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.
WWE Backlash happens this Sunday on the award-winning WWE Network.
The event features a series of championship matches taking place from Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center. WWE has yet to announce the headliner of this event.
In addition to several title matches, WWE is booking Edge vs. Randy Orton, which is a rematch from their Last Man Standing Match at WrestleMania 34, in a singles match that is being hyped as the greatest wrestling match ever.
WWE Champion Drew McIntyre vs. Bobby Lashley, WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Bayley & Sasha Banks vs. Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross vs. The IIconics, and more are on tap for this show.
SEScoops will have live coverage during the event. Afterward, check back for our WWE Backlash Results & Takeaways feature. Here is the final card for the show:
Backlash Card
Edge vs. Randy Orton – Singles Match
WWE Champion Drew McIntyre vs. Bobby Lashley
WWE Universal Champion Braun Strowman vs. The Miz & John Morrison – Handicap Match
WWE RAW Women’s Champion Asuka vs. Nia Jax
Jeff Hardy vs. Sheamus – Singles Match
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Bayley & Sasha Banks vs. Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross vs. The IIconics – Title Triple Threat Match
WWE United States Champion Apollo Crews vs. Andrade
It turns out that there’s more to the decision to move AJ Styles from Monday Night RAW to Friday Night SmackDown.
Last month, in an unexpected move, WWE announced that Styles was officially traded to SmackDown. A new report has shed some light on this situation and it involves former RAW Executive Director Paul Heyman.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter noted on the message board of F4Wonline that Styles “was furious” over Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson being released.
Per Meltzer, Styles reportedly blamed Heyman for their releases. Of course, Heyman doesn’t make the decision to release talent, but rather WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon.
Styles probably felt that Heyman could have fought McMahon over that decision, according to Meltzer.
Anderson and Gallows are now free agents as WWE released them back in April alongside several other talent and staff who were part of the mass firings due to budget cuts related to the coronavirus impacting their business.
As noted, Heyman was removed as the head of creative for RAW this past Thursday as Bruce Prichard will now take over in addition to his responsibilities with SmackDown.
However, Heyman still has a WWE performer’s contract and will remain as the advocate of Brock Lesnar on television.
A top star on the WWE RAW roster is in line to get a shot at reclaiming gold and that’s Charlotte Flair.
Dave Meltzer noted on Saturday’s Wrestling Observer Radio that Flair is next in line to challenge for the RAW Women’s Championship, which is currently held by Asuka.
Flair lost the NXT Women’s Championship to Io Shirai at NXT Takeover: In Your House last Sunday. Rhea Ripley took the pinfall in the Triple Threat Match.
This comes days after Meltzer noted in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the idea behind not having Flair taking the pinfall was to keep the perception that she is superior to the other women.
With Becky Lynch being pregnant, WWE wants to book Flair as their top star in the women’s division on RAW. Thus, despite losing the title, WWE made sure to keep Flair looking strong in order to be pushed as the top female performer in the company.
As of this writing, Flair doesn’t have a match booked for Sunday’s WWE Backlash pay-per-view event.
On the flip side, Asuka will make her next title defense against Nia Jax at this show that takes place in Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center on the WWE Network.
The fallout from the big shift in the creative for WWE RAW after Paul Heyman’s removal continues.
WWE announced earlier this week that Heyman has stepped down as RAW Executive Director to focus on his on-screen role while Bruce Prichard will now be in charge of both RAW and SmackDown. Vince McMahon made the decision for the change.
Dave Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that the USA Network, which airs RAW, is very unhappy with the change. He noted that the network wasn’t happy with the drop in ratings, but understood the reason behind it and knew months ago that this was a rebuilding period, which takes time.
RAW ratings had been dropping week-over-week, but not a huge drop as they did once WWE was forced to move shows to the Performance Center in front of no fans due to the coronavirus.
For those who are wondering, Monday’s episode of RAW has already been taped, which means no changes to booking will be made at least on that show. However, plans in place by Heyman for the RAW roster at the Backlash pay-per-view event could be changed regarding outcomes.
