KELLER’S WWE BACKLASH PPV REPORT 5/21: Orton vs. Mahal, Owens vs. Styles, Nakamura vs. Ziggler, Usos vs. Breezango

KELLER’S WWE BACKLASH REPORT
MAY 21, 2017
CHICAGO, ILL, AT ALLSTATE ARENA
AIRED LIVE ON WWE NETWORK

KICKOFF SHOW

Panel: Renee Young, Booker T, Peter Rosenberg.

-A video package aired on Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Dolph Ziggler… The panel discussed Nakamura-Ziggler… The panel interviewed Tye Dillinger… The panel discussed the women’s match… James Ellsworth joined the panel for a while… Dasha Fuentes interviewed Ziggler who joked about how he had watched every Nakamura match, then claimed he was in the back pacing nervously… The panel discussed the U.S. Title match. They discussed whether A.J. Styles is the best wrestler in the business today. Booker said he can make his case tonight… In the “Social Media Lounge,” Dasha Fuentes interviewed Sami Zayn. She asked if he thinks he has a chance against Baron Corbin. He said he can beat anyone on any given night even though he’s been labelled an underdog, and beating Corbin tonight will be a way to begin proving that. Has the Smackdown move been good for his opportunities. He said it’s billed as the Land of Opportunity. He said he’s had a chance to be in the ring with a mix of great competitors… They went to Tom Phillips, JBL, and Byron Saxton who threw to the ring introductions for the match…

(A) AIDEN ENGLISH vs. TYE DILLINGER

They cut to an early commercial with English in control. In the end, English got emotional when he didn’t get a three count. Dillinger avoided a top rope senton and then hit the Tye Breaker for the win.

WINNER: Dillinger in 8:00.

The Panel talked with Erick Rowan, who showed off a mask from his bag. He then took out a pocket square and attached it to his main mask, then left. Weird… The panel discussed the WWE Title match…

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PAY-PER-VIEW

Announcers: Tom Phillips, JBL, Byron Saxton… Ring announcer: Greg Hamilton.

(1) SHINSUKE NAKAMURA vs. DOLPH ZIGGLER

Ziggler made his ring entrance first. Then the crowd exploded for Nakamura’s entrance. They locked up mid-ring to start.  On a break against the ropes, Ziggler popped Nakamkura in the face. Nakamura smiled, then kicked Ziggler and took over with an armbar. Philips said, “Which one of these two will suffer for his art here in Chicago.” JBL said Nakamura is now “on the main stage now” and it’s a different world, even though he’s been impressive everywhere he’s been. JBL said just ask Samoa Joe what Nakamura is all about. Ziggler rolled to the floor. Nakamura threw him back into the ring. Ziggler caught Nakamura returning to the ring with a neckbreaker. Phillips said Ziggler is aiming to pull the plug on all the hype for Nakamura. He settled into a chinlock. JBL said Ziggler has gone all in and put all his chips on the table. A “Let’s Go Ziggler / Ziggler Sucks” chant broke out. Ziggler hit a nice standing dropkick and scored a two count. Ziggler yelled, “I’m the man!” JBL said Nakamura has one of the most expressive faces he’s ever seen. A “Na-ka-mur-a” chant broke out. Nakamura came back with a spin wheel kick to drop Ziggler after Ziggler ducked the first kick. Both were slow to get up. Nakamura rallied with rapid-fire offense including a running knee in the corner. He set Ziggler face down on the top rope and hit a running knee to the gut for a two count.

When Ziggler tried to roll up Nakamura, Nakamura went for a sudden triangle submission. Ziggler reached the bottom rope. Nakamura went for the Kinshasa, but Ziggler ducked and then hit a Fameasser for a near fall. Both were slow to get up. Ziggler set up a super kick.  He stomped the mat as Nakamura struggled to stand. Nakamura avoided the kick, but Ziggler landed a sudden Zig Zag for a near fall. Both were slow to get up again. Ziggler lifted Nakamkura into a powerbomb or piledriver position, m but Nakamura escaped and scissor kicked Ziggler down. Then he applied an overhead chancery. Ziggler landed on his face on an exploder and then kicked Ziggler on the back of his neck. Both were slow to get up again. Ziggler crawled onto Nakamura and scored a two count. They showed the kick in slo-mo and it looked like it made strong contact and looked good in sl0-mo. Nakamura grabbed Ziggler leg. Ziggler spit in Nakamura’s face. Nakamura exploded with a thrust kick. He stopped a takedown attempt with a sprawl and then sent after Ziggler with a series of knees to the ribs. Ziggler crawled to the bottom rope. The ref had to pull him off of Ziggler. He gave him a running boot to the back of his head. Then he climbed to the ring apron and gave Ziggler a running knee to the side of his face. Nakamura celebrated and played to the crowd, then climbed to the top rope. Ziggler avoided a diving knee. Ziggler went for a superkick, but Nakamura ducked and elbowed Ziggler on the back of his neck. He then gave Ziggler an exploder suplex. He played to the crowd and signaled for his Kinshasa kick, then nailed it for the win.

