Welcome to the Fightful.com live discussion & coverage for the 5/6/2023 edition of WWE Backlash from San Juan, Puerto Rico on Peacock & the WWE Network (Internationally).
We will bring full results and breakdowns for every match and segment on the show. Follow Fightful on Twitter.com/Fightful and Facebook.com/FIGHTFULONLINE
Here's what is set for the show.
Preview.
WWE Backlash (5/6/2023).
- The Bloodline (Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso & Solo Sikoa) vs. Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn & Matt Riddle.
- Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar.
- WWE SmackDown Women's Championship Match: Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Zelina Vega.
- WWE United States Championship Match: Austin Theory (c) vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Bronson Reed.
- Seth Rollins vs. Omos (w/ MVP).
- WWE Raw Women's Championship Match: Bianca Belair (c) vs. Iyo Sky.
- San Juan Street Fight: Bad Bunny vs. Damian Priest.
Refresh the site for the latest updates as the show happens.
Live Coverage.
- After a video package running down the card for the show, Michael Cole & Corey Graves welcomed the audience to the broadcast before transitioning to the opening match.
WWE Raw Women's Championship Match.
Bianca Belair (c) vs. Iyo Sky.
The opening contest began with the two locking up across the ring before Belair got a wrist lock on Iyo. Iyo got a wrist lock of her own, but that was until Belair picked Sky up and hit a headlock takedown on Sky. Sky reversed it with head scissors, but Belair broke the hold with a kip up. Belair repeated the dose before Sky tried to go for a schoolboy on Belair, but Belair responded with a shoulder tackle. The two evaded each other with backflips before Belair leaped over Sky and hit a dropkick and two scoop slams on Iyo. Belair went for a third body slam, but Sky got to the apron and slammed Belair's arm into the top rope before locking in a hold on the corner and hitting a diving stomp on Belair's left arm. Sky continued to focus her offense on Belair's left arm before getting a wrist lock takedown on Belair, but Belair rolled under and reversed it with a body slam on Sky. Belair went for an Irish Whip on Sky, but Sky reversed it by buckling Belair's arm on her back and hitting a series of forearm strikes before slamming her shoulder into the corner. Sky got a Dragon Sleeper on Belair before rolling herself & Belair onto the mat and hitting a double knee-drop on Belair's left arm. Sky went for a Meteora into the corner, but Belair evaded and hit a back elbow, a shoulder block from the apron, and went for a Glam Slam, but Sky reversed it into a Victory Roll into a Double Stomp on Belair for a near fall.
Sky & Belair exchanged strikes on the mat before Sky went for La Mistica, but Belair stopped Sky's rotation and hit a side backbreaker on Sky. Bianca hit two lariats, a dropkick, and a Vertical Suplex into a kip-up before firing away at Sky with punches in the corner. Sky got to the top rope, but Belair caught her with a forearm before hitting her in with a One-Hand Military Press Slam into a Back Flip running Moonsault on Sky, but Iyo kicked out at two. Sky got a Hammerlock on Belair, but Belair reversed it with a Snap-mare before trying to tackle Sky, but Sky evaded and hit a Rope Walk arm-Guillotine on Belair and hit a Springboard Shotgun Dropkick to send Belair outside. Sky climbed to the top rope, but Belair dumped her into the ring before climbing to the top and going for a 450 Splash, but Sky blocked it with her knees and locked it a Crossface on Belair. Belair rolled over and went for a Liger Bomb on Sky, but Sky reversed it mid-air with a Face Buster on Belair for a near fall. Sky finally hit the Meteora on Belair and went for the Storm Breaker, but Belair evaded repeatedly before attempting the KOD, but Sky reversed it with a Mexican Arm Drag to send her to the outside. Belair went for a hand-stand move off the apron, but Sky caught her on the outside with a kick to the gut before hitting an Asai Moonsualt off the top rope on Belair to the outside before sending her back in the ring for a pin, but Belair kicked out at two.
