WWE Backlash live results: Bad Bunny vs. Damian Priest street fight

Date: May 6, 2023
Location: Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan, PR

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Show Recap —

KICKOFF SHOW – 

The pre-show hosts Jackie Redmond, Peter Rosenberg and Matt Camp aren’t hosting live in Puerto Rico but rather in-studio. 

They aired various video packages and called the Bad Bunny/Damian Priest match the co-main event.

I admittedly watched most of this on mute but I turned the sound on in time to hear Rosenberg gleefully celebrate the internet being wrong about the World Title tournament inevitably coming down to Seth Rollins against Cody Rhodes which can’t happen now that it’s been announced that the finals will come down to Raw vs. Smackdown. 

Wade Barrett was shown drinking at the beach.

This was quite literally the most pointless preshow ever. Even the usual pointless preshow has a few new interviews and appearances. This had none of that. 

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BACKLASH 2023 – 

Michael Cole announced a sold-out crowd of 17,944. Cole and Corey Graves are on English commentary, while Marcelo Rodriguez and Jerry Soto handle Spanish commentary.

Bianca Belair defeated IYO SKY to retain the Raw Women’s Championship (18:00)

SKY was the crowd favourite. Belair got a big reaction on the way out but the crowd booed her offense like she was John Cena and wildly cheered SKY’s offence.

SKY was in control until Belair came back with a backbreaker, dropkicks, and delayed vertical suplex. Belair held SKY up with a one-arm press slam and dropped her but they mistimed it and SKY landed on her face. Belair followed with a moonsault for two. SKY missed a charge and Belair went into the buckle with her previously hurt arm. SKY followed with a springboard dropkick.

Belair shoved SKY off the top but SKY got her knees up on Belair’s 450 splash attempt. SKY applied a crossface but Belair countered out of it. Belair tried a powerbomb but SKY countered into a facebuster for two. SKY followed with double knees in the corner and they traded counters until SKY blocked a second KOD attempt and chucked Belair out of the ring.

SKY hit Belair with a moonsault off the top to the outside which drew a two count in the ring. SKY tried a hurricanrana off the top but Belair held on and hit an avalanche powerbomb for a nearfall.

Bayley and Dakota Kai marched out to distract Belair and SKY grabbed her by the braid. Belair used SKY’s body to knock Kai off the apron and SKY rolled her up for a very close nearfall. (The way the ref countered made it look like it was three but it wasn’t. The crowd was going nuts.)

Bayley got in the way so Belair tossed her aside. As the ref checked on Bayley, Kai kicked Belair in the head. SKY went to the top for the moonsault as Bayley held Belair down by the braid. The ref caught Bayley and a slight hesitation from SKY allowed Belair to avoid the moonsault.

Belair followed with KOD for the pinfall win.

This was great and the crowd made it even better. They should turn SKY babyface as soon as possible.

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Rey Mysterio approached Bad Bunny as he got ready in the back. Savio Vega popped in and the crowd went nuts. He presented Bad Bunny with a Puerto Rico flag kendo stick.

Seth Rollins defeated Omos (w/MVP) (10:31)

Before the match started, Omos dropped Rollins with a boot as Rollins basked in the crowd singing his song. The ref checked on Rollins before starting the match and Omos immediately dropped him with a shoulder tackle when it began.

Rollins posted Omos and hit a suicide dive but Omos barely budged. Rollins tried another but Omos caught him and slammed him on the apron.

Rollins came back with a flying knee, kicks to the leg, and a dropkick to the leg, bringing Omos to one knee. Rollins hit a thrust kick but Omos countered a Pedigree with a back body drop. Rollins managed to hit Omos with a tornado DDT and he followed with a frog splash but only got a one count.

Rollins followed with strikes but he couldn’t hit a curb stomp because Omos no-sold it by not budging (like Bobby Lashley has done previously). Omos followed with a chokeslam for two.

Rollins hit a stomp as MVP distracted the ref so Rollins superkicked MVP off the apron. Rollins stomped Omos again for a nearfall. Rollins acted shocked as the crowd sang his song.

Rollins climbed the ropes and hit a stomp off the top for the pinfall win. The crowd was very happy.

(This match was fine and Rollins did well but they could have cut a few minutes out of it.)