WINNER: Nakamura in 16:00. (***1/4)

(Keller’s Analysis: This was a really good hybrid of a WWE style and Nakamura New Japan style match, but in the context of today’s WWE it established Nakamura is just “in the mix,” a notch above mid-carder Ziggler. I’d have rather seen him just flatten Ziggler at the five minute mark to give him top star momentum. This defined him down a bit, and it seemed they were more worried about protecting Ziggler than strapping a rocket to Nakamura.)

-They showed Styles warming up backstage.

-They went to the announcers. JBL said that was a big debut and hard to follow.

(2) THE USOS vs. BREEZANGO – WWE Tag Team Title match

Tyler Breeze came out dressed as a janitor just as he did on Smackdown last week. He had a mop inside a rolling mop bucket. Fandango came out dressed as a top as usual. Breeze mopped his way to the ring. The announcers pretended not to know it was Breeze until they got to the ring at which point JBL revealed it was actually Breeze. The Usos came out in their “Day One Ish” hoodies. Breeze, meanwhile, mopped the ring. The Usos laughed at them. The crowd chanted, “Mop! Mop! Mop!” Breeze used it to fend off advancements by the Usos. He hopped Jimmy’s face with it. Jey tagged himself in and punched Breeze as Breeze was celebrating. Big heat when Jey broke the mop over his knee. Jey climbed to the top rope. Breeze began slowly moving out of his way. Jey moved to the other side. Breeze rolled slowly to the other side. Jey went back and forth until getting frustrated. JBL said he looks like Snyder from “One Day at a Time” in the ring. Breeze surprised Jey with an enzuigiri and then made a cover for a two count. He tagged in Breezango. Fandango leaped off the top rope with an axe handle. Jey shoved Fandango into his corner and they tagged in Jimmy. Fandango blocked a sunset flip and applied an armbar.

Suddenly Breeze crawled onto the ring apron dressed as an old lady. Saxton said undercover works never ends. JBL called for security to stop this old lady who jumped the ring apron. Fandango tagged “her” in. JBL declared it a mixed tag. The crowd chanted, “Let’s Go, Grandma!” Jimmy kicked the cane out from under her. Breeze dropkicked him. Jey entered. Breeze lifted her skirt and Jey backed off. He then dropkicked Jimmy. He gave Jey a Bronco Buster in the corner, then got cheered. Jey charged at him with a running dropkick, then a basement dropkick in the corner. JBL then said, “That’s Tyler Breeze.” Jimmy yanked the dress off of Breeze and it landed on JBL’s desk. JBL said, “Last time that happened, I paid for it.” Saxton lost it and started laughing uncontrollably. Phillips said, “TMI.” A loud “Fire Bradshaw” broke out once attention was drawn to him. After a replay, JBL yelled, “There’s a match going on here! Dammit, would you guys quit playing ha ha.” Fandango rallied against Jey and scored a two count. Fandango tagged in Breeze, who was back in regular wrestling gear. The Usos took control after a blind tag. They set up a top rope move, but Breeze ducked a kick and then gave Jey an Unprettier. The Usos caught Breeze and shoved him into the crowd. Fandango flip dove onto both Usos. When he climbed to the top rope, though, Jimmy shoved him off balance from ringside and Jey superkicked him for the win. JBL said it might be the craziest thing he’s ever seen.

WINNERS: The Usos in 9:00 to retain the WWE Smackdown Tag Team Titles. (**1/2)

(Keller’s Analysis: I thought this worked. Comedy is subjective, but there was something about the Usos selling the antics of Fandango that made it work early on. The crowd was into everything with enthusiasm, which helped a lot. And the actual action was solid for sure.)

