At the very least, WWE Backlash 2017 will be remembered for some time to come. That’s not always a good thing, however. Even when you take away the absurdity of the finish, the show failed to deliver overall and felt like an exaggerated episode of SmackDown Live, in parts. To help us get to grips with where things went wrong, here are 10 questions we most need answering:
#1 Should we be worried for Tye Dillinger?
As exciting as it was to see Tye Dillinger make his main roster debut on SmackDown, a tiny part of me felt concerned for the guy. Not everyone who excels in NXT enjoys the same level of success after their promotion, and Tye is currently in that uneasy phase where it could go either way. There still seems to be a feeling amongst WWE management that if a superstar gets themselves over without their help, they won’t always have such an easy ride at the top.
An example you can dRaw from here would be Zack Ryder, a guy who forwarded his own career with his internet channel. He realised that the WWE had no real plans for him and decided he was going to make things happen anyway. And while a lot of us were riding the Zack Ryder bandwagon for a while, he was never actually given a chance when the WWE cameras were put in front of him.
Tye Dillinger now feels very similar, being somebody I don’t believe the WWE had any grand plans for originally. He’s found himself in a nice enough position as the WWE universe’s new ‘chosen one’, so to speak, but being put on the pre-show on a throwaway PPV like Backlash isn’t going to help him very much.
Hopefully, this is just a temporary arrangement until Shane and Daniel can think of a more respectable place for the guy, but being so early on in his career, it’s genuinely worrying that they couldn't find a place for him on the main card.
#2 Why did Dolph dominate most of the match?
In a recent article, I suggested that ShinsuShinsukeura and Dolph Ziggler could be on for a classic. The build-up to this match was done very well, making the occasion feel special and positioning Nakamura as the next big thing for SmackDown. Unfortunately, the whole thing failed on several different levels on the night. For two wrestlers known for their ability to tell great stories in the ring, the action itself was pretty lacklustre. The match never really got into top gear, and because of this, the crowd weren't able to add to the atmosphere like a hot Chicago audience normally can.
The biggest problem I had with this opener, however, was that it was far too evenly matched. If you're trying to portray Nakamura as this Japanese sensation that brings his own style of wrestling to the WWE, you can't have his very first opponent looking so comfortable and dominant. Dolph should have wrestled this match as if he wasn't quite ready for Strong Style, or just couldn't work out where Shinsuke's offence was going to come from. I realise the WWE have had superstars before who can fight strong style, but this is the first time its been overtly referenced.
The sad thing about this is that such an anticipated debut just fell into the background of the show. People aren't talking about this being the match of the night, and it might not even have come second. The WWE really need to reassess how they're showcasing Nakamura, because if you take away his uniqueness and unconventional style, then you're going to struggle to get him over.
#3 Should SmackDown’s tag-division embrace more comedy acts?
I still can't quite decide if I liked the SmackDown Tag Team match or not. When it was announced that Breezeango would be getting this opportunity, I think a lot of people appreciated the fact that both Fandango and Tyler Breeze were going to be able to show what they can do. Both guys are immensely talented in the ring but have fallen victim to comedy gimmicks that take away the believability factor when it comes to them winning matches and championships.
And it's because of this that the overreliance on the comedy factor during this match felt a little too much. Having Breeze come out dressed as a janitor did please the crowd initially, and this was a decent enough way to get the match off the ground. But then they decided to continue in that vein well into the match itself. Breeze fought most of the match dressed as either the janitor or an old lady. Crowd pleasing, but not how a talent like Breeze should be being portrayed.
On the other hand, however, the crowd were genuinely into this match, and perhaps this is what SmackDown needs to do more of when it comes to the tag team division. If there's ever a perfect place to showcase the larger than life characters, the tag team division is often the place to do it.
WWE have had plenty of comedy tag teams over the years that have gone on to great success, for example. And it might even be a way to make the division stand out, as currently the Raw tag team scene is casting a very long shadow over SmackDown's. Perhaps they can't rely on the better workers, but maybe they can start putting the entertainment back into Sports Entertainment by giving us more matches like this.
And don't forget, the New Day are due to make their SmackDown debut very soon, and they aren't exactly known for their serious sides either. I don't want to be too pessimistic throughout his review, so I'm going to try my best to see the positives here.