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Triple Threat Match: Austin Theory defeated Bronson Reed and Bobby Lashley to retain the United States Championship (6:51) 

An AI studied every heel win in a WWE triple threat and generated this match. 

Lashley was working over Theory until Theory and Reed worked together to take down Lashley. That unit didn’t last long because Reed dropped Theory with a body block. Lashley held Theory in the Hurt Lock until Theory was able to use the ropes to escape. With Lashley down, Reed hit Tsunami but Theory broke up the cover.

Theory gave Reed a rolling blockbuster and got the big man on his shoulders but Reed slipped out before he could hit A-Town down. Reed hit a powerslam and tried a moonsault but Theory moved and Lashley speared Reed. Theory chucked Lashley from the ring and rolled up Reed for the pinfall win.

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Rhea Ripley defeated Zelina Vega to retain the SmackDown Women’s Championship (7:10)

Vega received a huge ovation during her in-ring introduction and she was practically in tears. Vega wore Puerto Rican flag-themed gear with a huge flag cape. Ripley wore white with purple lining.

Vega’s mother Monique gave her a chancla and she chucked it at Ripley. It didn’t matter because Ripley took control anyway. Vega fought back with forearms as the crowd cheered her on but Ripley cut her off with a headbutt. Ripley tried Rip-tide but Vega spiked her with a DDT.

Vega followed with a 619 and Meteora for two. Ripley kicked Vega in the head and hit a Rip-tide for the decisive pinfall win.

— The crowd gave Vega a big ovation post-match.

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Damian Priest wore the same vest he wore when he teamed with Bad Bunny two years ago at WrestleMania. Like Ripley earlier tonight, Priest also wore white. Corey Graves said it was because Priest considers himself the good guy in this story.

Bad Bunny received a massive reaction.

San Juan Street Fight: Bad Bunny defeated Damian Priest (25:04)

This was a genuinely great WWE street fight.

Priest tried toying with him early but Bad Bunny responded with a damn Michinoku Driver a minute into the match for a two count. Bad Bunny grabbed a kendo stick but Priest cut him off, ripped the stick in half and slammed him.

Bad Bunny tried fighting back a few times but Priest worked him over easily and hit his South of Heaven finisher. Priest pinned him had it won less than five minutes in but he pulled Bad Bunny up at two.

Priest wasted too much time before trying a dive and Bad Bunny chucked a chair at his face. Bad Bunny followed with kendo stick shots and a tornado DDT. Bad Bunny went to the top and hit a flying crossbody to the outside. Bad Bunny smacked Priest with trash can lids and hit a falcon arrow for two.

Priest realized he was bleeding as Bad Bunny invited him back into the ring. Priest acted like he would leave but as Bad Bunny came after him with a trash can, Priest turned around and booted it into his face. Priest hit Bad Bunny with the kendo stick that Savio Vega gave him as the crowd chanted “Benito” (his name).

They fought into the crowd which led to Priest giving Bad Bunny a falcon arrow off some high equipment boxes through tables. Adam Pearce and other officials ran out to check on Bad Bunny but Priest brushed them off and carried him back to ringside.

Priest tried a roundhouse kick but Bad Bunny ducked and Priest kicked the ring post. Bad Bunny attacked Priest’s injured leg with the kendo stick and drove it into the post. Priest pleaded with the ref as Bad Bunny smacked his knee against the post with a steel chair.

Bad Bunny was about to finish the job with one final chair shot but Priest begged him off. Bad Bunny hesitated so Priest kicked him in the face. Priest grabbed the chair so Bad Bunny gave him a low blow.

Dominik Mysterio and Finn Bálor ran out to ambush Bad Bunny. (Dom wore white, Bálor was still in black. Bálor did have on a white bandana.) Rey Mysterio ran out to make the save but they knocked him down.

Carlito ran out to his music and the place went absolutely nuts. He assisted Rey and gave Bálor a backstabber. Carlito took a bite out of an apple but Dom tried attacking from behind. Rey gave Dom a 619 and Carlito spat the apple in Dom’s face.

Dom and Bálor backed away up the ramp when they were cut off by Savio Vega who also got an insane reaction. Vega brought out LWO who went to town on Bálor and Dom. Actually, they put the boots to Dom as Bálor left but Vega beat up Bálor and dropped him with a roundhouse kick. Vega also decked Dom. Dom and Bálor ran for their lives and were chased to the back.

