Tag: Bad Bunny

Report: WWE originally had Bad Bunny in tag team match at Backlash

WWE is showing its faith in Bad Bunny by deviating from its original plan.

When a celebrity competes in a WWE match, that person is usually involved in a tag team bout to protect them from being on their own. That won’t be the case with Bad Bunny, as he’ll wrestle Damian Priest in a San Juan Street Fight at WWE Backlash.

Plans were supposed to be the norm for a celebrity match, however. According to Fightful Select (subscription required but recommended), WWE originally planned for Bad Bunny to team with Rey Mysterio against Dominik Mysterio and Damian Priest. Bad Bunny would have pinned Dominik in a fan-pleasing ending.

Instead, Bad Bunny and WWE were confident that the former could deliver a good singles match at Backlash, so plans changed.

While this plan may seem bold, Bad Bunny impressed at WrestleMania 37 when he tagged with Priest against John Morrison and The Miz in arguably one of the first night’s top matches. The music sensation even held his own in the kendo stick-wielding segment on Raw with Priest to build to their match.

Bad Bunny has yet to participate in a singles match, but a street fight should be a perfect opportunity for him to show off his skills. He can sell for Priest, use objects outside the ring, and hit a flashy spot or two that will get the San Juan crowd on their feet.

If it’s the show’s main event, Bad Bunny could even be penciled in for a win to send the fans home happy. Judgment Day and the LWO getting involved as well adds another wrinkle to the festivities, creating more drama.

Either way, Bad Bunny vs. Damian Priest is among the headliners of an intriguing night of matches that also includes Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar, Matt Riddle, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn vs. The Usos and Solo Sikoa and three championship bouts.

WWE Backlash 2023: Date, start time, match card

We get you set for the first WWE premium live event in Puerto Rico in nearly 20 years.

When WrestleMania is in the rear view mirror, it can only be time for the Backlash.

It makes sense that WWE follows its biggest event of every calendar year with a show that deals with its repercussions, and even though the company has moved away from branding it that way directly in 2023 — the show was actually called WrestleMania Backlash the last few years — there’s no question that the fingerprints of the Show of Shows are on this event as usual.

What’s new and exciting for this year is the locale: San Juan, Puerto Rico, which hasn’t hosted a WWE premium live event in 18 years. Music superstar Bad Bunny, one of Puerto Rico’s favorite sons, had been advertised as the host of the event, but as you’ll see below, he’s since abandoned that position in favor of a more active role, to say the least.

The card will also be boosted by some returning talent. Matt Riddle has been back on TV after missing several months due to a reported suspension (and entering rehab), and got thrown right into the fire. He’ll join tag team champs/best buddies Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn to even the odds against the Bloodline side of The Usos and Solo Sikoa.

Speaking of the Bloodline, Roman Reigns looks to be sitting Backlash out, but that’s because he has someone else handling his top challenger. Cody Rhodes wanted a rematch for Reigns’ Undisputed WWE Universal Championship but instead got ambushed by Brock Lesnar on Raw. Those two men will now do battle in San Juan in an encounter that could serve as the main event.

The crowd is almost guaranteed to be super hot after not hosting an event of this magnitude for so long. Here’s everything you need to know to prepare for Backlash.

WWE Backlash 2023

  • Date: May 6, 2023
  • Location: Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot, San Juan, Puerto Rico
  • Start time: 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT
  • How to watch: On Peacock in the U.S., and on WWE Network in the rest of the world
  • Matches announced: 7

Please scroll down for more on the back story and a look at what might happen in each match.

WWE SmackDown preview May 5: Bad Bunny, Cody Rhodes hit Puerto Rico

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Karrion Kross and The O.C. vs. The Viking Raiders are two of the matches on Friday’s card.

Is it really a go home show if you’re already home? Bad Bunny is ready to welcome the WWE Universe to San Juan, Puerto Rico for SmackDown the night before Backlash, an event where he’ll be both host and an active combatant.