Sky hit a series of shoulder blocks in the corner on Belair before placing her on the top rope. Belair tossed Sky into the apron, but Sky responded with a Shote before going for a Frankensteiner. Belair got Sky and hit a vicious Avalanche Liger Bomb on Sky and tried to end the match, but Sky kicked out at two. Bayley & Dakota Kai joined ringside and tried to distract Belair, but it allowed Belair to hit a forearm strike on Sky. Belair went for the KOD, but Sky reversed it with a Code Red on Belair for a near fall. Bayley checked on Sky, but Belair attacked Bayley. This distracted the referee to allow Kia to kick Sky in the face. Sky went for the Moonsault on Belair but was distracted briefly by Bayley & Kai. After that brief distraction, Sky went for the Moonsault, but Belair evaded and hit the KOD on Sky to get the pinfall win, becoming the longest reinging Women's Champion in the Modern Era.
Winner AND STILL Raw Women's Champion: Bianca Belair.
- Rey Mysterio met with Bad Bunny backstage ahead of his match later in the night. Bunny said that he was nervous but excited about it. Rey Mysterio introduced Bad Bunny to Savio Vega, giving him a Puerto Rico Themed Kendo Stick. Vega told Bad Bunny to use the kendo stick to "Fuck Damian Priest's shit up" in Spanish.
Seth Rollins vs. Omos (w/ MVP).
Omos immediately attacked Rollins from behind, interrupting the crowd from singing Rollins's theme song. The match began with Omos catching Rollins with a vicious shoulder tackle and a corner splash before laying his boot on Rollins's abdomen. Omos then hit an Irish Whip on Rollins into the corner before shouting at the crowd. Rollins slammed Omos's neck into the top rope before going for a springboard move, but Omos caught him mid-air jab. Omos got Rollins and locked in the Iron Claw on Rollins before dumping him straight into the ringside floor. Omos got on the outside and went for a body slam, but Rollins slammed Omos into the ring post before hitting a Tope Suicida on Omos. Rollins went for a Second one, but Omos caught him and hit a choke-slam on Rollins into the apron before Military Pressing Rollins back into the ring.
Omos got back in the ring and got him up before hitting the Snake Eyes into a Big Boot on Rollins as the crowd chanted "MVP Cabron (MVP, you asshole)" right at MVP. Rollins got back up and hit a springboard knee drop on Omos to regain momentum. Rollins hit a series of kicks on Omos's leg before hitting a basement dropkick and a thrust kick on Omos. Rollins went for a Pedigree, but Omos responded with a Back Drop while on his knees. Omos went for another corner splash, but Rollins evaded and slammed Omos's head into the ring post before hitting a Tornado DDT and a Frog Splash, but Omos kicked out at one. Rollins hit a series of forearm strikes and. rolling elbow on Omos before hitting a diving Hidden Blade on Omos. Rollins went for the Stomp on Omos, but Omos blocked it before hitting a Chokeslam on Rollins to get a pin, but Rollins kicked out at two. Omos went for a Chokebomb on Rollins, but Rollins blocked the hold before flipping into a Sleeper on Omos. Omos started to fade from the Sleeper, but Omos powered back up before hitting Side Slam. Rollins hit a Curb Stomp on Omos before catching Rollins with a Thrust Kick. Rollins went back in the corner and hit another Curb Stomp on Omos for a near fall. Rollins climbed to the top rope and decided to bring the killing blow by hitting a Top Rope Curb Stomp on Omos for the pinfall win.
Winner: Seth Rollins.
WWE United States Championship Match.
Austin Theory (c) vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Bronson Reed.
The heavyweight match began with Lashley hitting a lariat on Theory. Reed. & Lashley exchanged strikes before Lashley hit a back elbow on Theory. Lashley tossed Theory onto Reed to make Reed hit DDT on Theory by hitting Reed with a lariat. Lashley attacked Reed, but Theory got back in and hit a Rolling Dropkick on Lashley. Theory tried to attack Lashley, but Lashley responded with a Vertical Suplex. Theory tripped Lashley before Reed hit a splash on Lashley. Theory and Reed got in a Truce and double-teamed Lashley before Reed hit a spinning senton. Theory hit a corner lariat on Theory, but Reed attacked Theory before hitting. a lariat on Theory into the corner. Lashley hit a One-Arm Slam on both Theory & Reed. Reed attacked Lashley before catching him with a Vader Bomb to the outside. Back in the ring, Reed climbed to the top rope, but Theory pushed him off the top rope before Lashley got the Hurt Lock on Theory. Lashley kept the hold, but that was until Theory reversed it with a pin for a near fall, but Reed responded with the TSUNAMI for a near fall. Reed & Theory exchanged strikes before Theory hit a Rolling blockbuster on Reed. Theory went for A-Town Down on Reed, but Reed evaded and hit a Powerslam on Theory. Reed went for a top rope Moonsault on Theory, but Lashley caught him with a Spear. Theory tossed Lashley out of the ring before getting the pin on Reed for the pinfall win.
