WWE Backlash 2016: Reactions & Review

Kane vs. Bray Wyatt (No Holds Barred)

Reactions: So Bray got the jump on Orton during a backstage brawl, which led to him getting a cheap forfeit win. But Bray’s night wasn’t over since Kane came out to take him on in a No Holds Barred match. What we got here was another fun matchup where the rules were thankfully relaxed. Without that stipulation, we’re sure we’d be down on this match has a whole. The chair shots were plentiful, plus we loved that big Running Senton Bray pulled off on Kane through the announce table. Bray and Kane shocked us by putting on a pretty intense brawl that went all over the place. Kane didn’t slow down things too much and Bray was his usual crazy self. Orton came out to strike down Bray with an RKO, which was followed up by a big chokeslam to end the match. What we got here was a surprisingly solid hardcore battle.

Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

The Usos (Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso) vs. Heath Slater and Rhyno (Tag Team Tournament Final for the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship)

Reactions: The Usos came back out to compete, but their return was clearly overshadowed by the super over combination of Heath Slater and Rhyno. The Usos focused on utilizing their newfound heel-focused offense to ground Heath, which was something the majority of this match entailed. Heath fought for his life, which played a big part in building up his eventual tag to Rhyno even more of a huge pop-worthy moment. Rhyno helped add a bit more intensity to this affair as soon as he hopped into the ring. Heath help up his end of the bargain and worked just as hard to keep the crowd enthralled. The match itself was decent enough, but what truly mattered here was the crowning of new SmackDown tag team champions. HEATH’S GOT A CONTRACT AND A NEW DOUBLE WIDE, BABAY!

Rating: 2 & a Half out of 5 Stars

Dean Ambrose (c) vs. AJ Styles (WWE World Championship)

Reactions: The face that runs the place…IS THE NEW WWE WORLD CHAMPION! AJ’s undoubtably WWE’s 2016 MVP. He’s constantly showing out against anybody he faces and he did that again right here. Ambrose’s match against Ziggler at this past SummerSlam was a disappointment, but this performance of his was a hell of a lot better. AJ was his usual cocky self and he pulled out all of his best moves to ground Ambrose. AJ’s work on Ambrose’s leg was smart, but Ambrose was a crafty lil’ bastard who fought tooth and nail to keep his title run intact. Ambrose pulled off some awesome offense here and there, including a stiff Shotgun Dropkick to AJ that pushed him to the outside. Plus Ambrose catapulted AJ head first into the ring corner and dropped him with a double axe handle right within the crowd. There were so many near falls, a hot audience and some breathtaking moves being dished out throughout this excellent main event. AJ may have ended the match under dubious circumstances, but it resulted in a new champion getting crowned. AJ pulled off his biggest WWE win in an amazing title match.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars