WWE Backlash 2018

  

 The pre-show starts with talking heads then we get a great Roman vs. Joe video with Joe choking him out constantly. A WWE 24 doc is being made on Ronda Rousey. Miz vs. Bryan is hyped up, and oh yeah, he's facing Cass - so Miz is costing Bryan the match. Miztourage reunites backstage. He wants their help tonight agaisnt Seth, but Bo says they're done with him. A Charlotte-Carmella video airs and the Iiconics are out to be wacky. Bayley and Sasha have a terribly-acted skit.Nia vs. Alexa is hyped with a NIA JAX SOCIAL MEDIA BARRAGE video. Bayley comes out and is over again by some miracle.

Bayley and Ruby have a solid little match. Bayley gets a bunch of cradles for 2, but Riott dominates before throwing her outside and then menacing before her goons show up to be silly. Ruby hits a flatliner and does the logical thing afterwards - a silly armbar. WTF? Ruby hits her wacky double knees spot. Bayley hits Sarah with an awkward baseball slide rana. Roitt kick ends it. This was darn good overall.

 

 This is Miz's best look ever - something about this red and gold getup just works. Miz dominates after a nice head-dropping DDT. Seth hits an X factor and Miz gets a brief edge by bonking Seth's head on the apron. Seth carries him around and hits a sidewinding uranage for 2. High Fly Flow hits for 2 and gets a billion replays because it looks so great. They fight on the apron and Seth goes for the ripcord knee, but Miz ducks and Seth's knee hits the post. Miz gets a long figure four, but Seth escapes. Seth hits an awesome high kick, but Miz hits the finale for 2.9. Seth hits the superplex and Miz counters the falcon arrow into hte finale for 2.9999! Woah - that was a perfect false finish. Seth avoids a super Finale, but Miz avoids a super curb stomp and gets 2 off a cradle, but Seth HITS THE CURB STOMP TO WIN. This was easily the best singles match of Miz's career.

Alexa is out and she just has IT. She didn't come off with that vibe in NXT, but has become a dominant act despite being so small just due to her presence. They start things off with some awkwardness as Alexa just kind of stands around a bit while Nia wonders what to do. Nia steamrolls her. Nia gets dumped to the floor off a Vader bomb attempt. Nia almsot gets sunset bombed, but Alexa kicks her legs nad she bumps on her ass. Coach then says that ALEXA WINNING WOULD BE ONE OF THE GREATEST WINS IN THE HISTORY OF THE TITLE. Holy shit. Nia catches her off twisted bliss and Samoan drops her to win after nine decades. Nia cuts a generic empowering promo about being extraordinary and unique using every possible cliche in a single promo. NIA JAX ECHOING THE SENTIMENT OF WWE'S BE A STAR MOVEMENT, AND SINCE 2011, BE A STAR HAS HELPED THOUSANDS. Just human beings talking as they do.

The Roman vs. Brock stuff is recapped before Joe is intervewed by a generic human about Roman. Orton comes out and then Jeff does, with Orton bopping his arms to Jeff's theme. Jeff has a new all-shiny top look that's both neat and odd - I prefer the sleeves being colorful. We get a legends reunion version of every match they've ever had. Jeff goes for a springboard, but Orton dropkicks him to the floor. Orton back suplexes him three times on the barricade. Jeff jumps up and flies forward with...what I guess was supposed to be a lariat and gets the atomic drop>legdrop for 2. Whisper in the Wind gets 2 and Orton gets a powerslam for 2. Jeff misses Hardyac arrest. Twist and a swanton end it. That was a match.

Elias comes out and plays a tribute to Springsteen. Elias gets a boo/yay spot off of TEASING LEAVING. Then New Day sadly comes in and Elias says he knows they're intimidated being in the building with the biggest musical act on Earth - but it isn't time for autographs. And then Aiden shows up for Rusev Day. Then Jose, Titus Worldwide, and Breezango are out. Elias is Oliver Douglas in the world of Hooterville. AND THEN BOBBY ROODE JUMPS HIM TO END IT. Hey, this was unbearable at times - but it served a storyline purpose sorta. Roode dances to Jose's theme in his robe and looks very white.

Bryan is a third-match guy on a B-show. Yowza. Cass is a less-charismatic and less-impressive version of Test. Bryan kicks the leg. Cass has found a way to somehow try to hide his body while still wearing trunks. Between the giant trucks and enormous kneepads, why not just wear long tights? Bryan gets the missile dropkick. Yes kicks are met with a big spinebuster. Okay, so Bryan will probably win - but it'll be a fluke. They're telling too much of a story with Cass being arrogant. Cass is doing a fine job of raising his arm in the air. Cass eats some crossfaces and the Yes Lock ends it. Glad to see Bryan win clean here. Pleasantly surprised by the booking there. They actually did a nice job telling a story that can lead to Cass and Bryan being a team - which wouldn't be the worst thing for Cass. Cass jumps him after the match tho. Cass tosses him around post-match and big boots him.

Charlotte and Carmella have an astonishingly boring match. Lots of chinlocks and iffy-looking offense throughout. Charlotte counters a sleeper with a backpack stunner. Carmella gets the Code of Silence, but Charlotte escapes. Damn. I was hoping Carmella was being DQed for hitting her with the Cone of Silence from Get Smart - then this would be over. Moonsault is met with a knee clip and a win for Carmella.

AJ-Nakamura is up. "I hear Nakamura went to a children's basketball game and punctured all the balls!" Corey with a great line there. Nakamura bails to start. They brawl and AJ eats the apron kneedrop with a bit of a run up the steps to get 2. Super Kinshasa gets 2, as does a Landslide. AJ avoids a kinshasa with a tossing chair shot - but the chair kicks back and slices his cheek. AJ gets the calf crusher, but AJ eats a triangle choke. Ushigoroshi into a backbreaker lands after a bullet forearm to the neck. BACK TO BACK LOW BLOWS and then a double boot low blow to one another leads to ANOTHER DOUBLE DOWN. So this teases a double countout for a match MATCH TO SETTLE A DOUBLE COUNTOUT.

Braun and Lashley vs. KO and Sami is up, with them bringing up that Braun took Lashley out of the Rumble. Lashley tosses guys around. Braun comes in, bowls over everyone, wins. Then they beat up KO more and powerslam Sami. Also, Lashley was here. The Roman-Joe video hypes up how Roman should've won, but Vince didn't smarten him up before WM. "ROMAN REIGNS IS A FAILURE. END OF STORY. PERIOD! Thank you Joe. TU-BA TU-BA TU-BA! Joe gets a huge Joe chant coming out, and it's mind-boggling that he won't be winning. Roman is ricking perriwinkle tonight. How can anyone boo this man!?

 Joe starts things off fast and lands a snap jab before kneeing him in the ribs a ton. Then they fight on the floor and Joe just chucks him through an announce table. He tosses him over all the other ones.  We need at least another dozen announce tables set up for Joe to toss Roman through. Then we get a long chinlock and the match dies until Roman recovers, then the fans boo. Elbow suicida to the floor. Then Joe slows things down with a long, long, super-long armlock. They brawl and Roman gets the drive by. Another drive by is countered by THE CHOKE! Roman escapes and gets a Superman punch gets 2. A spear meets a boot and then a spear gets 2 before Joe gets the rope. Choke again. Cradle again, 2. Coquina clutch is on! Roman gets the rope and a ton of boos. Roman hits another spear to win. BOOOOO!