-A WWE Network commercial aired.

-They went to the announcers at ringside who talked about the arrival of Zayn.

(3) BARON CORBIN vs. SAMI ZAYN

They introduced various announce teams calling the show in different language during the ring entrances. Sami came out first. JBL said unless Corbin becomes disillusioned or injured, he’s a future WWE Champion. Sami took Corbin down with a head scissors. Corbin rolled to the floor. Saxton said HBK once said he wrestles with his heart and not his brain, and that is Sami’s approach. JBL said you become a champion beating people up. Sami dropkicked Corbin to the floor. Eventually Corbin put Sami in a bearhug. Sami fought out of it and eventually ducked a charging Corbin who flew to the floor. Sami climbed to the top rope. Corbin rolled into the ring. He ducked Sami and then hit a quick spinebuster for a two count. The crowd began singing “Olé” for Sami. Corbin didn’t like it. He forearmed Sami angrily and then yelled, “That’s what you’re cheering for.” Sami made a comeback with a clothesline as Corbin charged at him off the ropes, then scored a two count after a body block. Corbin came back and gave Sami a nasty looking clothesline for a near fall. Corbin landed a backbreaker for another two count a minute later. Sami came back with a top rope sunset flip powerbomb for a near fall. He went for an exploder into the corner, but Corbin blocked it. Sami used a crucifix for a near fall. Corbin then hit a Deep Six out of nowhere for a near fall. Saxton called it a gutsy performance from Sami. Sami threw a charging Corbin to the floor. Back in the ring he hit Corbin with a boot and then a Heluva Kick for a three count. They cut to fans reacting in shock afterward. JBL said Corbin made one mistake and Sami took advantage of it. JBL even contended Corbin dominated 99 percent of the match. That’s a significant overstatement.

WINNER: Sami in 14:30. (**3/4)

(Keller’s Analysis: Really good story told here. Corbin was really good here as the domineering if not a bit disrespectful heel, and the story of Sami being the underestimated underdog from the underground worked here with his win. Smackdown needs Sami stronger than he has been, and Corbin has been made strong enough to absorb a loss here like this.)

-They went to a video package on Zack Ryder, Xavier Woods, and Ember Moon playing the “Rocket League” video game. It was a sponsored spot and a plug for Xavier’s YouTube channel.

-They went to the parking garage where a limo pulled up. The Singh Brothers got out and unrolled a fancy rug for Jinder to stand on. Jinder then stepped out of his car and said Chicago is full of hater who hate him because of who they think he is, how he looks, and how he talks. He said he’s going to take all of that hatred and turn it into goodness and something positive and something spiritual and something almost holy. The crowd gave him the “What!?” treatment. He said tonight he will turn the Universe of Doubters and Universe of Discriminators into believers. “The entire world will witness what 1.3 billion people of the great country of India already know,” he said. “That I am the modern day maharaja.” He said he will now speak to his people in his language of Punjabi.

(4) NAOMI & CHARLOTTE & BECKY LYNCH vs. CARMELLA (w/James Ellsworth) & TAMINA & NATALYA

JBL said James Ellsworth looks like a garden gnome that got run over by a lawn mower. Saxton said Ellsworth is an acquired taste. JBL asked how has acquired that. Saxton had no answer. Saxton said Carmella pinned Naomi and believes she should be next for a title shot. JBL said it’s hard to make an argument against that. JBL asked, “Shouldn’t PETA have something to say about Ellsworth? Isn’t there a leash law?” Naomi hot-tagged in a few minutes into the match and went to work on Carmella with rapid-fire kicks. She played to the crowd and then basement dropkicked Carmella. A few minutes later, after the heels took over, Natalya knocked Charlotte off the ring apron with an elbow. Naomi hot-tagged Becky who rallied against Natalya. She applied a Disarm Her. Carmella broke it up. Chaos broke out when Tamina also entered. The ref cleared the ring of the illegal entrants. Becky rolled up Natalya. Natalya powered out. becky had to fend off Tamina. Natalya then caught Becky with a Sharpshooter mid-ring. Becky tapped out.

WINNERS: Natalya & Tamina & Carmella at 1o:05.

(Keller’s Analysis: Nice six-woman tag match with everyone getting some time to shine and sell. Nothing happened in terms of hinting at whether Charlotte is a team player or whether she’s aiming for Naomi. Charlotte entered the ring afterward and stood with her teammates, disappointed in the loss, but not showing any telling emotions otherwise. I guess they’re saving something for Smackdown.)