The problem for Bad Bunny is that while he’ll be able to use anything he gets his hands on in his San Juan Street Fight against Damian Priest Saturday night, Priest has the entire Judgment Day in his corner. They also may want to “welcome” him on SmackDown, so Bunny might want to have some backup just in case. The LWO, perhaps?

Another wrestler with a huge match at Backlash is the American Nightmare, Cody Rhodes, who may be losing sleep himself over the thought of tangling with Brock Lesnar on Saturday. He’s going to get his final say on SmackDown, but if Lesnar is also in the house, don’t expect things to stick to just words.

Shinsuke Nakamura is headed to Raw when the new WWE rosters go into effect Monday night, and Karrion Kross is staying on SmackDown. That makes Friday night’s show the perfect time to settle things between them in the ring before heading their separate ways.

(Cue the Journey for that.)

And after The O.C. and the Viking Raiders engaged in a six-person brawl won convincingly by AJ Styles’ group, Erik and Ivar are likely looking for some payback. They will take on Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows on SmackDown for a chance at exactly that.

The San Juan crowd is almost certain to be live for this, which should make it even more fun. Tune in to Fox at 8 p.m. ET to see it all unfold, or check out our live results here at Wrestling Junkie to stay in the know.

WWE Raw preview: Bad Bunny wants a word with The Judgment Day

The battle between The Judgment Day and the LWO is far form over.

It’s time for one of pro wrestling’s biggest markets to host WWE Raw, and by that we mean “almost Chicago.” You see, this week’s episode of WWE’s flagship show is set for Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. Which is not quite the Windy City, but it is almost Chicago, for sure.

The fans should be just as hype as they’d be in Chicago proper, however. Let’s take a look at the top things they’ll be reacting to on this particular Monday night.

We might discover what an angry Bad Bunny looks like

Can’t a ridiculously popular music superstar just do what’s right without his former friends turning on him? In the case of Bad Bunny, no, apparently not.

The host of Backlash put himself in the middle of The Judgment Day’s business by preventing Dominik Mysterio from using a weapon on his dad at WrestleMania. He also laid out Dominik a few weeks ago, which in turn got him painfully put through the announce table by supposed friend Damian Priest. Bad Bunny will be back on Raw tonight, and he might be out for revenge.

Speaking of Damian Priest, he’s taking on Rey Mysterio

Rey Mysterio had a tough time of it when he had to deal not just with his son Dominik, but with the entire Judgment Day. That was before the formation of the new LWO helped even the odds, however, and now Rey doesn’t have to worry that no one is watching his back.

Could this week’s match between Rey and Priest erupt into full-on faction warfare again? You have watched pro wrestling before, haven’t you? Of course it could!

We’re expecting WWE to advertise some additional matches or segments before WWE Raw hits the air at 8 p.m. ET on USA, and we’ll update this preview if and when that happens.

WWE Backlash 2023: Here’s what the rumored card looks like 3 weeks out

No matches are official yet for WWE Backlash in Puerto Rico, but here are a few said to be taking shape.

After the long road to WrestleMania, it’s always kind of a shock when WWE Backlash, the next premium live event, comes up so suddenly. It’s like the ultimate proof that the show just keeps rolling on in WWE.

We’re now just about three weeks away from this year’s show, which will take place at the the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Locally it will be a huge deal as it’s the first WWE show on the island in more than a decade.

Adding to the big time feel will be the presence of Bad Bunny, one of the most popular recording artists in the world and a Puerto Rican native, as host of the event. It also looks increasingly possible that he’ll be on the card as well, which would be his first WWE match in more than a year.

We don’t know yet because to date there have been zero matches officially announced for Backlash. That should change quickly over the next week or so, but thanks to Dave Meltzer in his latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter (subscription required), there’s a good idea of what will eventually be promoted for the event.

Let’s take a quick spin through the rumored card.

