Historically one of the better WWE PPVs, will this year’s Backlash live up to its predecessors?
Backlash is here and NXT TakeOver: Chicago blew the minds of wrestling fans everywhere. What other surprises will be in store? Let’s dive in!
1) Last night was NXT TakeOver: Chicago. What was the match of the night for you?
Corey: Match of the night easily went to Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate. Those two men put on an absolute SHOW. Their timing was excellent. All the near falls were believable and each man did their part in carrying the match. This match could definitely end up being a Match of the Year candidate.
Josh: The Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne match for the UK Championship was incredible! They needed a match like that to build interest in the debuting UK-centric show and I don’t think there’s a person who watched what those two did that won’t be tuning in for the first episode.
2) What would you say was the biggest surprise from last night’s TakeOver event?
Corey: I think anyone that watched it will agree that the conclusion of the DIY vs Authors of Pain Ladder match was without a doubt the biggest surprise of the night. Seeing DIY come so close to recapturing the tag team titles but come up short again was already a heartbreak, but then to see Tommaso Ciampa, Gargano’s long time tag team partner as well as best friend, turn on him and attack him so aggressively had the entire audience in shock. It was an amazing heel turn. Also with the NXT crowd generally being the smark crowd yet this still catching them off guard as well just goes to show how well this heel turn was done.
Josh: Tommaso Ciampa’s heel turn was stunning. Took everyone by surprise, had well-earned boos raining from the crowd and looked vicious as hell. The whole sequence was perfectly done. The copyright image coming up just before the heel turn was a masterstroke in deceiving the viewers at home.
3) What do you see next for the now former tag team of DIY?
Corey: The heel turn will now make Ciampa one of, if not the, biggest heels on the NXT roster as well as making Gargano one of the top babyfaces. They are obviously going to feud for a bit, but then I definitely see both finding their way into the NXT title picture in about six to nine months.
Josh: A nice long feud is definitely in store. They don’t need titles, they don’t need promos, the only thing this needs is time for these two to go at it. Everyone is ready for it and can’t wait for it.
4) Tonight will also be Smackdown’s Backlash Pay Per View. Which match do you think will be match of the night?
Corey: I’m torn between AJ Styles vs Kevin Owens and Dolph Ziggler vs Shinsuke Nakamura. Styles and Owens can pretty much have a 4-star match with just about anyone. Ziggler could wrestle a broom and it would still be entertaining and Nakamura’s name outside of WWE speaks for itself. If I have to pick one I’ll go with Styles vs Owens simply because I think those two will be given more time than Ziggler and Nakamura.
Josh: Nakamura vs Ziggler. I’m hoping this match goes on last so it gets both time and a sweet end of show crowd pop. They’ve really built up Nakamura’s debut so it feels right going on last. Let’s hope WWE also sees the appeal.
5) Which match are you least looking forward to?
Corey: Without a doubt it’s the Naomi, Charlotte, Becky Lynch vs The Welcoming Committee 6-person tag match. The Smackdown women’s division is significantly weaker than Raw’s and continuing to do these multi-tag matches only hurts their division even more and on top of that 9 times out of 10 for their division the multi-tag matches are always duds and complete messes.
Josh: Baron Corbin vs Sami Zayn. These guys deserve better and to be haphazardly thrown in a match together with no build feels more suited to Smackdown than the PPV. Sure it feels time, but it doesn’t really do anything.
Additional Notes
Corey:
– I don’t see Jinder Mahal taking the title off of Orton tonight but if he did I wouldn’t be upset about it. Honestly Orton having the title hasn’t sat right with me since he won it at Mania.
– Monday Night Raw announced that at Extreme Rules there will be a Fatal 5 Way match for the No. 1 contender spot for Brock Lesnar’s Universal Championship. The participants will be Finn Balor, Bray Wyatt, Roman Reigns, Samoa Joe, and Seth Rollins. with so much star power in the match I’m on one hand excited because if booked correctly it could easily be match of the year. But also with this much star power in one match the show could run the risk of getting cold leading up to their match.
Josh:
– I know it’s still early in the WWE summer schedule, but I’m ready to see what the big storyline is going to be because as of right now it seems we’re just treading water.
Corey Stewart
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