It’s been reported that Heyman had originally said that it would take eighteen months or longer to build new stars. Clearly, McMahon felt that a change needed to be made.
WWE Superstar Shayna Baszler recently appeared on WWE’s The Bump. The former NXT Women’s Champion appeared on the WWE Network show to discuss a number of topics from her recent career with the company.
One of the points raised was the WWE RAW Women’s Championship match between Asuka and Nia Jax that will be taking place Sunday at WWE Backlash.
“I can sit here and tell you that Asuka got handed a title and whatnot. But she is a former champion” Shayna Baszler began. “So that’s not to say that she’s not a formidable opponent. She has proven that, but I think Nia Jax is on a roll lately, she’s been literally just picking people up and tossing them around, and nobody’s been able to stop her.”
Shayna Baszler elaborated further, saying “she did it to me in the Money In The Bank match. She just picked me up and threw me against the wall. Next thing I know? I’m waking up and the thing is over. So I know firsthand about how that goes and how it feels.”
Baszler would then talk about her and Asuka have similar backgrounds, even talking about how they trained with similar coaches. “Asuka is crafty and she’s game. We kind of came up in the same lineage through pro wrestling, kind of the same family tree. She trained with some people that I’ve trained with. And some of our coaches were teammates. So, if I know anything about where she came from in her training? In her upbringing? She hasn’t even scratched the surface of what she can show, so I know her toolbox goes a lot deeper than we even realise. So it’s gonna be…it’s gonna be a good match.”
Do you think that we’ll get a match for the title between Asuka and Shayna Baszler? Let us know in the comments
WWE Superstar Charlotte Flair recently appeared on the Wrestling Daft podcast. The multiple time Women’s Champion appeared for a short interview on the show discussing topics from her recent career in WWE.
One of the topics discussed was Charlotte Flair being positioned on all three of WWE’s major brands currently. That being RAW, SmackDown and NXT. Flair would state how she feels “frustrated” when certain fans would complain that she is being pushed in such a way by the company.
Charlotte Flair on Frustration
“I think I’m doing some of my best work in my career right now” Charlotte Flair began. “I realise that because people see me all the time, I just don’t think…it’s not what they’re used to and the expectation is so high.”
Charlotte Flair would elaborate further, saying “it’s so frustrating. Because it’s like ‘what am I not supposed to be hungry? Am I not supposed to, you know, always want to be on top? Am I not supposed to be fighting to get better?’ So, I don’t know, it’s like a catch 22.”
Flair would then state that whilst she is on all three brands not every storyline is actually based on her specifically. “I think the biggest thing for me? Yes I’m on all three brands. But if you look at my storylines that I’m a part of? I’m a part of someone else’s storyline, it’s not like anything is a Charlotte Flair ‘push.’ Going to SmackDown was not for me, that’s not a push. Charlotte Flair is a ‘name’ and she is coming to SmackDown. Currently, I am just all over the place brand wise; because I am the hardest worker, and I will say that for the women.”
Do you want to see Charlotte Flair still appear on all three brands going forward? Let us know in the comments
WWE Hall of Famer and co-host of SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio Bully Ray recently commented on Bobby Lashley and his upcoming WWE Championship match at Backlash.
The former TNA Heavyweight Champion would discuss how now would be a perfect time to put the WWE Championship on Lashley, for a litany of reasons. The most prominent being the current world climate.
Bully Ray on Bobby Lashley
“I really do think that this is a good time for it” Bully Ray began on the show. “I don’t like to think that because of what’s going on in the world today? That we feel it necessary to put the championship on an African American athlete? But I believe Bobby Lashley is well deserving of that and they [WWE] can make it work.”
Bully Ray would elaborate further, talking about how current Champion Drew McIntyre hasn’t had a fair shot due to the ongoing pandemic and the style of taping WWE has had to employ. “This whole pandemic situation that has been unfortunate for Drew, Vince had high hopes for Drew. Drew’s doing a great job and Drew can continue to do a great job. When the crowds are back? I think job number one with Drew is to get that World Heavyweight Championship back on him.”
