WWE Backlash Results
Full results from WWE Backlash
May 7, 2023
WWE held their first major show since WrestleMania 39 on Saturday, May 6 as Backlash emanated from Jose Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Check out the full results from Backlash below:
Bianca Belair (c) def. IYO SKY - Raw Women's Championship
After winning a number one contender's match on the April 10 episode of Monday Night Raw, IYO SKY challenged Bianca Belair for the Raw Women's Championship in the opening contest of the Backlash pay-per-view. The Puerto Rican fans at the Jose Miguel Agrelot Coliseum were behind the challenger and SKY channelled that energy to dominate the opening minutes.
Belair eventually fought back but a brutal moment occurred as the champion hit a one-arm Press Slam on IYO SKY but the Damage CTRL member almost landed on the top of her head. SKY was fortunately fine and she fired back with a Springboard Shotgun Dropkick. Belair went for a 450 Splash but SKY got her knees up and applied a Crossface. Belair escaped and went for a Powerbomb before IYO countered with an X-Factor.
Belair went for the KOD soon after but IYO escaped, sending the Raw Women's Champion to the outside. SKY followed up with a huge Moonsault to the outside. Later, Belair decked Sky with an Avalanche Sit-Out Powerbomb for a near fall. Before Belair could follow up, Bayley and Dakota Kai came down to cause the distraction and IYO SKY picked up a very close two count after countering the KOD. Belair attacked Bayley in the ring but the distraction allowed Kai to hit her finisher on Bianca while the official wasn't looking.
IYO SKY then went to hit her patented Moonsault but Bayley held Belair's braid in place which led to her being admonished by the referee. The antics also distracted SKY and she missed the Moonsault. Belair then followed up with the KOD for the win.
Belair and Damage CTRL will now head to Friday Night SmackDown following the WWE Draft.
Seth Rollins def. Omos
Before the next match, Bad Bunny received a kendo stick from 1990s WWE star Savio Vega.
Seth Rollins and Omos then went one-on-one in the second match of the night in a bout that was booked on the card without any story. Seth Rollins was serenaded by the fans in Puerto Rico but Omos tried to shut that down, attacking Rollins before the bell.
This led to several minutes of Omos dominance as the crowd remained behind Rollins and tried to will the former Universal Champion back into the contest. Rollins eventually fought back, catching Omos with a Springboard Knee and following up with a Tornado DDT. The Architect then hit a Frog Splash, only for Omos to kick out at one. Rollins next hit a Jumping Forearm before he went for the Stomp but Omos blocked it and fired back with a Chokeslam for a near fall.
Omos next went for a Double Chokeslam but Rollins blocked it and applied a Sleeper. Omos briefly escaped but Rollins locked the submission in again, sending the giant down to the mat. Omos managed to escape again, though, with a Sidewalk Slam.
Next, MVP got into the ring and slid Omos his cane when the referee was distracted. This allowed Rollins to hit a Stomp on the cane before a second Stomp. That looked to be it but Omos managed to kick out! Rollins had to go big and he did just that, hitting an Avalanche Stomp before he pinned Omos to score the 1-2-3.
Austin Theory (c) def. Bronson Reed & Bobby Lashley - Triple Threat for the United States Championship
The Triple Threat for the United States Championship took place as the third match at Backlash and Bobby Lashley dominated the opening minutes, decking Theory with a Spear. Bronson Reed broke up the pin and followed up with a huge Splash to the outside. Bronson then went for a Tsunami but Theory blocked it and went for the A-Town-Down, only for Lashley to counter into the Hurt Luck.
Theory performed a Bret Hart-esque up and over for a near fall and Bronson Reed suddenly decked Lashley with a Tsunami. He looked to have the match won but Theory broke up the pin. The United States Champion failed to hit the A-Town-Down on Reed and the former NJPW star went for a Moonsault but Theory moved out of the way.
Upon getting back to his feet, Reed was decked with a huge Spear from Bobby Lashley. In typical heel fashion, Austin Theory shuttled Lashley out of the ring and pinned Reed to score the successful title defence.
Rhea Ripley (c) def. Zelina Vega - SmackDown Women's Championship
A very emotional Zelina Vega challenged Rhea Ripley for the SmackDown Women's Championship next at Backlash and the champion dominated the early action, hitting a Last Ride for a near fall.
Zelina eventually managed to get some momentum, countering a Riptide into a DDT before connecting with a 619. Zelina then paid tribute to Eddie Guerrero but then didn't hit a Frog Splash, instead connecting with a Meteora. That was as good as it got for Vega as Ripley decked the challenger with a Riptide for the win.
Bad Bunny def. Damian Priest - San Juan Street Fight
In the biggest match of the night for the Puerto Rican fans in attendance, Bad Bunny went one-on-one with Damian Priest in a San Juan Street Fight. Bad Bunny channelled his inner Raven and pushed a trolley full of weapons to the ring.
