How do you follow up your biggest event of the year? With Bad Bunny.
That’s what WWE pulled off Saturday night, as they managed to get one of the famous people in the world to participate in a match, in his prime, in his native Puerto Rico.
With Bad Bunny on the show, WWE had to deliver with the rest of the card, and I think it did for one of the promotion’s more fun and entertaining shows in recent memory.
Here are my five immediate takeaways from the 2023 edition of Backlash.
What an atmosphere in San Juan
I think most fans were expecting a raucous atmosphere in San Juan for Backlash. WWE rarely runs premium live events there — the previous one was nearly two decades ago — and, of course, Bad Bunny.
The fans at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot did not disappoint.
Backlash produced some of the loudest pops I’ve heard in quite some time. The place was already roaring for Bad Bunny, but the pop for Carlito nearly blew the roof off the arena. Savio Vega got a long and sustained reaction. And we have to mention the reception Zelina Vega got before, during, and after her match against Rhea Ripley.
Vega’s moment was especially touching as she dedicated the match to her late father, who lost his life during the terrorist attacks in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001.
I think most people knew Vega wasn’t going to defeat Ripley, as the the champ had only just won the title last month, but this wasn’t really about that. This was about giving Vega her much-deserved flowers. She has come a long way: from Thea Trinidad in Impact Wrestling, to being released by WWE, to having a championship match in Puerto Rico. That’s really, really cool.
Bad Bunny is great for wrestling
WWE has used its share of celebrities over the years, but I am not sure any of those crossovers have had the level of success as Bad Bunny.
Bunny helped WWE sell out an entire arena just off of his name alone. He wasn’t even initially announced as a wrestler. He was just going to be the host and the tickets were flying.
On top of that, he can put on a damn good match. Yes, it takes two to tango, so we have to give kudos to Damian Priest, who definitely played his part and thrived. With that said though, Bad Bunny is honestly a revelation in the ring.
It’s not just Bad Bunny’s wrestling ability, which no, is not as technically sound as Bret Hart, but the guy’s got charisma and he understands what this professional wrestling stuff is all about. He knows how to tell a story.
I also still find it astounding the Bad Bunny is even wrestling. If I had his level of fame and wealth, I’d probably try my best to wrestle a match on pay-per-view. But I’m also a diehard wrestling fan. I’m not sure how many non-wrestling fans would share the same desire. The fact that Bad Bunny is doing this when he most definitely doesn’t have to speaks to just how big of a wrestling fan he is.
Bad Bunny should have closed the show
I mean, I thought this was obvious. Bad Bunny was literally the reason why the show was even in San Juan. Why wouldn’t he close the show? I understand why WWE didn’t have Bad Bunny main event WrestleMania back in 2021, because that would have been absurd.
But Backlash? I’m very much cool with that. Also, it’s Backlash in his homeland. Yes, let the most popular musician in the world close out the show.
I had those thoughts before the show. Then I watched Backlash and saw Bad Bunny and Priest tear the house down in a match that featured interference from the Judgement Day and the LWO, which on this night included Carlito (who looked great) and Savio Vega (also looked great).
Then after the match, I watched Bad Bunny celebrate in the ring with the LWO while holding up the Puerto Rican flag and receive a standing ovation.
That only confirmed what I thought coming in. Instead, for some reason WWE thought to put not one, but two more matches after Bad Bunny. Did Cody Rhodes and Brock Lesnar really have to finish out the night?
At Backlash?
With no title on the line?
I don’t think so.
Bad Bunny’s post-match celebration was a moment that will be talked about for years to come. Nothing that followed it was going to top it. No amount of blood leaking out of Lesnar’s head was going to surpass Bad Bunny being hoisted up on people’s shoulders while holding up the Puerto Rican flag in Puerto Rico. Ain’t no way.
So why do that to the talent? Why put them in a position to follow Bad Bunny of all people? You know follows Bad Bunny? No one! Literally no one in the world follows Bad Bunny on a night to night basis. He is the main event the majority of his life outside of wrestling, and for events much larger than the one he was at Saturday night. I think he could have been the main event of … Backlash.
As The Bloodline’s World Turns
If there’s one thing the Bloodline is going to do, it’s tell a compelling story during the group’s matches.
In the latest episode of the weekly television drama, Solo Sikoa got real close to going off on his brothers, specifically Jey Uso.
Jey Uso had things under control in the ring, but Sikoa put a halt to his brother’s momentum by tagging himself in. Jey Uso took offense to Sikoa’s decision and tagged himself right back in, which got a big pop from the fans and an angry stare from Sikoa.
At one point, Sikoa was going to walk over to Jey Uso and probably dish out the Samoan Spike, but he was interrupted by his opponents, of all people. Later in the match, Sikoa “unknowingly” grabbed Jey Uso around his neck. Once he realized it was his brother, he did not immediately let go.
Sikoa then won the match for his team while starring daggers at his brothers in another intriguing chapter in the Bloodline story.
Bianca Belair and IYO SKY put on a banger
While Bad Bunny should have closed the show, WWE made the right decision by having Bianca Belair and IYO SKY open it up.
It was a welcome sight after seeing some less-than-stellar storytelling in the women’s division, which is surprising given its depth of talent.