together to attack Ishii’s knee. After taking him out of commission, they systematically dismantled Yuya Uemura in similar fashion. El Desperado submitted Yuya Uemura with a Numero Dos, a stretch muffler.
Ishii did some squats outside of the ring to show El Desperado that his knee wasn’t affected that much. Tomorrow, June 16th, Tomohiro Ishii faces El Desperado in the first round of the New Japan Cup, as does Yuya Uemura against Yoshinobu Kanemaru on June 17th.
Bullet Club (Taiji Ishimori, Yujiro Takahashi, Gedo & Jado) def.Hirooki Goto, Toru Yano, YOSHI-HASHI & Tomoaki Honma (13:20) Toru Yano entered with a disinfectant spray bottle instead of his usual spitting water, as compliant with NJPW safety regulations. YOSHI-HASHI entered with new black and red gear that says “Get Back Up” on one leg, which I’m convinced is a rib. Yano immediately went to remove the turnbuckle, while Jado brandished a kendo stick. They dared each other to drop their weapon first. Honma missing the second-rope Kokeshi was surprisingly impactful considering the lack of reaction, but this gave Yujiro the opening he needed to secure the victory. Yujiro Takahashi pinned Tomoaki Honma with the Pimp Juice DDT.
The New Japan Cup fixtures for this match are as follows: Toru Yano versus Jado (6/16), Taiji Ishimori versus Gabriel Kidd (6/17), and Hirooki Goto versus Yujiro Takahashi (6/23).
During the intermission to disinfect the ring and the ringside area, a vignette played for a new wrestler coming to NJPW. It only referred to them as “The Grandmaster.”
Satoshi Kojima, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Ryusuke Taguchi def. Los Ingobernables de Japon (EVIL, SANADA & BUSHI) (13:33) Tenzan and Kojima looked much more well-rested than they did prior to this hiatus. Kojima and EVIL took each other on in a battle of brawn. Failed attempt at the Paradise Lock aside, Taguchi looked surprisingly capable of standing in the ring with SANADA. Notably, SANADA is the only member of Los Ingobernables de Japon who does not possess any championship, and some have postulated that he should be the favorite to win the New Japan Cup. This was a chaotic match involving a lot of teamwork, but TenCozy and Taguchi showed unexpected synergy. Ryusuke Taguchi submitted BUSHI with his ankle lock known as Oh My and Garankle to win.
The New Japan Cup first round matches involving people in this match are Ryusuke Taguchi versus SANADA (6/22), Hiroyoshi Tenzan versus YOSHI-HASHI (6/23), and EVIL versus Satoshi Kojima (6/23).
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi, Togi Makabe & Yuji Nagata def. Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki, Zack Sabre Jr., Taichi & DOUKI) (13:04) Hiroshi Tanahashi might have appreciated three months of rest more than anyone. Neither arm of his donned a compression sleeve for what seems like the first time in ages. Suzuki and Nagata defied their combined age of 104 years old with some of the hardest strikes on this whole show while Zack Sabre Jr., the only non-young lion foreign wrestler on this show, squared off against Ibushi at a high rate of speed. Ibushi hit a double Pele Kick on both DOUKI and Zack to stop Suzuki-gun all ganging up on him. Togi Makabe hit the King Kong Knee Drop on DOUKI to win the match for his team. Makabe’s music, a cover of Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song, played in the building. This is unusual, usually a generic dubbed rock song plays when he wins since paying for licensed music is expensive.
Minoru Suzuki goes one-on-one with Yuji Nagata on day one of the New Japan Cup tomorrow while Tanahashi and Ibushi compete against Taichi and Zack Sabre Jr. respectively on June 22.
Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Hiromu Takahashi & Shingo Takagi) def. CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, SHO & YOH) (14:17) It was amusing watching Okada gesticulate excessively to absent members of the crowd. In what might be a first for Okada, he was the only person in this six man tag team match to not be a Champion. Naito and Okada briefly opened the match with grappling, but it kicked into the next gear when SHO and Shingo Takagi tagged in to batter each other. SHO and Shingo have both stated that their rivalry that began in last year’s Best of the Super Juniors is not over, and they took the fight especially hard to each other. Tetsuya Naito pinned YOH with the Destino to close out the show. Naito and Hiromu fist-bumped each other after the match, but Shingo did not take part.
In the New Japan Cup first round, Kazuchika Okada will face Gedo, Hiromu Tanahashi will face Tomoaki Honma, it’s Shingo Takagi versus SHO, and YOH versus BUSHI. Tetsuya Naito sits out of the New Japan Cup as the reigning IWGP Heavyweight and IWGP Intercontinental Champion, set to defend both championships against the winner of the tournament at Dominion next month.
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
Photo: WWE.com
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.
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
Photo: WWE.com
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 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.
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.
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?
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.
The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever needed the finishing maneuver of The Great One. #WWEBacklash
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.
WWE had hyped that Edge vs. Randy Orton in a singles bout would be the Greatest Wrestling Match Ever. Despite the hype, it was hard to live up to those expectations.
The match between the two former WWE Champions took place at the WWE Backlash pay-per-view event. WWE did a cool thing when they had the old school MSG microphone repel down with the voice of the late great Howard Finkel doing the ring announcing.
