WWE Backlash Results – May 6, 2018 – Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe

May 6, 2018

WWE Backlash
May 6, 2018
Newark, New Jersey – Prudential Center

Kickoff Show
Bayley vs. Ruby Riott

Ruby Riott was accompanied by Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan. Ruby Riott dominated most of this match and the crowd seemed largely disinterested. Bayley finally fought back and hit a top rope elbow, but Ruby kicked out. Bayley adjusted her ponytail and prepared for her finisher, but Liv got up on the apron to distract her. Ruby Riott shoved Bayley into Liv, then Ruby hit her with a Riott kick for the win.

Winner: Ruby Riott (~10 minutes)

Intercontinental Championship
Seth Rollins (c) vs. The Miz

This started as another “standard WWE match” where the heel, Miz, controlled it for a while until Rollins finally fought back and got a good flurry of offense in. Rollins hit a big top rope frog splash for a near fall and the crowd got into it. Rollins prepared for the curb stomp, but Miz rolled out of the ring.

They fought on the apron for a bit until Rollins tried to hit him with a flying knee, but Miz moved and Rollins loudly crashed knee-first into the ring post. Miz then locked on a figure four leg lock, but Rollins was able to reverse it. Later, Rollins’ “knee went out” and Miz hit the Skull Crushing Finale, but only got a near fall.

Miz went to the top, but Rollins ran up and hit a top rope superplex. He then went for a Falcon Arrow but his knee went out again and Miz hit another Skull Crushing Finale… 1-2-no.

Miz took Rollins up to the second rope and tried to hit the Skull Crushing Finale from up there, but Rollins fought him off and went for “the stomp” off the second rope, but Miz moved. They did a roll up/reversal sequence and Rollins suddenly hit the curb stomp… 1-2-3. Really good match.

Winner: Seth Rollins (~20 minutes)

Raw Women’s Championship
Nia Jax (c) vs. Alexa Bliss

Alexa immediately dropkicked Nia’s knee to try to take out her legs, then jumped on top of her back. Nia ragdolled her and tossed her around a bit, but Alexa was resilient and was able to beat down on Nia. Nia finally was able to gain control and violently tossed Alexa around. Always feel like Nia Jax is going to horribly injure someone in every one of her matches… Nia went up to the middle rope but Alexa knocked her off and to the outside, then she gave her a DDT on the ring steps.

Later, Alexa went for Twisted Bliss, but Nia got up and caught on her shoulder, then hit her with a Samoan Drop for the win.

Winner: Nia Jax (~10 minutes)

Renee Young interviewed Nia in the ring after the match. Nia Jax said that this victory was for anyone who has ever been bullied, then said a bunch of platitudes like “you’re good enough” and “be who you are.” She finished with, “In the end, a bully always gets her ass kicked.” Really forced, bad promo and some of the crowd was booing. Alexa was shown crying at ringside.

United States Championship
Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Randy Orton

Rest hold by Orton… Head lock by Orton… Rusev Day chant. Don’t feel like watching this… struggling… After like ten minutes, Orton went for an RKO but Hardy escaped and hit a Twist of Fate. Swanton Bomb. 1-2-3.

Winner: Jeff Hardy (~12 minutes)

In-Ring: Elias

Elias was in the ring and said that he’s friends with Bruce Springsteen and said that Bruce calls him “the boss.” He said that Springsteen told him that his only regret is that he’s from New Jersey. Elias told them to hold their applause, but they started to applaud. He said that if they don’t listen, then he won’t perform tonight, then he threatened to leave.

The New Day then came out to interrupt him and said that they wanted to “jam” with Elias. They then started to play the trombone and drums and stuff, but Elias stopped them and told them that maybe one day, they could open for him, but not tonight.

Aiden English then came out to a big pop and did a little rap to introduce Rusev. Big “Rusev Day” chant. Rusev called Elias a “bootleg Bob Dylan.” Elias said that tonight was Elias’s night and tried to start again, but No Way Jose came out with a conga line. Breezango and Titus WorldWide were dancing along with him. Huge mess of a segment… Elias said that he didn’t want to be interrupted by any other freaks tonight and tried to start singing again, but…

Bobby Roode’s theme hit and Roode appeared in the ring, then gave Elias a Glorious DDT. Everyone (except for Rusev Day) then danced backstage on No Way Jose’s conga line…

Daniel Bryan vs. Big Cass

Crowd chanted “We Want Enzo.” Cass controlled the majority of the match and kept taunting Bryan and the crowd, cockily raising his fist in the air. Cass went for a big boot, but Bryan moved and locked on the Yes Lock… and Cass tapped… wtf.