(5) KEVIN OWENS vs. A.J. STYLES – U.S. Championship match

A loud “A.J. Styles” drowned out a smaller “Let’s Go Owens” counter-chant. Styles opened with a side headlock on Owens. The crowd taunted Owens with a “Stupid Idiot!” chant. JBL said Chris Jericho is smiling somewhere. Styles came back with a nice dropkick and some chops. Owens punched back. Styles popped him in the face in return. Owens took Styles down with a running clothesline. Owens stomped away at Styles and then yelled that this is why he is the champ. He kneed Styles from behind and settled into his obligatory mid-match chinlock. Owens hit three senton splashes. Styles kicked out of a pin attempt. Owens went back to a chinlock. The crowd chanted “A.J. Styles.” Styles came back with a surprise leaping round kick to Owens’ head and a hard clothesline in the corner. Styles planted Owens face-first into the mat. Styles set up a Styles Clash, but Owens escaped. Styles countered in fireman’s carry into a backbreaker for a near fall. Styles favored his leg. Owens backdropped out of Styles’s next move. Owens charged and Styles met him with an elbow, but Owens came back with a super kick. Then he gave him a pump-handle neckbreaker not his knee that looked nasty for a two count.

They exchanged blows mid-ring. Owens backdropped Styles over the top rope and then snapped his neck over the top rope. Owens took his time, but went after Styles at ringside. He climbed to the top rope, but Styles met him up there and knocked him off balance with a kick. He lifted Owens for a Styles Clash on the ring apron, but Owens (of course) broke free and then yanked Styles’s leg into the ringpost and then threw him into the ringside steps. Styles clutched his left ankle in pain afterward. Owens quickly threw Styles into the ring and then quickly hit the cannonball onto his leg. Owens didn’t play to the crowd or give Styles any chance to recover. Owens applied a single leg crab mid-ring. A minute later Owens lifted Styles while standing on the second rope, but Styles shifted into a powerbomb. Both were down and slow to get up. Nice spot. Styles went for the Phenomenal Forearm, but slipped on the top rope because of his sore ankle. Owens then planted Styles face-first for near fall. Styles came back with a Pele kick. He limped over to Owens and lifted him onto the top rope. He then set up a superplex, but Owens countered and gave Styles a brutal looking cradle suplex. A “This is awesome” chant broke out. Owens climbed to the top rope.

Styles rolled to the floor. Owens went for a suplex on the ring apron, but Styles reversed it and suplexed Owens on the edge of the ring. Both fell to the floor. Nice spot. The crowd oohed and ahhed and then chanted “Holy shit!” Styles got up first and tried to throw Owens into the ring, but Owens tossed Styles into the time-keepers area instead. The ref leaped to check on Styles as fast as that dad leaped into the sea to save his daughter from that sea lion. The crowd chanted “We want tables.” Styles delivered a Phenomenal Forearm off the barrier at ringside. He jumped onto the announce desk and signaled for a Styles Clash on the table. Owens escaped, and Styles’s right leg fell into the monitor gap on the table. There’s a first. He fell down and his leg was tied up in cables underneath the opening. Owens won by countout. JBL said, “It’s a cheap way to win, but it’s a win.” Styles was helped to the back by two referees. Afterward Owens superkicked a vulnerable Styles in the back of his head. The crowd booed. Saxton said Styles was defenseless. Owens escaped with the U.S. Title in his arms.

WINNER: Owens via countout in 21:00. (****)

 

(Keller’s Analysis: Really good match. I didn’t mind the finish, because (a) they put in a hard fought 20 minutes, (b) it’s early in this feud, (c) it wasn’t the final match on the show, and (d) it was a creative way to lead to a countout with Styles’s leg caught in the gap in the table.)

-They aired a clip from Talking Smack last week when Erick Rowan asked for a match to punish Luke Harper to punish him for leaving the Wyatt Family and then Shane McMahon granting him his match.