There was piped in fan noise for the audio track. It was a slow-starting match that continuously intensified.
Orton was busted open just above his eyebrow after getting headbutted. Towards the end of the match, they hit some signature moves in addition to the Pedigree and Rock Bottom. Orton connected with a punt kick for the win.
Orton lost to Edge in a Last Man Standing Match at WrestleMania 36. Many considered this to be the end of their feud that had started the night after Royal Rumble, but WWE had different plans.
WWE restarted this feud on the May 11th episode of RAW when Orton issued a challenge to Edge to a wrestling match.
Things got interesting when WWE had Charly Caruso state that if it did happen it could be the greatest match of all-time. Clearly, the match was booked despite the tease of the tagline.
Edge later accepted the challenge and the two had been trading words on the weekly television show ever since then.
The clash between Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley is in the books.
As seen at Sunday’s (June 14, 2020) WWE Backlash pay-per-view event, McIntyre made his latest title defense.
As McIntyre was making his entrance, Lashley attacked him and locked in a full nelson choke until referees got him to let go of the choke. It was a solid back and forth match that was received well by fans on social media.
The finish saw Lashley be knocked into Lana, who was on the apron. This allowed McIntyre to hit the Claymore Kick for the win.
WWE paired Lashley with MVP with the former United States Champion being his manager back in May. During a recent episode of Monday Night RAW, Lashley and MVP observed McIntyre’s match against Baron Corbin.
Following the match, Mcintyre stated he wanted to face Lashley. WWE shortly confirmed the match booking.
It’s been reported that RAW Executive Director Paul Heyman wanted MVP to work as Bobby Lashley’s mouthpiece for a WWE Title run. The belief since McIntyre won the title was that he would have a long title reign.
Braun Strowman successfully retained the WWE Universal Title in his second defense of the championship.
He did so when he beat The Miz and John Morrison in a Handicap Match at the WWE Backlash pay-per-view event on the WWE Network.
WWE gave the challengers some offense but after Strowman was able to fight them off, he hit some signature moves before closing it out with his power slam finisher for the win.
WWE set up this contest on the May 25th episode of SmackDown on FOX when the show opened with Strowman interrupting The Miz and Morrison on The Dirt Sheet.
This led to Strowman beating the Miz in a non-title match. Post-match, he was challenged by Morrison to a Handicap Match at Backlash with the title on the line, which was accepted by Strowman.
Since then, WWE had been doing comedy segments with the three stars on television with the heels failing to embarrass him.
It’s possible that WWE goes back to this feud with Bray Wyatt portraying The Fiend soon as Wyatt was given time off as his second child with Jojo was recently born.
Asuka made her first successful defense of the WWE RAW Women’s Title on pay-per-view.
She did so at Sunday’s WWE Backlash pay-per-view event when she put the championship on the line against Nia Jax.
The finish saw Asuka kick Jax in the head while at ringside, but failed to get back inside of the ring before the count of 10. Thus, both stars were counted out. Post-match, Asuka took her out with a dive off the apron.
WWE set up this contest back on the May 25th episode of RAW when a match that would determine who was next in line for a title shot against Asuka.
A Triple Threat Match that saw WWE NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair, Nia Jax and Natalya battle it out took place with the winner becoming the next challenger to the title.
Jax was victorious, earning the right to challenge Asuka for the RAW Women’s Title at Backlash.
Asuka was awarded the title the night after she had won the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match at the gimmick pay-per-view event.
Time will tell whether WWE continues this feud or goes into a different direction heading into the Extreme Rules pay-per-view event next month.
You never know which @WWEAsuka face you'll be competing against…
Unfortunately, in just his third match back since coming out of retirement, Edge has been injured.
There had been rumors going around on Sunday regarding a potential injury suffered by the WWE Hall of Famer. It turns out that is the case as Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reports after contacting several in the company, it was discovered that Edge had sustained a torn triceps.
The injury occurred during his match against Randy Orton that was taped last Sunday from Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center. WWE had been hyping it up as the Greatest Wrestling Match Ever even before it actually took place.
As of this writing, WWE nor Edge has confirmed the injury. There’s also no word yet on how this affects his status with WWE or how it played out for the match. Clearly, he’ll be sidelined with the injury.
Leading into this match, there was no report as to what was next for Edge regarding an opponent and date for the match.
As noted, WWE taped this match in advance to make sure it was the best match possible due to the tagline to go along with it.
Impact Wrestling has teased that some of the recently released WWE wrestlers could appear at the Slammiversary PPV on July 18th, 2020. The promotion has teased wrestlers such as Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, EC3, Eric Young, Heath Slater and more could be on their way to the promotion.
Recently on Twitter, there has been some speculation that former NXT wrestler, Taynara Conti, could be headed to Impact as well.
Knockouts Tag Titles Returning?
This speculation started when someone asked Gail Kim if the Knockouts tag-team titles could be returning to the promotion. Kim then tagged several potential teams for the division, including two names who aren’t currently in Impact.