Lashley as WWE Champion
“When there are crowds back allowed in the house? That’s when we’ll finally find out if Drew is truly over with the fan base” Bully Ray continued. “But right now? I’m leaning towards Bobby Lashley becoming the new World Heavyweight Champion. I’m not saying that he has to pin Drew clean in the middle, they can be some chicanery, we can get some interference by MVP blah blah blah. But I think Bobby Lashley holding that Championship is a good look for the WWE.”
Bully Ray would then finish by saying “Bobby Lashley would be your World Heavyweight Champion, Apollo Cruz would be your United States champion and The New Day would be your Tag Team Champions. I don’t know, I just wanted to get that off my chest.”
Do you think that Bobby Lashley will defeat Drew McIntyre at Backlash this Sunday? Let us know in the comments
WWE Superstar Shayna Baszler recently appeared on WWE’s The Bump. The former NXT Women’s Champion appeared on the WWE Network show to discuss a number of topics from her recent career with the company.
One of the points raised was Shayna Baszler’s mental approach when walking to the wrestling ring and previously the MMA cage.
“When I was fighting in MMA? The first round is the walk to the ring” Shayna Baszler began on the show. “And that’s when all the self talk starts. It’s funny, because I was on a reality show; and they sat me down in a setting, much like this and they’re like, ‘so tell us what’s going through your mind as you make that walk?’ That’s where all the self talk is.”
Shayna Baszler Talks Mental Strategy
Shayna Baszler elaborated further, saying “it’s like, ‘I’ve worked so much harder for this, she doesn’t deserve this.’ That’s where you have to be, you have to have that mentality. And when you verbalise that to people that have never made that walk? It sounds arrogant, but the truth of the matter is if you want to achieve the things that have been achieved by people that have made that walk? You have to have that mentality.”
Shayna Baszler then talked about the backlash she and her Four Horsewomen of MMA partner Ronda Rousey received when talking about the mentality. “I got that backlash for verbalising what goes on in my head. Ronda also got that backlash for verbalising what goes on as well.”
25-year-old Jake Atlas trained with the Santino Bros out of Southern California. The highly-touted prospect recently took part in the NXT Interim Cruiserweight Championship tournament, sporting a 2-1 record and advancing to Group A’s tie-breaking triple threat. Atlas recently spoke to People.com about not wanting to be known as “the Gay Wrestler.”
“You’re not going to watch me because I’m gay. You’re going to watch me because I’m good,” Atlas said to People.
He also noted that Sonya Deville reached out to him and the two have grown closer since.
“Sonya Deville was one of the first superstars that reached out to me,” he said. “We have been able to get closer and understand each other. And like we’re both here, you know? I have your back; we have my back.”
Unfortunately, coming out was difficult for Atlas when he was a teenager. He spoke about his Mother’s reaction when he came out to her during the interview as well.
“I came out when I was 15,” Atlas said. “I didn’t tell a friend. I went straight to my mom. When I told her was the first time that I uttered the word ‘gay.’ I didn’t even say bisexual, because I knew I had been lying to myself. I was crying and I even said the words, ‘I know this is wrong, but I’m gay.’ ”
“I know that more than anything, she was crying out of disappointment. And she brought religion into it. It was a difficult moment,” he continued. Atlas would continue to say the two have had better conversation since, however.
Smackdown Superstar, Mustafa Ali, is a former Chicago-area police officer. He has previously said that he joined the force in order to create change from the inside. He recently took part in an interview with SI.com where he spoke about Black Lives Matter, George Floyd’s death at the hands of police, and more from the perspective of a former police officer.
“As a former police officer, I can look you in the eye and tell you with zero hesitation in my voice that George Floyd was not just killed by the police,” Ali said. “He was murdered by the police.”
Ali continued to explain why he joined the police force.
“I thought the best way to bring change to the police department [was] from within. That’s why I joined.”
Mustafa Ali On Black Lives Matter
Ali would then say that it is the structure and culture of policing that needs to change. He continued to talk about the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement as well.
