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WrestleMania Backlash is now done, and the road to Hell in a Cell 2021 begins. While it's normal for the latter pay-per-view to happen in October, it seems as though WWE is switching things up a bit.
Sunday's event met the expectations of the WWE Universe. It was one of the better shows of the year, and most of the matches had the fans on the edge of their seats.
Let's have a look at the best and worst parts of the WrestleMania Backlash pay-per-view:
#3 Best: The WWE Title match at WrestleMania Backlash
The WWE Championship match at WrestleMania Backlash was by far the best of the night. On a night that provided several great title bouts, it was this one that stood out.
Many fans thought that Roman Reigns vs Cesaro for the Universal Championship would be better. While it's an understandable sentiment, all three men involved in the WWE Championship picture delivered and it translated to a great match on pay-per-view.
Explosiveness, power, and chaos created the bout of the night, and it was Bobby Lashley's best showing since he won the WWE Title at the beginning of March. This was exactly the kind of performance the All Mighty needed to fully legitimize his Championship reign.
He had a great match with Drew McIntyre on Night 1 of WrestleMania 37, but this one saw him face far more adversity as he was a few seconds away from losing his Title.
Instead, he came back right in time after Drew McIntyre hit the Claymore Kick on Braun Strowman. This allowed him to get the pinfall on The Monster Among Men and retain the WWE Championship.
It will be interesting to see what's next for him. With Braun Strowman having been pinned, it appears he will be out of the WWE Title picture.
#3 Worst: An unnecessary amount of heat for the big title win at WrestleMania Backlash
The SmackDown Tag Team Title match at WrestleMania Backlash was built around a single fact. Rey and Dominik Mysterio had the opportunity to become the first-ever father-son duo to win Tag Team Titles in WWE.
History was meant to be made, and of course, it eventually happened at WrestleMania Backlash. The only problem was that it took a rather long and unnecessary route.
Dominik was attacked before the match, and after not getting cleared, Rey Mysterio had to have his Tag Team Title match all by himself. The Championship bout at WrestleMania Backlash turned into a 2-on-1 Handicap Match, with the obvious objective of getting heat on Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode.
Dominik Mysterio finally came out and despite his injury, he won the titles for his team. While it would have been nice to pull this off in front of a crowd, it didn't have the same effect without one. It seemed a bit obvious, though the match picked up the pace after Dominik Mysterio returned.
#2 Best: Bianca Belair at WrestleMania Backlash
Bianca Belair's first title defense was at WrestleMania Backlash, and it came against the most dominant woman in SmackDown history, Bayley. While The Role Model may have missed out on a match at the Show Of Shows this year, she took on the headliner of Night 1 of WrestleMania 37 and it was a good match.
It wasn't the best bout of the night at WrestleMania Backlash, but it did the job. While Bayley tried to prevent Bianca Belair from using her long hair as a weapon, its ultimate objective was a clever one.
The EST Of WWE used her long hair to tie Bayley's legs down to get the pinfall victory. While it wasn't a dirty victory at WrestleMania Backlash, it hardly felt like a clean one.
Perhaps it was WWE's way of ensuring that the feud goes on, especially after Bayley's post-match meltdown against Michael Cole.
It would be interesting if Sasha Banks joined the fray. But with so many Triple Threats happening and a few more in the works, it's perhaps best if The Boss continues to sit on the sidelines.
Bayley is the perfect foil for Bianca Belair and WrestleMania Backlash won't be the last time they square off for the SmackDown Women's Championship.
#2 Worst: The Lumberjack match at WrestleMania Backlash
The lumberjacks at WrestleMania Backlash were Zombies. You read that right. WWE decided to pull off something different in an attempt to get the buzz, and we doubt that it worked very well.
Damian Priest's stipulation on RAW for WrestleMania Backlash was a lumberjack match. While that was underwhelming enough, seeing zombies come out to the ringside was a bit cringeworthy.
It was a forgettable match, with the only memorable moments being The Miz and Damian Priest briefly uniting to take out the Zombies while John Morrison did much of the same.
Ultimately, the objective of this match at WrestleMania Backlash was to help get Priest over. Had this been in front of a live crowd, it would have been disastrous. In what was an overall great show, this proved to be a low point.
It ruined the momentum of the show when it had picked up before, but luckily, a string of good matches at WrestleMania Backlash after that saved the pay-per-view from being a total disaster.
#1 Best: Rhea Ripley remaining the queen of RAW at WrestleMania Backlash
The art of an opening match is often overlooked, and WWE executed it perfectly at WrestleMania Backlash. It's always important to select the right match to open the show, as it often dictates the pace of the entire PPV.
At WrestleMania Backlash, Rhea Ripley opened the show by defending the RAW Women's Title against two greats in Charlotte Flair and Asuka. It was a great showing for Ripley, who pinned the Empress Of Tomorrow in the end to retain her Title.
Charlotte Flair was protected, and she had a staredown with Rhea Ripley outside the ring, indicating that she would be next in line for a singles title shot post-WrestleMania Backlash.
Becky Lynch's absence is telling. It's been close to half a year since she gave birth, and while that's normal, her return could be held off until Money in the Bank 2021, where a live crowd is reportedly expected.
But Rhea Ripley remaining on top of her throne at WrestleMania Backlash was one of the highlights of the show.
#1. Worst: A lack of fresh direction at WrestleMania Backlash
One of the big problems, not only with WrestleMania Backlash, but post-WrestleMania season in general, is a total lack of fresh directions. We might have a few new feuds here and there, but if you look at it, a lot of the rivalries are continued and recycled.
With the exception of a few matches, it seems like a lot of feuds are going to continue to be recycled until Hell in a Cell at the very least. While it's normal for a WrestleMania feud to continue on a pay-per-view called "WrestleMania Backlash", there was an overall lack of conclusion.
Roman Reigns might head in a new direction by facing Jimmy Uso, but it looks like Drew McIntyre vs Bobby Lashley will continue. Seth Rollins vs Cesaro, Rhea Ripley vs Charlotte Flair, Bianca Belair vs Bayley, and potentially The Mysterios against one or a combination of The Dirty Dawgs, The Street Profits, and The Alpha Academy will presumably happen in the next PPV.
WWE needs to start on a fresh page for the next PPV, but we don't see that happening.