#4 Is Sami Zayn’s ‘underdog’ gimmick being over played?
Sami Zayn's clean victory over Baron Corbin last night was a legitimate surprise. It feels like the company are doing more with Corbin than they are with Zayn at the moment, and one just assumed this match would be a springboard for Corbin to go after one of the main singles titles. It was obviously a nice feel good moment to see Sami win clean here, but I was somewhat put off with how shocked the commentators were trying to sound.
Sami Zayn is the 'underdog', but that shouldn't mean seeing him win is always this great curveball. There are many people in the WWE Universe still holding out hope that Zayn will be WWE Champion one day, and you can't get him there by always having fluke, unexpected wins that nobody can believe. For anyone who has followed the career of Zayn pre-WWE, they will know he is one of the best workers in the world right now and is more than capable of beating somebody like Baron Corbin on a good day.
It's a balancing act with Zayn at the moment. Have him win too often and you ruin the underdog gimmick that fans love to get behind, have him lose too often and you run the risk of losing him in the mid-card shuffle for the rest of his career. Maybe one way to start moving him in the right direction is to stop making it feel like such a fantasy that he manages to defeat somebody who isn't that much stronger or bigger than him. Time to tone it down, WWE.
#5 Should Natalya get a title shot now?
It was pleasing to see the Welcoming Committee get the win last night. The WWE have been far too guilty of building up a heel faction only to have them fall at the first hurdle. Their victory gave me hope that this storyline will continue, which is what the division needs.
Raw is certainly leading the way with its tag-team picture at the moment, but SmackDown still has the edge when it comes to the women. There is more depth on the blue brand right now, and the storylines are layered in such a way that you don’t always know whats coming next.
One thing SmackDown cannot afford to do, however, is deny Natalya, or anyone else on the Welcoming Committee a chance to fight for the title. Otherwise, this just comes across as something for Naomi and Charlotte to do until they have their one-on-one match at some point next month.
The concept of the Welcoming Committee is one of those heel stories that actually makes sense. In kayfabe terms, the women of the division were going to be upset that Charlotte was parachuted into the title picture straight away. If getting the win against her team at the first time of asking doesn’t lead to a championship match for TWC, what was the point?
As a side note, it was great to see somebody tap out to the sharpshooter. That finisher needs way more protection than it currently gets.
Also read: WWE Backlash 2017: 5 stats and facts you must know
#6 Did you expect anything less from Styles and KO?
With all the talk about Shinsuke Nakamura, and the prospect of seeing Jinder Mahal compete for the WWE Championship (more on that later!), not a lot of attention was being paid to the Kevin Owens vs. AJ Styles bout for the US Championship. After the opening match failed to deliver, and the rest of the lower card kind of stumbled along, very unsure of itself, these two reminded us why they are the stalwarts of WWE's new era.
This was a good example of where wrestling is at in 2017. Two men, with bags of talent behind them, going out and putting on a performance that just speaks for itself. There was no onus on the commentators to get you invested in the action; no strange stipulations were needed either. This is bread and butter WWE wrestling at its finest, and it really helped take the Backlash show out from the gutter.
SmackDown has been struggling since the superstar shakeup, after losing so much from its upper-mid card, and certain events from last night show that management haven't quite worked out what to do about that yet. Thankfully, you can always wheel out either Styles or Kevin Owens when things are getting desperate, and sit back and watch them do their thing. This was easily the match of the night, and not just because the rest of the show was so weak.
#7 Should count out victories happen on PPV?
One minor blemish on the US Championship match was the ending. I understand that they didn’t want to have Styles lose clean here, but surely there were better ways to have Owens retain than AJ falling and getting himself tied up in the cables. If you’re trying to build KO up as a heel, this was a perfect opportunity to have him retain his belt like a heel is supposed to. Getting himself disqualified by low-blowing Styles, or putting Styles in a submission move and refusing to release, are two examples.
The crowd certainly showed their dissatisfaction with the result, which was a sorry way to see the match end. Where do they go from here? Presumably, there will be more matches between the two of them, but normally you get some idea as to where the thinking is going. Having KO retain by disqualification would have been a good way to lead into a no DQ match at the next PPV.