Winner AND STILL WWE United States Champion: Austin Theory.
WWE SmackDown Women's Championship Match.
Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Zelina Vega.
The match began with the crowd chanting "We are Boricua & you better know!".
Vega rolled under Ripley before catching her with a shoulder tackle on the apron. Vega got the deadliest weapon in human history: the chancla. Vega tossed the chancla to Ripley before going for a diving Hurricanrana ON Ripely, but Ripley responded with a Powerbomb for a near fall. Ripley then slammed Vega right onto the mat before slamming her face into the top turnbuckle and hitting a series of shoulder tackles and slamming Vega to the opposite corner with an Irish Whip. Vega hit two forearm strikes on Ripley, but Ripley responded by slamming Vega again into the ring corner and whipping into the corner again. Ripley got Vega and hit a back-breaker on Vega before locking in a Gory Bob-like Stretch on Vega. Vega rolled over Ripley and side-stepped off the corner to send Ripley crashing into the ring post. Ripley got back up, but Vega caught her with a series of forearm strikes and two lariats on Ripley, but Ripley responded with a headlock. Ripley went for the Riptide, but Vega caught her with a DDT before connecting the 619 on Ripley. Vega climbed to the top rope and hit a Diving Meteora on Ripley, but Ripley kicked out at two. Vega hit two forearm strikes on Vega, but Ripley responded with a vicious kick before finally hitting the Riptide for the pinfall win & title retention.
Vega was given a standing ovation from the Puerto Rico crowd after the match.
Winner AND STILL SmackDown Women's Champion: Rhea Ripley.
San Juan Street Fight.
"Bad Bunny" Benito Martinez vs. Damian Priest.
The battle between the two Puerto Rican natives began with Priest pushing Benito to the mat. Bunny got back up, but Priest leaned him into the corner to calm him. Benito slapped Priest in the face before connecting a wicked Michinoku Driver, but Priest kicked out at one. Bad Bunny got a kendo stick into the ring, but Priest got him and slammed him into the ring corner before getting the kendo stick Bad Bunny and breaking it in half. Priest hit a body slam on Bad Bunny and got a wrist lock on Ba Bunny, but Benito responded with a jab. Priest continued to keep the hold, but Benito poked his eyes before Priest hit a knee-lift on Bad Bunny. Bad Bunny hit a chin-breaker on Priest before getting to the middle rope and hitting two jabs and a roll-through pin on Priest for a near fall. Priest hit two quick jabs on Bad Bunny before catching him with a leaping corner splash on Benito. Priest got Bad Bunny and hit him with the South of Heaven Chokeslam to get the pin, but Priest stopped his own count to continue to bring the pain to Benito.
Priest got, of all things, an axe handle to the ring off a cart full of weapons, but he then discarded the weapon. Priest went for a springboard move, but Bad Bunny tossed a chair to the face. Bad Bunny came back in the ring and laid in some kendo shots before hitting a Tornado DDT on Priest and clotheslining him to the outside. Bad Bunny then climbed to the top rope and hit a Plancha on Priest to the outside. Bad Bunny swung with trash can lids on Priest's head before getting another Kendo Stick. Back in the ring, Bad Bunny swung away with kendo stick shots at Priest, but Priest pulled the kendo stick. Bad Bunny rung Priest's bell before hitting, of all things, a Falcon Arrow for a near fall. Priest rolled to the outside, learning that he had a busted nose. Benito invited Priest to the ring, but Priest walked down the ramp. Bad Bunny tried to chase Priest with a trash can, but Priest caught him with a big boot. Priest laid in the shots with the trash can o Bad Bunny, targeting his back before Priest got a Puerto Rico-themed kendo stick and hit Bad Bunny on his back with it. Priest tossed Bad Bunny into the timekeeper's area before the two brawled in the crowd area. Priest placed Bad Bunny on a soundboard in the tech area before Priest tried to slam him there, but Bad Bunny responded with a series of jabs before hitting Falcon Arrow on Benito onto a stack of tables in the tech area.