Brock Lesnar vs. Cody Rhodes

This is almost certain to be the main event, with Cody Rhodes laying down the challenge this week on Raw. The question is whether Brock Lesnar will simply steamroll him, which is what some seem to think will happen as WWE plays up the adversity angle for Rhodes, or if he will bounce back from his WrestleMania disappointment.

Bad Bunny and Rey Mysterio vs. Damian Priest and Dominik Mysterio

We had really hoped the storyline between Rey Mysterio and Dominik Mysterio would have ended after their match at WrestleMania since, you know, that’s usually where long-running programs end. Alas, Dom went right back to calling Rey a deadbeat dad again, and here we are. Bad Bunny got involved in that match by preventing Dominik from using a steel chair, and Damian Priest has come to Dom’s aid. There’s an extra twist in that Priest was Bunny’s partner for his first ever WWE match, long before Damian joined The Judgment Day.

Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Matt Riddle vs. The Usos and Solo Sikoa

It’s possible that without the flight delays that forced a rewrite of this week’s Raw that this matchup would be even further along toward being finalized. Matt Riddle has immediately become an ally to the tag team champions against the Bloodline since his return, so this is a logical showdown for all involved. On top of that, it allows Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn to face The Usos again without having the tag team titles at stake so soon after their dramatic championship bout at WrestleMania.

Bianca Belair vs. IYO SKY – WWE Raw Women’s Championship match

IYO SKY won a triple threat match to earn a shot at this title, potentially sowing the seeds for a Damage CTRL breakup as Bayley gave up the spot for her and might have regrets about doing so. Meltzer says this could also be on Raw and not at Backlash, but it would be great to see SKY get a solo spotlight on a bigger card.

Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus

It’s more a matter of when rather than if Becky Lynch will get her chance for some payback after Trish Stratus first cost her the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship then attacked her from behind after the match. While their program could run all the way to SummerSlam, Meltzer suggests there could be an initial bout between them in San Juan.

WWE Raw After WrestleMania results: One Beast of a surprise for Cody Rhodes

What surprises are in store after WrestleMania 39? Get live Raw After WrestleMania results here.

If there’s ever an episode of its flagship show that WWE wants to play close to the vest, the Raw After WrestleMania is it. On the heels of an eventful and emotional two-night WrestleMania at SoFi Stadium, the scene shifts to Crypto.com Arena for tonight’s show.

And it promises to be more packed than usual, because WWE announced that the first hour will be commercial-free. Will we see NXT promotions? Stars returning after long absences? A certain Catalyst, perhaps? We’ll have to wait and see.

WWE has literally said nothing else about what to expect, so let’s do some speculation. First and foremost, there’s the matter of Cody Rhodes. The American Nightmare went into WrestleMania confident and with the vast majority of the WWE Universe behind him to achieve his destiny … and lost.

Since it took the entire Bloodline to defeat him, maybe Rhodes isn’t completely crestfallen. But he’ll have to pick himself up and try to move forward, and that likely starts tonight.

Bianca Belair had a more successful outing on Sunday night, turning away a tough challenge from Asuka to remain the Raw Women’s Champion. We could learn what’s next for The EST of WWE in L.A. as well.

Plus we know Bad Bunny will be on hand tonight. The music superstar played a small but pivotal role on night 1 of WrestleMania, preventing Dominik Mysterio from using a chain on his father. Bad Bunny will be the host of Backlash, the next WWE premium live event, but perhaps there’s even more in store for him on Raw.

There’s bound to be much more, but just like you, we’re going to have to watch to see exactly what it is. That means tuning to USA at 8 p.m. ET (and getting all your bathroom breaks in ahead of time, thanks to the no commercials) or keeping it locked here at Wrestling Junkie for us to hit you with live Raw After WrestleMania results all evening.