Winner: Daniel Bryan (~8 minutes)

After the match, Cass got up and attacked Bryan while he was celebrating. Crowd chanted “you tapped out” as Cass looked maniacally at the crowd. He nailed Bryan with a big boot and taunted the crowd again as they chanted “asshole.”

SmackDown Women’s Championship
Carmella (c) vs. Charlotte Flair

At the start of the match, Charlotte knocked Carmella out of the ring and Carmella grabbed her title and tried to walk out, screaming “I’m the champ, I don’t need this.” Later, a three minute sleeper hold by Carmella as she screamed that she could “do this all day.” Followed by another minute long rest hold and more screeching… damn…

Carmella locked on her leg lock submission, which the announcers called the “Code of Silence,” but Charlotte escaped. She went for the Figure Four, but Carmella pushed her away. Charlotte ran up to the top rope and went for a moonsault, but Carmella moved and Charlotte landed on her feet, but her “knee buckled” on the landing. Carmella then kicked her in the back of the leg and rolled her up for the win. Weird match.

Winner: Carmella (~10 minutes)

WWE Championship – No DQ
AJ Styles (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

A non-title Roman Reigns match will be the main event instead of the WWE title match, I guess. Nakamura controlled the match for like the first 10 minutes. Really slow and boring match to start… Crowd chanted “we want tables.”

Nakamura grabbed a chair, then set it up in the ring and hit Styles with a reverse exploder onto it. He then went for the Kinshasa, but Styles threw the chair at his knee and blocked it. The chair actually ricocheted off of Nakamura and hit Styles in the face and he was bleeding on the side of his face/head… Good thing that didn’t hit his eye…

Styles went for a Styles Clash, but Nakmura hit him with a low blow… but Styles then hit Nakamura with a low blow and both men were down, writhing in pain. They got up and exchanged punches, then both kicked each other in the balls at the same time and were down again. The referee started counting… and counted to 10, and both men were still down.

The ref then called for the bell, saying that neither man could answer the ten count, so the match was over… Crowd booed. I guess that’s why this match didn’t go on last. Good match other than the first ten minutes and the finish.

No Contest (~21 minutes)

Braun Strowman & Bobby Lashley vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn

After a few minutes, Braun Strowman came in, but Zayn ran out of the ring and tried to walk out of the match. Owens chased after him and asked him what he was doing. Zayn then tossed Owens into the ring, but Owens ran back out and tossed Zayn in. Zayn then ran back out and the two started arguing and shoving each other on the apron until Zayn shoved Owens into the ring. Owens yelled at Zayn again but Strowman came up and gave Owens a splash in the corner. Lashley then gave Owens a brainbuster for the win.

Winners: Braun Strowman & Bobby Lashley (~9 minutes)

Zayn looked upset. Strowman then gave Owens a running powerslam and Zayn watched, yelling that “it’s not fair… it’s two on one.” Strowman then managed to grab Zayn by the tights when he wasn’t looking, threw him into the ring and gave him a running powerslam also.

Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe

Before the match even started, Joe attacked Reigns and hit him with a uranage through the announce table. The bell then rang and the match was underway.

Another match where the heel “beats down” the face for like ten minutes and does a bunch of rest holds. Same thing every match… Insanely long rest hold by Samoa Joe… like three minutes… Crowd booing / dead. Some chanting “this is boring.” This sucks.

After like… 15 minutes, Joe tried to lock on the Coquina Clutch, but Reigns escaped. Superman Punch for a near fall. No reaction. Rusev Day chant.

Spear by Reigns, but Joe got his foot on the bottom rope. “Delete” chant. Coquina Clutch and the crowd finally popped… Reigns was fading… but suddenly got a huge burst of energy I guess, and grabbed the rope. Crowd booed.

Joe sat Reigns on the top turnbuckle and tried to grab him, but Reigns jumped over him, then turned around and hit Joe with a spear. 1-2-3. Oh God.

Winner: Roman Reigns (~18 minutes)