“The Black Lives Matter movement isn’t something that happened overnight. It’s not something over one Black man being murdered. This is 400 years of getting shoved and hit and kicked and spit on and murdered and raped, insulted and degraded, and killed. This is 400 years of that. The Black Lives Matter movement is essential to the survival of every Black man and woman in this country. Yeah, there’s going to be that permanent scar there and the only way to really repair that relationship is massive change. And yes, it starts with the police.”
Ali goes even deeper during the interview to talk about the culture of the criminal justice system.
“Look at the private prison industry,” he continued. “It makes millions every year off of what? Arresting, detaining, and putting Black people in custody.”
It’s a long-standing tradition in wrestling for younger stars to ask permission from a veteran if they want to use any of their signature moves and Randy Orton recently revealed the story of one such interaction with a former NXT star.
The former World Champion was the guest on the latest episode of After The Bell podcast and the company recently posted a clip of his interview on YouTube.
In the clip, Orton recalled a recent trip to WWE Performance Center. He revealed how Austin Theory came to him seeking permission to use a move similar to RKO and explained that he was taken aback by this gesture:
“I was down in the PC and Austin Theory comes up to me to shake my hand. I could tell he was new, he was young and he was trying to not say the wrong thing. But he asked me, he goes, ‘Hey I want to start doing this move and it ends up in a similar position, kind of like a cutter.’
I was so taken aback that this kid took the time and had the respect and the wherewithal to ask me if it was OK with me for him to do that.” said Orton “Before I could even think about what the right answer should be, I said, ‘Yes! Oh my god! Are you kidding me?’ He came to me and he asked me. I don’t know if that’s ever happened,”
Austin Theory has since been called up to the main roster and he recently joined Seth Rollins’ faction after being kicked out of the team of Andrade and Angel Garza.
Randy Orton is currently scheduled to face Edge in a one on one match at Backlash and he is not ruling out the possibility of a match with Tommaso Ciampa afterwards.
After weeks of buildup, WWE has confirmed that the former NXT star Matt Riddle will finally be making his main roster debut on SmackDown during next week’s episode of the show.
The former UFC star competed in a Fight Pit match against Timothy Thatcher with special guest referee Kurt Angle during the May 27 episode of NXT and he lost the bout.
Angle then announced the main roster call up of the NXT star two nights later on SmackDown and the company had been promoting his arrival ever since.
The promotion finally confirmed the date for his debut on this week’s episode of the show with a graphic, announcing that he will be making his in-ring debut on the post Backlash episode of the Blue Branded Show:
Matt Riddle had commented on the announcement of his call up during an interview, and he said that the real money would have been in him attacking the WWE Hall Of Famer instead of being introduced by him.
Though the company has not revealed the opponent for the former NXT star and it would be interesting to see if he ends up getting involved in a feud with any WWE star immediately upon his arrival.
Jinder Mahal revealed earlier this month that he has undergone knee surgery. Latest reports suggest that the timing for it was not in Mahal’s favor as he was supposed to be involved in a big feud before being put on the shelf.
Dave Meltzer discussed the injury of the former WWE Champion on the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter and revealed that he was scheduled to feud with the WWE Champion Drew McIntyre before the surgery.
Meltzer noted that the match for Mahal was discussed because of the lack of top heels on the Raw brand and the idea behind it was that the two already had a history from their time as part of 3MB.
Though this rivalry wasn’t supposed to last for very long and while not confirmed, it’s likely that the Modern Day Maharaja was going to be just a stop on McIntyre’s reign.
Jinder Mahal announced on Instagram earlier this month that he has undergone another knee surgery which was especially surprising because he only returned from a knee injury after a year of absence in April this year.
His recent surgery was apparently only scheduled to be a minor operation but the damage turned out to be more significant than expected.
So far there is no word on how long Mahal will stay out of action but we will keep you posted about any updates on his recovery.
Nia Jax once again became subject to high criticism from fans online when the former NXT star ended up injuring Kairi Sane during a match on Raw earlier last month.
