Greetings and welcome to Bleacher Report’s coverage and summary of WWE Backlash, which took place in Puerto Rico. With a number of talented wrestlers from Puerto Rico featured in the event, the San Juan audience has been enthusiastic since WWE’s arrival on the island. Let’s review and analyze the highlights of the show.

Bianca Belair vs. Iyo Sky:

The San Juan crowd at WWE Backlash showed great enthusiasm towards both Bianca Belair and Iyo Sky. The match began as a competitive one, but soon Bianca started to dominate Iyo with her power by repeatedly body-slamming her opponent.

Despite being alone, The Genius of the Sky made a strong comeback by targeting the left arm of the champion, which garnered support from the crowd in the form of chants of “Let’s go Iyo.”

As the match progressed, the WWE Universe started turning against The EST, booing her every time she got in some offense. Iyo Sky’s excitement was evident as she played the role of the babyface and even locked in a crossface submission, which had the crowd erupting with cheers.

Bayley and Dakota Kai’s interference could not distract Belair, who eventually hit the KOD to claim the victory. The match was an outstanding way to start the show, with the quality of the performances and the crowd reactions adding to its entertainment value.

Winner: Bianca Belair

Omos vs. Seth Rollins:

Seth Rollins received the anticipated reaction from the crowd as he made his entrance at WWE Backlash. However, he was immediately attacked by Omos with a running kick before he could remove his jacket.

Throughout the match, the fans sang The Visionary’s theme while The Nigerian Giant relentlessly beat Rollins down. Rollins struggled to gain any momentum as Omos dominated him with his brute strength and punishing moves.

Despite this, Rollins managed to impress the crowd with some fast-paced sequences. Omos also showcased his skills and easily blocked Rollins’ signature move, the Stomp, with sheer power. He almost secured the victory with a chokeslam.

The match lasted for 10 minutes and 31 seconds, and it was arguably the best performance from Omos to date. Rollins eventually hit the Stomp from the top rope to claim the win, prompting the crowd to sing his music once more.

Winner: Seth Rollins

Austin Theory vs. Bronson Reed vs. Bobby Lashley:

At the start of the United States Championship match, all three contenders came out strong. However, after a few minutes, Austin Theory and Bronson Reed formed an unlikely partnership, which is common among heels in Triple Threat matches.

Typically, in three-way bouts, the villains dominate the majority of the action until one of them turns on the other and tries to win for themselves.

Nonetheless, Reed garnered a lot of positive reactions from the audience, and when Theory stopped him from executing his top-rope splash, the crowd booed loudly.

Although Lashley still had the crowd’s support, it seemed as though Reed was the preferred competitor among those in attendance.

As anticipated, A-Town secured the victory, but there was potential for a future Reed triumph. Overall, this was an impressive performance from three excellent athletes.

Winner: Austin Theory

Rhea Ripley vs. Zelina Vega:

For her title match against Vega, SmackDown women’s champion Ripley surprised the San Juan crowd with her new white gear with purple accents, straying from her usual dark look. The Eradicator taunted her opponent and cornered her, but Vega’s agility allowed her to dodge any attacks. She even grabbed a flip-flop from the audience and hurled it at Ripley before hitting her with a dropkick through the ropes.

Once Ripley was able to get Vega on the ground, she dismantled her before finishing with a pin using the Riptide. Though the match could have benefited from more time, what was given was excellent. The audience once again added to the experience, giving Vega a warm reception.

Winner: Rhea Ripley

Bad Bunny vs. Damian Priest:

At WWE’s first-ever San Juan Street Fight, Priest faced off against his former close friend, international singing star Bad Bunny, for the SmackDown brand.

Both competitors received an enthusiastic response from the crowd, with WWE playing Bunny’s music for a longer duration due to the audience’s excitement.

At the start, the Archer Of Infamy attempted to demonstrate his strength by shoving Bad Bunny to the corner, but the musician retaliated by nearly pinning Priest.

The crowd reacted accordingly when either competitor was in control, with cheers for Bunny and heat for Priest. Although it took them a while to start using the environment and weapons, once they did, they took the match into the crowd and delivered a lot of exciting moments.

During the bout, Dominik Mysterio and Finn Balor interfered, but Rey Mysterio and Carlito came to Priest’s aid, ultimately eliminating The Judgment Day. Bad Bunny applied a figure-four lock to Priest’s injured knee, but despite his efforts, he failed to win with the submission. In the end, a Canadian Destroyer secured the victory for the hometown hero.

Overall, the match exceeded expectations and provided an entertaining experience for fans.

Winner: Bad Bunny

The Usos and Sikoa vs. Riddle, Zayn and Owens:

The Usos and Sikoa were out first to take on Riddle, Owens and Zayn in a six-man match. Paul Heyman was not with The Bloodline for this one. Jey and Zayn started for their teams, and as soon as the former scored a takedown, he went to the corner to celebrate like he won something. Zayn made him pay with a clothesline.

Any match with six or more competitors usually follows a certain pattern: Everyone gets time in the ring, and the heels usually control more of the match until someone makes a hot tag. Jey and Sikoa began to have some communication issues and talked a little trash to each other before Zayn knocked the latter off the apron with a Helluva Kick.

He nailed Jey with another kick, but Sikoa saved his brother from the pin. He almost hit Jey with the Samoan Spike, and it caused another argument. Despite all the tension, Sikoa ended up getting the pin for his team over Riddle. This match may have been a bit overbooked, but it was done well and made some nice storyline advancements.

Winners: The Bloodline

Brock Lesnar vs. Cody Rhodes:

The headliner of the night featured the highly anticipated clash between Rhodes and Lesnar. Following his loss to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania, The American Nightmare was eager to bounce back and overcome one of his biggest challenges yet.

Rhodes sprang into action, attacking The Beast Incarnate with a suicide dive before he could enter the ring. He continued his assault on Lesnar, making use of the ring steps and a steel chair. Once they entered the ring and the bell rang, Rhodes kept up the pressure, hitting two Disaster Kicks in quick succession. But Lesnar caught him on the third attempt and slammed him with a German suplex.

From then on, The Beast dominated with a barrage of Suplexes, causing him to bleed. Rhodes took advantage, wiping Lesnar’s blood on his own chest before executing a Cody Cutter followed by two Cross Rhodes, but Lesnar refused to be defeated, kicking out of the pin.

In turn, Lesnar delivered an F5 that Rhodes kicked out of. Lesnar then trapped Rhodes in a Kimura lock, but Rhodes managed to turn the tables and pin Lesnar for the win. While some may debate the manner in which Rhodes won, the match was well-paced and included some thrilling moments. Ultimately, the fact that Rhodes emerged victorious was the most important factor.

Winner: Cody Rhodes

Highlights:

Final Thoughts:

Backlash proved to be an outstanding PPV with an enthusiastic crowd, and WWE made mostly satisfying booking decisions. While the audience supported Sky, it was the correct decision to have Ripley win, considering her recent reign. The Puerto Rican Superstars and legends who made an appearance were given a star treatment, which elevated the entire show’s atmosphere.

Even with lower expectations, the Omos and Rollins match was enjoyable due to the heated audience. By choosing to go to Puerto Rico, WWE made the correct choice, and the event’s success might lead to San Juan becoming a regular stop on their international tour.