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.