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Tuesday, May 25, 2021

The Rundown Slam: WWE WrestleMania Backlash

05/25/2021 06:07:03 AM

Photo credits: WWE.com/Casgeside Seats

WrestleMania season doesn't end in April, eh? 

In a seemingly bizarre turn of events just days after the Show of Shows (which, by the way, we gave our takes on this on my podcast These Drunken Midnights), World Wrestling Entertainment has banked on giving PPV shows a different namesake. 

And oftentimes, it doesn't really make that sense. Give this one a bit of exception, though.

WrestleMania Backlash featured some of the stories moving forward from the 2-day festivity that served as WWE's first live event in over a year, and some new ones that started from either RAW or SmackDown after Mania. It featured six matches in total, too long for a slated three-hour show.

Except for the bizarre-although-sponsored lumberjack match, WrestleMania Backlash was actually an excellent PPV from start to finish. Rhea Ripley was able to be successful in her first title defense as RAW Women's Champion, we have the first-ever father-and-son tag team champions in Rey Mysterio and Dominik, and Bianca Beliar able to win her SmackDown Women's Championship match against Bayley by a hairline – literally and figuratively.

Yeah, that Miz vs. Damian Priest match may be a bit good overall outlook of its culmination, but with all the zombies there instead of actual lumberjacks? Some would only hope Army of the Dead is better than this atrocious tie-up match because it's another Zack Synder movie. Forget Batista's voiceover on the intro.

Meanwhile, the triple threat match for the WWE Championship match was able to steal the show. That probably saves up for not being at the main event spot. Besides, the All-Mighty WWE Champion was able to thwart two opponents. But even if it appears that his feud with Drew McIntyre doesn't appear to be over, are we supposed to see a new babyface challenger stepping up to the plate aside from the monster train that is Braun Strowman?

That kinda throws the Dirty Dawgz vs The Mysterios match for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships some miles out of the window for that distinction. Probably that underdog card's been played for too long during the entire segment.

On the other hand, it's kinda surprising they let Roman Reigns have a clean win for his Universal Championship defense against Cesaro, who showed the world that he could really hang around with the main event players (well, wait, he's already been one until post-Mania 2014 came along).

But all in all, WrestleMania Backlash lived up to its name – and actual position. 

The Verdict: 8.5/10

Author: slickmaster | © 2021 The SlickMaster's Files

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