The former Raw Women’s Champion recently had an interview with Talk Sport where she discussed a number of things and also commented on the fan backlash over the incident.
Jax first confirmed that she is aware of the criticism she receives online and said that it does affect her. However, later she claimed that stepping back makes her realise that it comes from just a small percentage of people who have nothing better to do:
“But when I step back and I actually immerse myself into the WWE Universe – like when I get to see the crowd and fans – I know that’s just a small percentage on Twitter who have nothing better to do than hate on somebody.
The fans in real life are so welcoming, so giving and so understanding,” said Nia Jax “I’ve had nothing but positive feedback from them and I’m super grateful for that.”
The former NXT star also commented on Becky Lynch’s decision to step away from WWE after her pregnancy announcement, saying that Lynch will be back and take her spot when she is ready.
Apart from this, Nia Jax talked about things like her knee injury, working with Asuka and more. You can check out her full interview at this link.
It’s no secret that Rey Mysterio’s son Dominick is training for a career in wrestling. Since he has made a number of appearances on WWE TV recently, it looks to be only a matter of time before he makes his in-ring debut for the company.
During a recent interview with GalaxyCon’s Rock Around the Ring, the former World Champion talked about a number of things and revealed some interesting details about his son’s training.
When asked who he thinks would be the ideal opponent for his son in his debut match, Mysterio said that without a doubt, Andrade would be a great opponent for Dominick:
“I think without a doubt, just because of the style he brings, Andrade would be awesome, Andrade or [Angel] Garza. I think they would be incredible against my son.
But Cesaro would do incredible as well just because of the height.” said Rey Mysterio “Dominick is 6’2″ 195 pounds and still to this day I tell my wife I’d love to DNA him because I believe he’s not my son [laughs].”
The WWE veteran then revealed that Dominick has recently trained with people like Lance Storm and Jay Lethal and he is training in San Diego right now.
The former champion also said that his son is open-minded and he may even consider training in Mexico or Japan. You can check out Rey Mysterio’s full interview at this link.
WWE Hall Of Famer Kurt Angle recently held a Q&A session on his Facebook where he answered questions related to his early wrestling career, his training and more.
A fan asked the former World Champion which title belt design he liked the most and the Olympic Gold Medallist said that he liked the Undisputed Championship belt that was used from 2002 to 2005.
Angle was then asked about the backstage environment at the Ruthless Aggression Era and he said that it was fun because they had a little more creative control over their characters:
“It was fun. We had a little more creative control over our own characters and the wrestling just kept getting better. It might have been the best era in wrestling. Maybe.”
When asked which NXT talent he sees having the highest potential, Kurt Angle took the name of Velveteen Dream: “It’s hard to say. I always liked Velveteen Dream. But…there are so many great talents in NXT right now.”
The Attitude Era star also discussed the promos during the Attitude Era and praised Stone Cold Steve Austin for his abilities on the mic saying that he was a rare breed.
You can check out Kurt Angle’s full Q&A in the post below:
SmackDown aired from the Performance Center in Orlando. Daniel Bryan competed against AJ Styles in the finals of the Intercontinental Championship Tournament. Jeff Hardy and Sheamus had the contract signing for their match at Backlash tonight as well. It was the final episode of SmackDown before WWE Backlash this Sunday. It was also announced that Matt Riddle will debut next week.
Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura def. New Day in a non-title match
AJ Styles def. Daniel Bryan to become Intercontinental Champion
Braun Strowman & Heavy Machinery def. The Miz, John Morrison & Dolph Ziggler
Here are 4 takeaways from this week’s show:
Jeff Hardy Threw His Urine Sample In Sheamus’ Face
Renee Young moderated the contract signing between Sheamus and Jeff Hardy to kick off SmackDown. Sheamus came down to the ring with a docter and a bunch of security guards. Jeff Hardy then joined them in the ring.
Sheamus said the curtain was for discretion because he didn’t want to offend Renee Young. Sheamus added that security team wasn’t here for him, they were here for Jeff. He stated that he has to go behind the curtain and take a urine test to get the match at Backlash because there is no way he is getting in the ring with a junkie.