After some initial confidence from Damian Priest, Bad Bunny fired back with a Michinoku Driver for an early near fall. Priest quickly regained his composure until Bad Bunny decked Priest with kendo stick and trash can lid shots. Priest then pretended to leave the building and hit Bad Bunny with a Big Boot into a trash can.
Priest battered Bad Bunny around the ringside area and the two competitors ended up on top of some production equipment, at which point Priest put Bad Bunny through a pile of tables with a Falcon Arrow. WWE officials tried to stop Priest from attacking Bunny further but Damian carried the award-winning rapper back to the squared circle. This gave Bunny time to recover and he targeted Priest's knee, hitting with kendo stick shots before he attacked the leg further, smashing it into the ring post.
Bad Bunny later went to hit Priest with a chair shot but The Archer of Infamy pleaded for his opponent to stop. Bunny played the idiot babyface role which allowed Priest to fire back with a kick. Upon recovering, Bunny decked Priest with a Low Blow which prompted Dominik Mysterio and Finn Balor to charge to the ring. After an initial beatdown, Rey Mysterio tried to make the save but the numbers game proved to be too much.
Judgment Day's dominance didn't last, though, as Carlito made his triumphant WWE return as a member of the Latino World Order, decking Balor with a Backstabber and chewing an apple. Rey then hit a 619 on Dominik which sent Mysterio and Balor scurrying to the back, only for them to be blocked off by Savio Vega.
After a long standoff, the rest of the Latino World Order turned up and they beat down Finn Balor and Dominik Mysterio, sending them to the back.
Back in the ring, Damian Priest went for a Kick but his knee gave out. This allowed Bad Bunny to apply the Figure Four Leglock and Priest came close to tapping out but he eventually escaped. Priest tried to fight back with a Spear on one leg but he went crashing into a steel chair between the ropes. Bunny took advantage with a Sliced Bread Number Two, landing on his head in the process, and Priest got his shoulder up.
Bad Bunny next decked Priest with chair shot after chair shot before he hit the Canadian Destroyer for the 1-2-3.
Solo Sikoa & The Usos def. Matt Riddle, Sami Zayn, & Kevin Owens
A six-man tag team match was in the semi-main event spot and it was a standard tag affair for the first several minutes until Sami Zayn made the hot tag to Matt Riddle which prompted The Original Bro to run wild. He hit a Springboard Floating Bro, taking out The Usos and Solo Sikoa on the outside. Kevin Owens followed up with a Swanton Bomb and The Usos later went for a Superkick Party but Jimmy took out Jey. KO then hit a Pop-Up Sit-Out Powerbomb for a near fall.
Owens went for another Swanton but Jey got his knees up. After more back-and-forth, Sami Zayn picked up a near fall following a Blue Thunder Bomb. Zayn then leapt from the top rope, only to eat a Double Superkick from The Usos. Jey Uso then went for a move to Zayn but Solo Sikoa tagged himself in. Jey tagged himself back in as the issues within The Bloodline worsened.
While they argued, Zayn decked Sikoa with a Helluva Kick and Zayn followed up with a Helluva Kick to Jey. That looked to be it but Solo Sikoa broke up the pin. Sikoa was the first man back to his feet and he had his eyes on Jey, only to eat a knee from Riddle. KO then decked Jimmy Uso with a Stunner before a Samoan Spike from Solo to KO.
Jey grabbed Solo and Sikoa almost hit his own brother with a Samoan Spike as they argued further. Zayn scored another near fall with a roll-up before he ate a Superkick from Jey soon after. A back-and-forth followed until Solo Sikoa blind-tagged himself into the match. Riddle didn't notice and hit Jey with a Bro Derek.
As Solo was the legal man, he entered the ring while Riddle went for the pointless pin on Jey and Sikoa decked the former United States Champion with the Samoan Spike to score the victory.
Cody Rhodes def. Brock Lesnar
Cody Rhodes wasted no time going after Brock Lesnar, decking The Beast Incarnate with a Suicide Dive before he followed up with multiple steel step and chair shots before the bell had even rung.
Upon entering the ring, the referee took away the steel chair and rang the bell to officially begin the main event. Rhodes decked Brock with two Disaster Kicks and tried to hit a Cody Cutter, only to be caught by Lesnar, who sent Rhodes to Suplex City. Brock then sent Cody flying with a Fallaway Slam as the crowd begged for Brock to send Rhodes to Suplex City again. Brock obliged and proceeded to dominate the next several minutes with German Suplexes and Bearhugs.
Cody eventually fired back, sending Brock crashing into the turnbuckle which busted Lesnar open. Cody took advantage, hitting an RKO before a Cody Cutter. Two Cross Rhodes later and that looked to be it but Brock got his shoulder up. Cody went for another Cross Rhodes but Brock blocked it and hit an F5 out of nowhere for a two-count.
Lesnar next applied the Kimura Lock and looked to have the match won but Rhodes pushed him over and picked up the 1-2-3 while the Kimura was still locked in.
Rhodes scurried backstage, having won the match to end Backlash.