I had such low expectations for this show, and I can definitely say that they were exceeded. That being said, this wasn't really a great show, and there were plenty of lowlights. Despite that, I did enjoy myself, and ultimately, that's all that matters.
Backlash 2016 Score: 9/10
- Shinsuke Nakamura is clearly the next big star on the blue brand, as he was the focus of much of the marketing for this event. His match with Dolph was underwhelming at best, as the two didn't really click. Still, just based on entrance alone, Nakamura is one of the most over guys on the roster, and he may be a champion sooner rather than later.
- The Fashion Files has been one of the most consistently entertaining parts of SmackDown over the past month, but most would've known that they weren't winning the titles. This was a highly entertaining match, as Tyler Breeze proved just how talented he is with disguise after disguise. Hopefully Breezango continue to remain relevant over the coming months, though I won't hold my breath.
- Hey, Sami Zayn got a big win. Over Baron Corbin, no less. Not much else to say here- it was a fun match, and Sami finally got a win, so all good here.
- Back in February, I was wondering if I could be less interested in SmackDown's women's division. I'll give one thing to the blue brand, they've managed to top themselves with pointlessness on this night. Nothing was advanced, no one looked good, let's just move on.
- It's not exactly a shock that Kevin Owens and AJ Styles would put on the best match of the night, as these two killed each other to get over. It was a brutal affair with a smart finish, which will likely lead to more of this in the future, which is good in my book.
- Luke Harper and Erick Rowan were on this show.
- Let's talk about the main event. I'm cool with Jinder winning, and this was a surprisingly good match, but I haven't heard a crowd less invested in a main event in a while. The post-match reactions were great, but the fans were mostly muted throughout, possibly because of that Harper-Rowan match. I will give props to SmackDown though- the program might not have been great, and his character needs some work, but putting the belt on Jinder takes guts. We'll have to see if the gamble pays off.
5/10
A bit of a mediocre show, though there were some definite highlights, particularly the tag title match and US Title match, and Jinder's big win. Ultimately, it wasn't a very strong card, and it showed.
- It's not exactly a shock that Kevin Owens and AJ Styles would put on the best match of the night, as these two killed each other to get over. It was a brutal affair with a smart finish, which will likely lead to more of this in the future, which is good in my book.
- Luke Harper and Erick Rowan were on this show.
- Let's talk about the main event. I'm cool with Jinder winning, and this was a surprisingly good match, but I haven't heard a crowd less invested in a main event in a while. The post-match reactions were great, but the fans were mostly muted throughout, possibly because of that Harper-Rowan match. I will give props to SmackDown though- the program might not have been great, and his character needs some work, but putting the belt on Jinder takes guts. We'll have to see if the gamble pays off.
5/10
A bit of a mediocre show, though there were some definite highlights, particularly the tag title match and US Title match, and Jinder's big win. Ultimately, it wasn't a very strong card, and it showed.
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