Taya and Rosemary are friends/rivals in the promotion. Tasha Steelz and Kiera Hogan recently became aligned. Nevaeh and Jessika Havok look to be aligned now in Impact as well as do Kylie Rae and “Susie.” Neither Sarah Stock nor Taylor Wilde is currently involved with Impact, though Wilde has been teasing a comeback on social media. Stock was working as a producer in WWE until being furloughed. The furlough period is up on July 1st.
Madison Rayne then said that if Kim won’t return as her partner then she could team with Deonna Purrazzo, Diamante, or Taynara Conti.
Ok ok I fully support this tweet, and let’s play fantasy booker for a second… If I can’t convince my former tag partner (hi @gailkimITSME) to get back in the ring… perhaps the ??? and:@TenilleDashwood@DeonnaPurrazzo@DiamanteLAX @TayConti_
WWE Champion Drew McIntyre will look to defend his title against Bobby Lashley at Backlash tonight. To help promote the match, McIntyre took part in an interview with TV Insider recently. During the discussion, he spoke about being champion during a global pandemic.
“It has been everything I imagined it to be within the confines of a pandemic,” McIntyre said. “I know my unique journey of all the ups and downs, being released before and finding myself as a person and performer. It prepared me to not just be one of the top guys but the top guy in the company who can handle any situation presented to him.”
“Nobody could predict [the coronavirus pandemic]. I’m the guy to move the company forward. Whenever I could step up like I did for British wrestling and independent wrestling, I’m all about it. The fact I got to step up for the company and the fans during a pandemic means the world to me.”
McIntyre also mentioned he doesn’t know much about the ins and outs of WWE’s creative process but commented on the recent changes.
“I don’t know the ins and outs regarding creative,” McIntyre said. “I get my creative and go from there.”
McIntyre also spoke about the possibility of Paul Heyman taking on new clients in storyline.
“Perhaps Paul Heyman has his eyes on other superstars he wants to bring to Drew McIntyre,” McIntyre said. “Either way, I always enjoy a little joke with Paul Heyman on the microphone. There is nobody better than him. It forces you to up your game. Hopefully, we’ll be seeing him soon enough.”
McIntyre defeated Brock Lesnar to win the WWE Championship after having earned a title shot by winning the 2020 Royal Rumble.
Depending on if you count Ted Dibiase and/or Antonio Inoki, McIntyre is the 52-54th person to hold the title. His is the 137th reign in the title’s lineage. McIntyre has successfully defended the title against the Big Show and Seth Rollins so far in his title reign.
Randy Orton will face Edge tonight in what is being billed as “The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever.” Orton took part in an interview with CBS Sports recently and spoke about both his upcoming bout with Edge and the one they had at WrestleMania this year.
“At WrestleMania, I think we stole the show. At WrestleMania, I think we had the best story going into it, which definitely helped,” Orton said.
“Now, at Backlash, are we doing to have ‘the greatest wrestling match ever?’ Eh. That’s subjective. I kind of painted myself into a corner and the pressure is definitely on, but if anybody is capable of it, it’s myself and Edge.”
Orton also spoke about the criticism some had regarding the length of his match with Edge at WrestleMania.
“You ever read a book in 3 minutes? Watch a sitcom or a movie that lasts 3, 4, 5 minutes? No. It takes time. For the fans that want to sit down, grab a bowl of popcorn and get ready for some seriously good f—ing wrestling? I’ll see you at Backlash. For the ones that want to go see a 3-minute match with five of the same moves back-to-back-to-back-to-back? Don’t tune in.”
The full interview with Randy Orton can be read here.
Edge and Randy Orton faced off in a Last Man Standing match at WrestleMania. It was Edge’s first match in 9.5 years. Orton then challenged him to a traditional wrestling match at Backlash tonight. The match has since been billed “The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever.”
Edge took to social media recently to speak about the challenge of the match being billed as it has been.
“This is my first pure wrestling match in 9.5 years. After having another neck fusion and my right wrist fused(my “good” hand). At 46 years old. Being billed beforehand The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever. During a pandemic. With limited audience. Kinda crazy. Kinda fun. MASSIVE challenge,” Edge wrote.
He would continue to say that he really did pour his heart into this match. The bout between Orton and Edge has already been taped but will air tonight on the WWE Network.
“What I can say is that I have poured my full heart and soul into this match. I’ve studied. Didn’t sleep much. Because I care. I care about my work ethic. I care about my body of work.”
He would continue to say, however, that the “Greatest Wrestling Match Ever” is subjective. His full statement can be read in the Instagram post below:
New Japan Pro Wrestling reportedly taped matches yesterday at their dojo in Los Angeles. According to a report from PW Insider, 9-10 matches were filmed for a show titled “Lion’s Break Collision.”
Former MLW World Champion, “Filthy” Tom Lawlor, is believed to have participated in the tapings. Other wrestlers reported to have taken part include Jeff Cobb, TJP, Rocky Romero, Misterioso, Alex Coughlin, Karl Fredericks, and Clark Connors.
NJPW is back taping matches in Japan tomorrow. The company’s first show since February titled “Together Project Special” has no advertised matches. On Tuesday and Wednesday, NJPW will begin the New Japan Cup.