WWE Raw After WrestleMania results in 90 seconds:

  • Triple H takes a WrestleMania 39 victory lap and assures everyone that the sale to Endeavor changes nothing
  • He then brings out Roman Reigns, quickly joined by Cody Rhodes; Cody wants a rematch, but instead ends up with a tag team match — with Brock Lesnar as his partner
  • Omos def. Elias by pinfall
  • The Usos stop by to see Reigns, but Heyman says he’s stepped out and that Jimmy and Jey can hit the jet for seafood; Paul can be heard saying “I took care of it” as he returns to the locker room
  • A video package shows highlights from the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony Friday night
  • Bad Bunny promotes Backlash in Puerto Rico and says he’s happy to be enjoying tonight’s show as a fan … hmm …
  • Rey Mysterio wants to take time to thank the WWE Universe, but he’s interrupted by Austin Theory, who’s feeling good about his victory over John Cena and wants a piece of another legend
  • Austin Theory def. Rey Mysterio by pinfall after interference by Dominik Mysterio, who teams with Damian Priest to attack Rey and send Bad Bunny through the announce table after the match
  • Adam Pearce is going after Priest, who asks why AP didn’t have the same energy when Bad Bunny interfered at Mania
  • The new champs are here, and while Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens deserve the love they’re getting, the Street Profits still want to fight them
  • Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens def. Street Profits by pinfall
  • Seth Rollins brags about sending Logan Paul and KSI back to the cesspool of social media, and he’s ready to hear the people sing his song … so he does, and then leaves
  • Bobby Lashley says he has a lot of pent-up frustration, and the taunting he’s getting from Bronson Reed isn’t going to help; this probably isn’t the best time for Mustafa Ali to put his two cents in …
  • Bobby Lashley def. Mustafa Ali by submission
  • Reigns asks Heyman if he knew Lesnar would be here, and is not happy that it happened, but he’s determined to prevail tonight
  • What’s next for Bianca Belair? Not Rhea Ripley, not yet, though the two champs tease a match to see who’s the best of the best somewhere down the line
  • Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez def. Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai and IYO SKY) by pinfall to earn a WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship match
  • The Miz opens his mouth unwisely again, gets beaten up by a returning Matt Riddle
  • Becky Lynch, Lita and Trish Stratus are still riding the high from their WrestleMania victory and are glad to have Damage CTRL behind them … but is there something off with Trish?
  • There is no main event, just an ass kicking, as Lesnar assaults Rhodes right after the teams are announced

Please scroll down for more details on every match and major non-match segment.

Rey Mysterio def. Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania 39: Best photos

Check out these photos from Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio at Night 1 of WrestleMania 39.

Check out these photos from [autotag]Rey Mysterio[/autotag]’s victory over his son, [autotag]Dominik Mysterio[/autotag], at WrestleMania 39 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., which also featured appearances from recording artist [autotag]Bad Bunny[/autotag], and WWE stars [autotag]Finn Balor[/autotag], [autotag]Damian Priest[/autotag] and the [autotag]lWo[/autotag]. (Photos courtesy of Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports, Joel Zietcer/WWE)

WrestleMania 39: 5 best non-Rhea, Sami or KO moments of night 1

Rhea Ripley, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens deserve all their props, but we picked 5 other moments we loved from WrestleMania night 1.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — It’s not all that often that any pro wrestling event, even WrestleMania, has two instant classic matches almost back to back. Night 1 of WrestleMania 39 was an exception.

In the penultimate scheduled match, Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair went back and forth in a physical, unforgiving and dramatic battle for the SmackDown Women’s Championship. It was the best match of Ripley’s career, one that made her a worthy new titleholder, and while Flair has had many big moments throughout her career, this was right up there with any of them.

That gave the main event much to live up to, but all four men involved in the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship pulled it off. Seeing Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens standing triumphant in the ring after ending The Usos’ record reign was a pitch perfect note on which to end Saturday night.

If you ask any member of the (announced) crowd of more than 80,000 at SoFi Stadium to pick their favorite moment of the night, it’s almost certain to be from one of those two matches. That’s understandable since both were so spectacular.

