Backlash carried WWE through the month of May, though there’s a few run-ins here from NXT UK and 205 Live you may not expect. There was plenty of Honorable Mention work on TV too… everyone must be antsy to get back on the road.
1. WWE Universal Title: Roman Reigns [c] w/ Paul Heyman vs. Cesaro (WrestleMania Backlash 5/16/21)
We appreciate Cesaro for his ability, if not always his ability to beat some ass. Against this Roman Reigns in this Thunderdome era, I think he could’ve beat a little more ass. They still provided an awesome 30-minutes of professional wrestling, fighting over headlocks and deadlifting each other into suplexes and hitting each other really really hard before Roman had to basically try and kill Cesaro to make him quit. It lacked some of the urgency from Roman’s other defenses, but it was also Roman vs. Cesaro in the main event for the Universal Title.
2. Heritage Cup: A-Kid [c] vs. Tyler Bate w/ Trent Seven (NXT UK 5/20/21)
This was a rematch from last December when A-Kid retained the trophy in an upset over Bate — I liked that match and I really liked this one, two gifted 24-year-old punks making the most of the Heritage Cup (European) Rules concept. For the first three rounds, this was all hold-trading and counters — plenty of attempts at offense, pretty much all defense. Once the fourth round began they dropped the holds as their energy to hold onto them began to disappear. The drama escalates pretty brilliantly, at least as brilliantly as it can for an empty arena match. By the fifth or sixth round they’re just smacking at each other with their free arm, holding onto the other in pain, and trying in vain to get at least one fall with a signature or a finisher… or maybe something else.
3. Falls Count Anywhere: Leon Ruff vs. Isaiah “Swerve” Scott (NXT 5/4/21)
This felt like the Mustafa Ali/Buddy Murphy matches on 205 Live from a few years ago where the directive from management appeared to be that for one night only there WAS no directive. In a world of so many wild and dangerous-looking moves, Ruff and Swerve pulled off a few that were more impressive and dangerous-looking than all the rest. Plus Hit Row debuts at the end. Hiiiiit Rooooowww…
4. Street Profits vs. The Usos (SmackDown 5/28/21)
To continue a trend of comparisons that feel accurate right now, this felt like the New Day/Street Profits tag at Survivor Series last year. It lived up to the hype of two top teams against each other because it wasn’t just about good wrestling, but finding out who’s actually the best at this and kind of being dickheads while doing it. Montez Ford looked like an all-star here but everyone delivered, seamless wrestling sequences and a return to form for The Usos with some tremendous near falls at the end.
5. Triple Threat Match – WWE Title: Bobby Lashley [c] w/ MVP vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Braun Strowman (WrestleMania Backlash 5/16/21)
This wasn’t quite the SummerSlam 2018 Fatal 4-Way in terms of WWE heavyweight spectacles but it way exceeded expectations, a match too filled with action to stop and think about how bad RAW was every week in this era. I’m over a guy tackling another guy through a barricade or LED video board, but they made up for it by having Drew and Bobby toss big Braun Strowman around like he weighed nothing. Strowman did a somersault plancha too!
6. SmackDown Women’s Title: Bianca Belair [c] vs. Bayley (WrestleMania Backlash 5/16/21)
Good championship wrestling match outside of an iffy finish that left room for more. Bianca Belair runs the ropes so fast she’s ready for a Dragon Gate tour, while Bayley shows all the range: she goes from eating the floor mats on a missed tope suicida to trying to cheat to win and grabbing the ropes on a rollup, all in a matter of 15 seconds.
7. Triple Threat Match – RAW Women’s Title: Rhea Ripley [c] vs. Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair (WrestleMania Backlash 5/16/21)
The Triple Threat tends to come and go but they made this look easy, everything flowing seamlessly to the next thing to ensure the professional wrestling action just kept coming.
8. Ari Sterling vs. Tony Nese (205 Live 5/14/21)
9. Asher Hale vs. Tony Nese (205 Live 5/28/21)
I don’t think I’m lying to you: Tony Nese is having a run on 205 Live. He does a great job in these matches introducing two WWE newcomers (the former Alex Zayne and Anthony Henry), going around 15 minutes with each and letting them get all their fancy stuff in before some shockingly dramatic near falls.
10. WWE U.S. Title: Sheamus [c] vs. Ricochet (WrestleMania Backlash Kickoff 5/16/21)
They kept this basic until Sheamus started blasting Ricochet with strikes and they managed a few pretty awesome near falls. This would’ve been a hilariously bigger deal just a couple years ago, but I am always all for Sheamus launching some knee smashes.
Honorable Mentions: Fatal 4-Way Match – WWE Intercontinental Title: Apollo Crews [c] vs. Big E vs. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn (SmackDown 5/21/21), Drew McIntyre vs. Kofi Kingston w/ Xavier Woods (RAW 5/24/21), Drew McIntyre vs. Kofi Kingston (RAW 5/31/21), Trent Seven vs. Sam Gradwell (NXT 5/27/21), Cesaro vs. Seth Rollins (SmackDown 5/7/21), NXT Title: Karrion Kross [c] w/ Scarlett vs. Finn Balor (NXT 5/25/21)
SmackDown Tag Team Title: Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode [c] vs. Rey Mysterio & Dominik Mysterio (WrestleMania Backlash 5/16/21), 2/3 Falls: Ricochet vs. Mustafa Ali (Main Event 5/26/21), NXT Women’s Tag Team Title: Ember Moon & Shotzi Blackheart [c] vs. Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell (NXT 5/4/21), Heritage Cup Rules: Nathan Frazer vs. Noam Dar (NXT 5/13/21)
Xavier Woods vs. Riddle (RAW 5/24/21), Sarray vs. Zayda Ramier (NXT 5/4/21), Toni Storm vs. Zoey Stark (NXT 5/18/21), Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Chad Gable (SmackDown 5/28/21), Kevin Owens, Big E, Shinsuke Nakamura & Street Profits vs. Apollo Crews, King Corbin, Sami Zayn, Otis & Chad Gable (SmackDown 5/7/21), Rey Mysterio vs. Dolph Ziggler (SmackDown 5/14/21), Leon Ruff vs. Pete Dunne (NXT 5/11/21), Bobby Fish vs. Pete Dunne (NXT 5/25/21), MSK vs. Breezango (NXT 5/11/21)