Jeff Hardy admitted that he is an alcoholic and has other addictions that he has been battling since his early twenties. Hardy vowed to be a beacon of light for everybody that struggles with this and will go along with this bullsh*t to get his hands on Sheamus this Sunday.
Hardy went behind the curtain as Sheamus cut a PSA about not doing drugs into the camera. Jeff finished up and his urine was absurdly yellow and Sheamus joked that he must have really enjoyed happy hour. Hardy then threw the urine in Sheamus’ face and signed the contract. Sheamus freaked out and gagged as the crowd chanted “you got pissed on”. The doctor then informed Sheamus backstage that Jeff’s test came back negative.
Later on SmackDown, Sheamus attacked Jeff Hardy backstage and beat him down before security broke it up.
Opinion: Sheamus framing Jeff Hardy for a hit & run on Elias was ridiculous but entertaining in my opinion. This segment was just idiotic and came off as something that was written by a 5 year old. I believe Jeff Hardy uttered “it is better to be pissed off than to be pissed on” before throwing his urine at Sheamus. That line is really all you need to know about this segment.
Match Recap: Bryan knocked Styles out of the ring and connected with a Suicide Dive as SmackDown went to a break. When SmackDown returned, Styles was in control and head Bryan in an Arm Bar. Bryan broke free went to work on AJ’s left knee.
Styles and Bryan traded roll-ups but both superstars kicked out several times. Bryan and Styles then ran into each other and crashed to the canvas as SmackDown went to another commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, Styles was back in control and sent Bryan flying out of the ring. AJ joined Bryan on the outside and Daniel shoved his elbow into the ring post. Bryan followed that up by pressing AJ’s elbow against the apron and stomping on it.
Back in the ring, Daniel stomped on AJ’s elbow once again before applying a submission hold in the middle of the ring. Daniel went for a Dropkick but Styles got out of the way and Bryan crashed into the turnbuckle.
Styles focused his attack on Bryan’s left knee and tied it up in the ropes. AJ kicked it several times as Bryan screamed in pain. Bryan hit an Enziguri out of nowhere and both superstars fell to the mat.
AJ was the first up and went for the Phenomenal Forearm but Bryan tripped him up. Daniel perched Styles up on the top rope and connected with a Frankensteiner. Styles battled back and turned Bryan inside out with a Clothesline as SmackDown went to another commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, Bryan and Styles were trading punches in the middle of the ring. Daniel got the better of the exchange and sent Styles out of the ring. Bryan went for a Suicide Dive but AJ was ready and delivered a boot to Daniel’s face.
AJ went for the Phenomenal Forearm but Bryan countered into an Arm Bar in the middle of the ring. Styles then reversed into the Calf Crusher but Bryan countered right back into the Arm Bar.
Styles escaped and walked into a Yes Kick to the head for a near fall. Daniel Bryan hit a Back Suplex off the middle rope as we went to a fourth commercial break during the match. AJ hit a reverse DDT when SmackDown returned for a two count.
AJ followed that up with a Pele Kick and a Brainbuster for a near fall. Styles went for another Pele Kick but Bryan countered into an Ankle Lock. AJ battled to his feet and planted Bryan with a German Suplex for a two count.
Bryan hit a German Suplex of his own and hit several elbows to AJ’s shoulder. Daniel then applied the Yes Lock in the middle of the ring but Styles was able to get his foot on the bottom rope to break the hold.
The crowd chanted “yes!” as Bryan got up and unloaded some kicks to AJ’s face. Bryan went for the Running Knee but AJ countered into the Styles Clash. AJ couldn’t capitalize and go for the cover.
Styles rolled to the apron and pulled himself up by using the ropes. Bryan stumbled to his feet and turned around into the Phenomenal Forearm for the pinfall victory. AJ Styles is the new Intercontinental Champion.
After the match, Styles said that he was the best champion the WWE Universe has ever seen and he is phenomenal.
Opinion: The only complaint I have about this match is that it wasn’t at Backlash. The commercial breaks drove me insane because they were interrupting an incredible match.
Women’s Tag Team Champions Sasha Banks & Bayley came down to the ring for a celebration. Before entering the balloon covered ring, Banks and Bayley took a selfie in front of Michael Cole. Bayley and Banks will defend the titles against The IIconics, and Bliss & Cross at Backlash this Sunday.
The crowd booed and Bayley shouted that they are lucky to have been invited. SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley said it is lonely at the top but she is not lonely because she has her best friend, Sasha Banks.
Banks claimed that they told everyone so and that they are the role models. Sasha added that the titles represent their friendship and they are only going to get stronger because they are unstoppable together.
Bayley was about to read a poem she had written for Banks but was interrupted by Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross. Alexa said she was fine with the celebration until poetry got involved. The IIconics showed up on the jumbotron and boasted about defeating Banks & Bayley at WrestleMania and Bliss & Cross recently.
Bliss and Cross then attacked Bayley and Banks in the ring as The IIconcics laughed. Nikki and Alexa threw Bayley and Banks out of the ring to end the segment.
Universal Champion Braun Strowman & Heavy Machinery teamed up to face Dolph Ziggler, The Miz, and John Morrison in the main event. Strowman will defend the Universal Championship against Miz & Morrison in a Handicap Match this Sunday at Backlash.
Match Recap: Ziggler and Otis started the match off and Dolph immediately scampered out of the ring. The Miz tagged in and Otis greeted him with a Body Slam. Tucker tagged in and headbutted Miz in the ribs.
John Morrison tagged in and hit Tucker with an Enziguri. Tucker went for a Back Body Drop but Morrison landed on his feet. Tucker planted Morrison with a Powerslam and John retreated to the corner.
Ziggler and Strowman tagged in and Braun hit a Splash in the corner. Tucker got back in and lifted Ziggler up for a Suplex. King Corbin showed up on the jumbotron and confronted Mandy Rose about Otis stealing his crown last week. Corbin claimed that Mandy was fantasizing about being with him. Otis sprinted out of the ring and attacked Corbin backstage as SmackDown went a break.
When SmackDown returned, Tucker was isolated in the corner and Otis had not returned to the ring. Tucker spent the next several minutes trying to escape as Strowman pleaded for a tag. Miz and Morrison dragged Strowman off the apron and beat him down outside the ring.
Ziggler sent Tucker into the turnbuckle as Otis and Mandy came down to the entrance ramp. Otis hopped on the apron as Tucker hit Ziggler with a boot to the face. Otis tagged in and knocked Miz & Morrison off the apron. Otis danced off a couple shots from Ziggler and hit him with a headbutt.
Otis launched Ziggler out of the ring and signaled for Strowman. Braun leveled Miz and Morrison with a couple of shoulder tackles and rolled Ziggler back in the ring. Otis hit the Caterpillar Elbow to Ziggler for the victory.
Opinion: A feud between Otis and King Corbin sounds horrific. Cesaro & Nakamura defeated New Day in a non-title match and I’m sure they will be thrown into title match at Backlash or in the near future. Cesaro & Nakamura have done absolutely nothing as of late but this his how WWE books their tag team division. Instead of building up a rivalry over several weeks on television, Cesaro & Nakamura randomly defeat the champs and springboard to the top of the division. The epic Styles and Bryan match saved this show from being terrible.
The betting odds for all of the matches that will take place at the WWE Backlash pay-per-view event have been released.
The card for the show that takes place this Sunday from Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center is likely or closed to be finalized.
Make sure to join us for match recaps and our takeaways from this latest pay-per-view event held by WWE.
The only title change expected involves the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles as Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross are favored to win them back.