But the matches that came before them all had great bits of entertainment. Here were five of the best that don’t involve Ripley, Zayn or Owens.

Bad Bunny calls WrestleMania 37 match ‘the best day of my life’

Was he nervous? Yes. But Bad Bunny thrilled his fans with his performance and probably made some new ones too.

When WWE first started talking to Bad Bunny about doing something for WrestleMania 37 in 2021, he said they first offered him a chance to be a referee or a manager.

As he recently told James Corden on “The Late Late Show,” the ridiculously popular recording artist came back with another idea: “I want to fight.”

That he did, teaming with Damian Priest to defeat John Morrison and The Miz. Beyond that, he opened up many eyes with his performance, impressing other wrestlers and fans alike with his in-ring ability.

He told Corden he was nervous about it, but also said it was worth it, saying “I’m not 100% sure, but I think that’s the best day of my life.”

You can check out Bad Bunny’s full comments below:

Bad Bunny was already a WWE champion prior to that night in Tampa, having won the now defunct 24/7 Championship from R-Truth in February 2021. He ended up performing on “Saturday Night Live” shortly after with his title belt, which made for some very cool visuals.

He made his wrestling return during the 2022 Men’s Royal Rumble match, eliminating Dolph Ziggler and Sheamus and making it to the final four before he was thrown out by eventual winner Brock Lesnar — certainly no shame in that.

And the 29-year-old megastar will get a chance for some more memorable nights with WWE this year. Not only is he a big part of the recently released WWE 2K23 video game (where people who pre-ordered received Bad Bunny as a playable character for free), WWE announced that Bad Bunny will be the host of Backlash, which is being held at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Saturday, May 6.

Getting the chance to host a big card in front of his home fans will undoubtedly be a big thrill. It just might not quite measure up to Bad Bunny’s first WrestleMania experience, and it’s not hard to understand why.

Backlash headed to Puerto Rico May 6, with Bad Bunny as host

Backlash joins King and Queen of the Ring and Money in the Bank as premium live events outside the continental U.S. this spring and summer.

The follow-up to WrestleMania will be held in a locale that hasn’t been home to a WWE premium live event in nearly 20 years, with the biggest music star in the world — who also happens to be one of its favorite sons — as host.

WWE announced today that Bad Bunny will host WWE Backlash, the first premium live event after WrestleMania 39, from the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Saturday, May 6.

The last time WWE held a card of this size in Puerto Rico was in January 2005, when it put on New Year’s Revolution at the same venue.

“In 2005 when I was a kid, I wasn’t able to attend New Year’s Revolution at el Coliseo,” Bad Bunny said in press release. “Finally, 18 years later WWE returns to the island with a massive event and this time I won’t miss it.”

When his busy recording and concert schedule allows, Bad Bunny has been a recurring presence in WWE events over the last two years. He impressed many fans and observers in his tag team match with Damian Priest against John Morrison and The Miz at WrestleMania 37, and also briefly held the now defunct 24/7 Championship in 2021.

He made an in-ring return during the 2022 Royal Rumble. Bad Bunny is also a big part of the marketing for the soon to release WWE 2K23 video game, where fans can unlock him as a playable character by pre-ordering.

With Backlash headed to Puerto Rico and WWE recently announcing that King and Queen of the Ring will be held in Saudi Arabia later in May, it means that the majority of this year’s premium live event schedule between WrestleMania and SummerSlam will take place outside the continental U.S.

That’s very much by design, according to WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque.

“We’re excited to bring Backlash to San Juan as the demand for WWE premium live events outside of the continental United States continues to grow,” he said in a press release. “Bad Bunny is one of the world’s most-popular entertainers and nowhere is that more evident than in his native Puerto Rico.”

WWE didn’t announce a ticket on-sale date for Backlash, but anyone interested in pre-sale information can register online now.