Priest got back up and carried Bad Bunny into the ringside area before catching him with a kick to the chest. Priest went for another kick, but Bad Bunny evaded to send Priest's leg right onto the ring post. Back in the ring, Bad Bunny fired away with kendo stick shots on Priest before hitting an Ankle Breaker on Priest and slamming his leg into the ring post. Bad Bunny slammed Priest's leg into the ring post again before getting a chain wrapping Priest's ankle with a chain and slamming it into the ring post and swinging a chair into Priest's knee. Bad Bunny got back in the ring and was about to swing at Priest, but Priest begged him to stop and apologized to him. This was all a trick, with Priest hitting an upkick on Bad Bunny. Priest got the chair and tried to swing at Benito, but Bad Bunny got him with a low blow. Dominik Mysterio & Finn Balor came to the ring and attacked Bad Bunny to make the save for Priest, but Rey Mysterio came in to make the save. Balor & Dominik took down, but that was until none other than Carlito Colon made his WWE return. Carlito an Rey laid out Dominik and Balor and sent them into the ramp, but that was until they were greeted by Savio Vega. Santos Escobar, Joaquin Wilde & Cruz del Toro joined Vega and between them, Carlito & Rey, they took down Balor & Dominik. Vega hit a Kick on Balor before catching Dominik with an uppercut.
Back in the ring, Priest went for a Tornado Kick but his leg gave out. Bad Bunny saw this and locked in the Figure Four on Priest. Priest kicked out at two, but Bad Bunny cinched the hold deep, but that was until Priest broke the hold with a choke. Priest went for a chokeslam, but Bad Bunny reversed it with a Victory Roll for a near fall. Bad Bunny slammed Priest into a chair before hitting him with Slice Bread #2 for a near fall. Bad Bunny got another chair and unloaded on Priest with chair shots before honoring Petey Williams and hitting the Canadian Destroyer for the pinfall win. Bad Bunny, Carlito Colon, Savio Vega, Rey Mysterio, Joaquin Wilde, Cruz del Toro & Santos Escobar celebrated after the match.
Winner: Bad Bunny.
- In commentary, Corey Graves asked Michael Cole what his favorite song of Bad Bunny was. Cole responded that his favorite song was named after his upcoming biography: I Twerk Alone. This is of course referring to the song "Yo Perreo Sola".
The Bloodline (Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso & Solo Sikoa) vs. Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn & Matt Riddle.
Zayn & Jey began the match locking up before Jey got a headlock on Zayn. Jey hit a shoulder tackle on Zayn before he & Jimmy posed in the corner. The two locked up again before Jey got a headlock on Zayn, but Zayne vaded the hold and hit a clothesline on Jey. Jey & Owens tagged in, with Owens hitting a gut kick and stomped away at Jimmy before telling Sikoa to suck it. Owens hit a running back elbow & a running senton on Jimmy before Riddle tagged in. Riddle leaped over Jimmy and hit a kick to the chest on Jimmy and hit a Gut Wrench Suplex. Zayn tagged in and slammed Jimmy into the corner before hitting a diving Bionic Elbow on Jimmy. Sikoa was tired of the nonsense and tagged into the match. Zayn & Sikoa locked up before Sikoa fired away with punches and headbutts in the corner on Zayn before catching him with a back elbow. Sikoa tossed Zayn into the ground before Jimmy tagged back in. Jimmy & Jey double-teamed Zayn in the corner before Zayn hit a jab on Jey, but Jey drove Zayn into the corner before Jimmy kicked Zayn at the back of the neck. Sikoa tagged back in and stomped Zayn's abdomen before placing him in the middle rope. Jimmy & Sikoa hit the Wish Bone on Zayn for a near fall. Jimmy got a chin lock on Zayn, but Jimmy slammed Zyan onto the mat before hitting a thrust kick on Riddle. Zayn caught Jimmy with a lariat before Jey tagged in and laid out Owens on the stairs outside.