WWE Backlash Betting Odds
The favorites to win are listed as – while the underdogs are listed with +. Odds call for all three titles to change. Here are the final betting odds courtesy of BetOnline:
Edge +120 vs. Randy Orton -160 – Singles Match
WWE Champion Drew McIntyre -950 vs. Bobby Lashley +500
WWE Universal Champion Braun Strowman -1250 vs. The Miz & John Morrison +550 – Handicap Match
WWE RAW Women’s Champion Asuka -600 vs. Nia Jax +350
Jeff Hardy -140 vs. Sheamus -140 – Singles Match
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Bayley & Sasha Banks 4/7 vs. Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross 2/1 vs. The IIconics 5/2 – Title Triple Threat Match
WWE United States Champion Apollo Crews -550 vs. Andrade +325
AJ Styles has become the new WWE Intercontinental Champion.
During Friday’s episode of SmackDown from Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center on FOX, WWE held the tournament finals to crown a new Intercontinental Champion.
As seen on the show, Styles went over Daniel Bryan to become the champion. It was a long hard-hitting affair that saw both stars hit their signature moves. Several fans praised the contest on social media.
Back on the May 15th episode of SmackDown, WWE announced the full bracket for the Intercontinental Title tournament. There were 8 competitors in the tournament.
Styles, Bryan, Drew Gulak, Elias, Jeff Hardy, King Corbin, Sheamus, and Shinsuke Nakamura were confirmed as competitors.
WWE booked Elias vs. King Corbin, Daniel Bryan vs. Drew Gulak, Jeff Hardy vs. Sheamus, and AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura in the first round.
The semi-finals of the tournament were supposed to take place on SmackDown with Jeff Hardy vs. Daniel Bryan and Elias vs. AJ Styles. But there were some changes due to a DUI storyline involving Hardy and Elias.
This tournament came about due to WWE stripping Sami Zayn of the title. The reason for this booking decision was due to Zayn being off of television.
WWE Champion Drew McIntyre is already looking ahead to SummerSlam.
McIntyre spoke with Inside The Ropes about his ideal opponent for SummerSlam, which is where named Randy Orton as that opponent.
McIntyre explained that right now they’re in the position where WWE is building a lot of people including himself and Bobby Lashley together as they’ll be able to help each other with MVP bringing each other up.
He thinks they’re both helping to establish each other as he considers himself as being on the rise and WWE Champion and what his legacy is going to be.
“But someone like an Orton is someone who can make me work up, really learn from, he’s obviously an established name, people tune in saying hey there’s Randy Orton. “
“If they’ve never seen me before or remember me from the past they’re gonna go ‘ooh who’s this guy?’ and he’s gonna help tell that story and really establish me as a top, top player. I think basically Randy Orton is my Joker.”
As of this writing, despite the coronavirus pandemic, WWE is still moving forward with plans to hold SummerSlam with fans in attendance in Boston come August. Whether that will happen as scheduled remains to be seen.
McIntyre makes his next title defense against Lashley at Sunday’s Backlash PPV event.
There was an interesting rumor going around online that Vince Russo was back with Impact Wrestling to help with the creative process.
Pwinsider.com reports that those in Impact Wrestling had denied the rumors that the former head writer was back with the company. Per the report, the rumors have made the rounds since before WrestleMania 36 Weekend.
It was noted that Russo is not involved or employed in any way by Impact. Regarding whether he was set to be part of the “TNA: There’s No Place Like Home” special event back in April at Wrestlecon, it was noted that there was talk of using him at the show.
The reason behind this idea was due to the promotion having an open-door policy for that one single night, to celebrate the old TNA brand.
Russo was never officially booked. The event was nixed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Finally, PWInsider noted there are no plans for Russo within the company in any capacity. This includes him being a consultant, independent contract, or employee.
Russo took to Twitter to react to the rumors by writing the following:
Years Ago I was Hired by TNA as a consultant. Part of the Terms was to keep it Quiet. I did what my Employer asked me to do. When I accidentally sent an e-mail to the wrong address-it came out. I was labeled a LIAR for keeping the confidentiality my employer asked me to. (1)
At that time I vowed myself to never allow myself to get into that situation again. The Dirt Sheets are stirring up that I'm consulting fort TNA again. Hate to kill their FALSE BS-but-I'm not. https://t.co/17iU7cAwCf is a FULL-TIME JOB and I wouldn't trade it in for THE WORLD (2)