Back in the ring, Bad Bunny put Priest in a figure four. Priest grabbed him by the throat and tried a chokeslam but Bad Bunny countered into a cradle for two. Priest tried a charge but crashed into a steel chair and Bad Bunny followed with a sliced bread #2 for two.

Bad Bunny beat the crap out of Priest with a steel chair and hit a Canadian Destroyer for the pinfall win. Crowd exploded.

Rey, LWO, Vega and Carlito came out to celebrate with Bad Bunny. 

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Six-man tag team match: Solo Sikoa, Jimmy Uso & Jey Uso defeated Matt Riddle & Tag Team Champions Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn (22:05)

(This was a good match but the main thing coming out of this was Sikoa almost going for the Samoan Spike on Jey Uso.)

The babyfaces worked over the Usos until Sikoa tagged himself in to get the better of Zayn and the Bloodline took over from there. There was a brief “we want Roman” chant and Jimmy Uso told them, “he’s not here.” Zayn fought back but his partners were taken out.

Zayn dropped Sikoa with a tornado DDT and made the tag to Riddle who went to town on the Usos before wiping out the Bloodline with a dive. Jimmy nailed him with a superkick back in the ring for two. Riddle suplexed Jimmy off the top and Owens followed with a senton bomb for two.

Owens avoided a superkick which resulted in Jimmy superkicking Jey by accident. Owens took out Sikoa and hit Jey with a pop-up powerbomb for two. (Graves noted that we almost never see miscommunication like that from the Usos.) Owens tried a senton but Jey got his knees up. Owens and Jey traded superkicks until Owens dropped him with a clothesline.

They tagged out and Zayn gave Jimmy a Blue Thunder Bomb for two. Zayn fought off both Usos but they caught him mid-air with superkicks for two.

Jey yelled at Zayn for trying to destroy their family. Jey set up for a running hip attack but Sikoa tagged himself in. Before Sikoa could do the move, Jey tagged himself in by smacking Sikoa in the chest (which got a reaction from the crowd).

Zayn gave Sikoa a Helluva Kick after Jey ducked. Zayn caught Jey with a Helluva Kick anyway but Sikoa broke up the cover.

The crowd buzzed as Sikoa seemed to turn his attention to Jey but Riddle cut him off with a knee strike. Jimmy chucked Riddle from the ring, Owens superkicked Jimmy, and Sikoa turned Owens inside out with a Samoan spike.

Sikoa felt someone touch him and he grabbed them to set up for the Samoan Spike. It was Jey Uso. Jey didn’t fight out but instead asked Sikoa if he would hit him. This was broken up by Zayn.

Riddle tagged in and gave Jey the Bro Derek. Sikoa had tagged himself in and he gave Riddle a Samoan Spike for the pinfall win.

— Jimmy was all smiles after the match because of the win, perhaps not realizing what happened with his brothers. Jey and Sikoa gave each other looks as they individually celebrated the win. 

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Cody Rhodes defeated Brock Lesnar (9:41)

Rhodes attacked Lesnar during his entrance and hit him with the steel steps and a steel chair.

The ref started the match and Rhodes hit a Disaster Kick but Lesnar caught a Cody Cutter and hit a big German suplex. Rhodes tried fighting back but Lesnar hit a fallaway slam. Lesnar easily hit Rhodes with suplex after suplex after suplex.

As Lesnar hit another German suplex, Rhodes accidentally ripped off a turnbuckle cover. There were chants of “Suplex city” and “let’s go Cody.”

Rhodes dodged a charged and Lesnar went face-first into the exposed buckle. Lesnar immediately came up bleeding and his entire face was quickly covered in blood. Rhodes hit a cutter and Disaster Kick.

Rhodes hammered away at Lesnar, whose blood was all over Rhodes’ midsection. Rhodes followed with a Cody Cutter and consecutive Cross Rhodes for a nearfall.

Lesnar blocked another Cross Rhodes and hit an F5 for a nearfall. The ref had a handful of towels but perhaps someone in his ear told him to put them away because he kicked them aside before using them.

A bloody Lesnar put Rhodes in a Kimura Lock but Rhodes countered into a cradle for the pinfall win.

(They went off the air pretty quickly after this ended at about 11:05 pm ET.) 

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