Sikoa, Jey & Jimmy corned Zayn, but Zayn laid n jabs on all three before trying to tag in Riddle, but Jey pulled him back in and hit a Samoan Drop on Zayn. Sikoa tagged in and attacked Zayn, but Zayn hit rapid-fire boot kicks before hitting a Tornado DDT nad tagging in Riddle. Riddle hit a roundhouse kick and a Pele Kick on Jimmy, a forearm and a Ripcord Knee on Jey, and a series of corner splashes, T-Bone Suplexes, and Sentons on The Usos before laying out all of the Bloodline with a Springboard Floating Bro on the three. Riddle got back in and went for a Buckshot Lariat, but Jimmy caught him with a Thrust Kick mid-air for a near fall. Jimmy climbed to the top rope, but Riddle met him there and hit an Overhead Suplex on Jimmy. Owens rose back from the dead and tagged in hitting a Senton Atomico on Jimmy Uso for a near fall. Owens hit a Thrust Kick on Jimmy. Jimmy went for a Thrust Kick on Owens, but accidentally hit Jey before Owens hit a Superkick Party on all members of the bloodline and hit a Pop-Up Powerbomb on Jey for a near fall. Owens went for another Swanton, but Jey lifted his knees to block the move. The two exchanged strikes before Owens went for the Stunner, but the two instead exchanged Superkicks before Owens hit a lariat on Jey. Zayn & Jimmy tagged in, with Zayn hitting a Blue Thunder Bomb on Jimmy for a near fall. Zayn climbed to the top rope, but Jimmy caught him with two enziguri kicks. Jimmy & Jey got on the top rope, but Zayn took out both Usos before going for a dive, but The Usos caught Zayn with a double-Superkick on Zayn mid-air for a near fall. Jey was in the corner setting up for the Hip attack, but Sikoa tagged in.
Jey responded by chopping Sikoa right on. the chest to tag back in, telling Sikoa he had it. Zayn hit a Helluva Kick on Sikoa & an Exploder Suplex on Jey before connecting another Helluva Kick on Jey for a near fall, thanks to Sikoa breaking up the pin. Sikoa surveyed the scene, but Riddle caught him with a knee strike before Jimmy Uso tossed him out of the ring. Ownes hit a Stunner on Jimmy but got caught with a Samoan Spike by Sikoa before Sikoa nearly spiked Jey. Zayn took Sikoa out of the ring, but that was before Jey hit a Thrust Kick on Zayn. Riddle tagged back in and hit the Bro-Derek on Jey, but Sikoa did the blind tag and hit the Samoan Spike on Riddle for the pinfall win.
Winners: The Bloodline (Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso & Solo Sikoa).
Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar.
Rhodes caught Lesnar with a Tope Suicida to the outside and attacked Lesnar on the outside before the match. Rhodes attacked Lesnar with the steel steps before hitting him with a chair shot to the back.
The match officially began with Rhodes hitting a series fo forearm strikes on Lesnar. Lesnar drove Rhodes into the corner, but Rhodes hit the drop-down slap and two disaster kicks on Lesnar. Rhodes went for a Third Disaster Kick, but Lesnar caught him and hit a German Suplex. Rhodes hit a Guillotine on Lesnar into he top rope before going for a dive, but Lesnar caught him and hit a Fall-Away Slam on Rhodes. Lesnar took Rhodes to Suplex City, hitting a second German Suplex on Rhodes before hitting him with a third. Lesnar kicked Rhodes on the ribs before hitting a fourth German Suplex before hitting two snap-suplexes on Rhodes. Rhodes took off a turnbuckle pad accidentally, but Lesnar responded by slamming Rhdoes with a fifth German Suplex as the crowd chanted at Lesnar. Lesnar locked in a Bear Hug on Rhodes before hitting him with an Inverse Saito Suplex on Rhodes. Lesnar hit a series of shoulder blocks on Rhodes in the corner, but Rhodes slammed Lesnar into the exposed turnbuckle, busting Lesnar open. Rhodes saw the opening and hit a Diamond Cutter on Lesnar, followed by a Distaster kick before punching away at Lesnar's bloodied head and hitting a knee strike and a Cody Cutter. Rhodes got Lesnar and hit two consecutive Crossroads on Lesnar, but Lesnar kicked out at two. Rhodes went for another Crossroads, but Lesnar got him and hit him with an F5 to get the pinfall win, but Rhodes kicked out at the count of two. Lesnar locked in the Kimura Lock on Rhodes. Lesnar cinched in the Double Wrist-lock on Rhodes, but Rhodes pushed Lesnar on his two shoulders to reverse the hold and get the pinfall win. Lesnar stood tall on the ramp as Lesnar whipped his bloody face off to end the broadcast.
Winner: Cody Rhodes.
- Check out the post-show podcast for a full review of the show on Fightful's YouTube & Twitch channels. You can check Fightful's Results Section here.