I suppose the main problem with count out victories on PPV is that it makes the show feel too much like an episode of SmackDown. This is the kind of booking you do when you’re getting ready for a big PPV showdown and you don’t want to see either of the guys getting pinned. If these minor PPVs are just going to be stepping stones for the big four shows, what’s the real difference between them and weekly episodes of SmackDown or Raw?
#8 How have they made Rowan vs. Harper so boring?
Luke Harper and Eric Rowan might not have been as important to WWE in 2013-2015 compared with the former Shield members, but there was a time in which all six men from the Shield and the Wyatts formed the backbone of WWE television. It's a little bit disappointing, therefore, that Rowan and Harper aren't being portrayed as particularly interesting characters, compared with Reigns, Ambrose, Rollins and Bray.
Surely there's enough history between these two to warrant putting a little more effort into their feud. We haven't really had any dialogue between them, other than a few appearances on Talking Smack, and we did already see the two compete in the ring on SmackDown a few weeks ago. You could really tell the crowd weren't too interested in the result of this match, and the commentators sounded like they were struggling to care as well. Seeing as so much energy is put into making Bray Wyatt feuds so sinister and over-the-top, why can't we have the same when it comes to the other former Wyatt members?
For me, it's probably time to put the two men back together as a tag team. While Luke does have a tiny bit of momentum behind him, there are just too many guys on the roster that the crowd care more about. Harper and Rowan have shown they can really work as a tag team in the past, and right now the SmackDown tag-team division needs some depth. Maybe then, we won't get so many irrelevant matches like this in the future.
#9 Did everyone else hear Buddy Rogers turn in his grave?
So, they did it. Jinder Mahal is now part of a lineage that began back in 1963 with the legendary Buddy Rogers. Since then we have seen it fall into the hands of Bruno Sammartino, Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold, The Rock, HHH – there are plenty of names I have missed out here who were worthy champions in themselves. The list of previous WWE Champions always feels like the very top of the sports entertainment, and so it should. Given the latest addition to that list, I think there will be many legends and fans from the past partaking in one collective groan.
At least with the World Heavyweight Championship, the WWE were able to play around a bit more, seeing as it's not a belt they made famous. This is why Great Khali’s WHC reign can be forgiven, for example. When it comes to the WWE Championship, this is the biggest prize that can be bestowed on you. This is confirmation that everyone involved in the WWE machine, including Vince McMahon himself, believe you are special and worthy of representing the company.
Jinder Mahal does not deserve to be WWE Champion, and that is more of a commentary on WWE’s booking than Jinder’s work rate. I’m sure Mahal does put everything into his work, and that he respects the business and wants to succeed for himself and his family. But professional wrestling is about telling stories, and the main story to take away from Backlash is that anyone, literally anyone, can be given the WWE Championship at will. It doesn’t matter how much fans like you, or how long you’ve been around in the company for. If Vince wakes up one morning and decides you’re worthy of holding his belt, it’ll be a reality before you even have time to collect your thoughts. What a joke!
#10 Is there anyone on the SmackDown roster less deserving of the WWE Championship?
Just to hammer this point home, I found myself thinking about the SmackDown roster after Backlash went off the air, and who I would classify as less deserving of the WWE Championship than Jinder Mahal. Take Sami Zayn, for example. I wouldn’t personally have him as my WWE Champion, right now, but I would at least recognise that the fans are behind him, and he’s had a wrestling career to rival most of the main eventers in WWE today. Or Baron Corbin, a guy that is currently being moulded into a main eventer after winning the Andre the Giant Battle Royal. Sure, he isn’t ready for the gold right now, but I would have put any amount of money on him getting there before Jinder.
Speaking of the Andre the Giant battle royal, how about Mojo Rawley? This is a guy the WWE believed to be more worthy of winning the match than their current WWE Champion. Why wasn’t Mojo considered for this spot? And what about Fandango or Tyler Breeze? Presumably, the WWE believe having either of them as tag-team champions is too far-fetched right now, but when it comes to Mahal as champion, that’s seemingly ok. At least Fandango can boast about a debut victory over Chris Jericho at Wrestlemania a few years back.
I’m not trying to say that any of the aforementioned superstars are ready for the belt yet, but at least their stories are more believable. In their own ways, they’ve all built themselves up to where they are, and most importantly are making the fans care about them – whether as heels or babyfaces. Mahal, sadly, would be at the bottom of the pile if I had my way.
Send us news tips at [email protected]
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
