WWE Backstage (May 12th, 2020) - 5 Takeaways from this week's episode

CM Punk returned to the panel by trolling the fans as if he were the SmackDown hacker. Punk joined Renee Young, Booker T, and Christian to discuss Money in the Bank, WrestleMania 3, and other topics. Ricky Steamboat and Otis joined the show as special guests. When the panel discussed the ladder matches, Edge popped in to surprise everyone.

Hulk Hogan looked back briefly on the match with Andre the Giant and revealed that he didn't know much of the plan for the match beforehand. Steamboat also reflected on the historic bout he had while Punk tried out the new WWE ice cream bars and wasn't impressed.

Becky Lynch's earth-shattering announcement of being pregnant was also briefly discussed as was how Lynch's departure would shake up the women's division. One of the biggest pieces of the show was the announcement that a tournament to crown a new Intercontinental Champion would start on SmackDown. Here are five takeaways from WWE Backstage from May 12th, 2020.

#5 The impact of WrestleMania 3

It was one of the biggest shows in sports-entertainment history.

Prior to Backstage airing, WM 3 was replayed. It was at that PPV where Hulk Hogan body-slammed Andre the Giant. It was also the site of the legendary match between Ricky 'The Dragon' Steamboat and Randy Savage. Of the event, Booker T claimed that "I got into the business in 1990. It definitely made me feel a certain way about watching professional wrestling exactly like Steamboat and Savage." Booker also revealed that he and his brother, Stevie Ray "tried to duplicate that match. I was Steamboat of course and he was Savage."

Punk remembered "seeing the results of WM 3 broadcast on a local Chicago news station" and saying as a kid "is this real? Is this not real? And they're reporting on the news." He also claimed that the Intercontinental title bout was "the quintessential wrestling match. The bar that we all strive to be like is Savage vs. Steamboat."

Christian claimed that it "was kind of the first WM that we got the feel of the Super Bowl level spectacle that it would become." Booker ended by saying "I encourage these young guys to watch this match because when those two individuals walked to the ring, it felt real. They went out there and raised the bar to a level that so many guys are trying to reach even today."

#4 Thoughts on the Money in the Bank matches

The Voice of the Voiceless knows a thing or two about MITB ladder matches, having won two. He claimed of this year's matches that "we're living in strange times. We're in lock-down and there's no audience. I think it's a good way to get creative and it was a good use of the circumstances that we're in right now."

Even though she didn't win, Punk "thought Dana Brooke stole the show for me. With the picture and then showing up later with the picture on her head. You had a couple of cool cameos." Once again, he claimed that "they're working within the parameters that they have and I always like to see it. Surprisingly, I didn't hate it and I think the right people won. It was sometimes silly, but sometimes silly is good."

Booker T was a little less impressed as "a couple of things didn't fly" with him because he "was thinking it was going to be something different. I wanted it to be more edgy. I thought we could have had a moment here especially without fans, we could have really done something different."

As he usually does, Christian put everything into perspective, saying that "I think we just saw a ladder match at WM and this needed to be different and it was." The main reason it needed to be different was because "the goal (in a ladder match) is for the winner to come out looking better than they did going in before, especially from a character-building standpoint." He also said that the match "was what was needed" but "there could have been a little bit more on the roof."

#3 The Man and the man who slammed the Giant

It was a bittersweet moment as one door closed but another opened for Becky Lynch. As she revealed that she was stepping away to become a mother, Asuka learned that she won not a briefcase but the RAW Women's title. Of the announcement, Christian claimed that he "thought it was handled well" and that he "liked her promo." He added that "it was real and you could feel the emotions coming through the screen." The moment was bittersweet because "she broke down barriers to get to this spot and main-eventing WM, but now having to close that chapter and starting a new chapter of being a mom, you can feel that struggle."

Booker mirrored what Captain Charisma said but reminded us all that "not being able to cash that briefcase in is a moment" we won't get to experience. Punk felt that it was "next woman up" and that he "loves healthy competition." He did go immediately into head booker mode by saying that he thought "it's a missed opportunity to have a lovey-dovey moment and then have Asuka mist her and then the vacuum is filled and you have this evil woman at the top of the division."

Since the crew was looking back at WM 3, they couldn't have a show without some thoughts from Hulk Hogan. He looked back on slamming Andre, claiming that "on the way to the ring, I had no idea what the ending of the match was going to be. All-day long, I was asking Andre what we're going to do." He went on to say that "Andre knew exactly what he was doing and if he had told me beforehand things would have been a lot different" and that "he set this up for greatness."

Christian added that he remembered "him (Andre) turning on Hogan in Piper's Pit" and "to me, the dramatics of it as a kid, these are moments that you remember for the rest of your life." Looking back at the moment also revealed that "getting into the business and understanding the inner workings of the business, nobody does it unless Andre gives it the okay."

#2 The Dragon speaks

WWE Legend Ricky Steamboat joined the show and revealed his thoughts on the infamous match from WM 3. He claimed that he does "appearances for WWE as an ambassador and a spokesperson, and everywhere I go, that match is brought up. Sometimes I'll get an 8, 9, or 10-year-old kid asking me about that match. It's amazing to me how 33 years later they still talk about that night."

Things were different over 30 years ago and Steamboat claimed that "for three months, we had the liberty to build up the storyline but it's hard to do it nowadays. This was a one-off." He also revealed that "Vince said 'you're gonna make your debut at WM 3'. We didn't have any tune-up matches" but "a month out we thought we needed to sit down and put something together."

Steamboat also claimed that "we went with the premise of having the match of the night - we didn't want to steal the show." He also said that "a lot of the guys at school ask me what made it so different and I said all the false finishes. I think we had 20. The stressful part was trying to remember all 20 in order."

CM Punk crossed paths with the Dragon back in Ring of Honor as Steamboat refereed a match featuring Punk. Steamboat revealed that "being the third person in the ring and listening to you being the captain throughout the match, I was saying 'this kid's got it - the timing, knowing what to do and all of that in the course of an hour.'"

#1 A talk with Mr. Money in the Bank, Otis

Vince McMahon's new favorite wrestler, Otis, won the men's MITB match and joined Backstage alongside Renee Young. She asked him what the day was like and he said that "my only strategy was that I couldn't be that quick and I had to try my best to stop people from getting up there." He added that the "roof was my favorite place because it helped me overcome the fear of heights."

Booker asked if "this is the beginning of a big singles run" and Otis answered that "it's kinda looking that way" but he "always needs guidance from Tucky. When things get juicy I get a little pissed off. "

Otis also mentioned that the main difference between amateur and pro wrestling is that "now we're even more naked." The moment Dozer realized that being a pro wrestler could work was when he "saw Chad Gable have some success here, I thought it could happen." He also "didn't think I'd be going into a tag team" but that's how his WWE journey began.

Punk gave the big man some advice, saying "don't trust anybody. You've already made the cardinal mistake of talking about your tag partner." Punk also thinks that "Mandy is gonna try to take that briefcase. You have to have your back to the wall and eyes wide open."

Otis also claimed that he doesn't usually "look forward to things until they happen" but that "momentum plays a huge factor." The biggest revelation was that Otis said he's "not a man of patience and I'm gonna cash this in sooner than later."