(6) LUKE HARPER vs. ERICK ROWAN

Harper hit a charging Rowan with a forearm, but Rowan came right back with a forearm of his own to knock Harper to the floor. Rowen went after him at ringside. Then in the ring he landed a splash for a two count. He settled into a headlock and then drove his knuckled into Harper’s temples. Harper battled back with chops, but Rowan came back with a dropkick seconds later for a two count. Rowan settled back into a chinlock mid-ring. Harper got up quickly, though. Rowan slammed him right back down. He stayed on offense including a back breaker and then a yank of Harper beard to lift him. Rowan methodically climbed to the top rope and set up a big splash, but Harper moved. Harper then took it to Rowan at ringside with a running forearm. Then he did his running dive through the ropes onto Rowan. He threw Rowan back into the ring, then slingshot flip splashed Rowan and hit a big boot for a convincing near fall. He hit a side slam for another two count that actually appeared to take place in slo-mo. I thought it was a replay for a second. Rowen came back with a powerbomb for a near fall. He had a lousy cover with no leverage, so the kickoff by Harper was easy. Rowan took his time setting up his next move, so Harper countered with a jackknife pin attempt for a two count. Harper and Rowan exchanged blows mid-ring. Rowan came out on top with a powerbomb attempt, but Harper countered and superkicked Rowan. Rowan came back at him and ate another, talking to his mask at ringside after each kick. Harper then caught Rowan with an axe handle to the chest for the win.

WINNER: Harper in 9:00.

(Keller’s Analysis: It’s not good when two bruiser heavyweights try to do cruiserweight spots. They worked hard. Harper, though, should embrace who he is and watch Bruiser Brody for inspiration, not Ultmo Dragon. This was clunky.)

(7) RANDY ORTON vs. JINDER MAHAL (w/The Singh Brothers)

JBL said this is one match and Mahal could add his name to the list of upsets such as Buster Douglas and the 1980 U.S. Olympic team. Orton jump-started the match during his ring introductions during which he seemed to get a tepid and mixed reaction. He tossed Jinder into the announce table area, the third match in a row that included action down there. The ref restored order and officially called for the bell. Jinder charged, but Orton ducked and then went for an early RKO Out of Nowhere. At ringside, Jinder threw Orton into the ringside LOD board. Jinder controlled the action in the ring. He hit a basement dropkick and worked over Orton’s hand. A lou battle chant broke out: “Let’s Go Jinder / Jinder sucks.” Orton didn’t seem to have this Chicago crowd on his side. Maybe the social media “fun” is taking a roll. Orton tossed a charging Jinder to the floor and then dropped him hard onto the announce table. Jinder spilled to the floor. Orton threw Jinder into the ring, continuing to favor his arm. As Orton entered the ring, Jinder stomped on him and took control. Jinder settled into a cobra chinlock variation. Then shifted into a key lock. This lasted a while and the crowd grew restless.

Eventually Orton escaped and threw a charging Jinder shoulder-first into the ringpost. Orton then landed a superplex at 9:00. Orton hit two clotheslines and a power slam. He clutched his left shoulder, though, and was slow to follow-up. Orton gave Jinder an overhead fallaway slam for a two count. JBL said Orton couldn’t use his left arm to hook Jinder’s leg, giving Jinder a chance to kick out. The crowd was pretty silent at this point. Jinder came back with a surprise neckbreaker and a two count. Orton came back with a backbreaker. Jinder rolled to the ring apron. Orton set up the DDT off the middle rope, milked it, and hit it. Orton pounded the mat. Mahal rolled to the floor. When Orton pursued him, the Singh Brothers got in his way and talked trash to him. Orton slapped and kicked them and tossed them aside hard. Mahal shoved Orton shoulder-first into the ringpost, then rolled Orton into the ring.

When Mahal went after Orton aggressively back in the ring, Orton hit an RKO Out of Nowhere. The Singh Brothers yanked Mahal to ringside. Saxton was disgusted by the save. Orton went to ringside and took it to the Singh Brothers again. He just flipped one of them onto the announce desk. He took a nasty bump on the back of his neck and then Orton winced and made a face. He grabbed him by his arm and set up the DDT off the middle rope. His brother tried to save him, but Orton just kicked him and then did a double DDT off the middle rope. They rolled to the floor. Jinder then came in behind Orton and gave him his finisher for the win. They cut to shocked reactions from fans who might as well have just seen Brock Lesnar pin Undertaker. Some of them appeared to be posturing for the camera hoping to make it onto the PPV as they were just being cheesy. Others were genuinely dismayed. JBL yelled, “Hell has frozen over! Get used to it, folks. We are in a new ear and it is the era of Jinder Mahal!” Saxton wondered what this means for Smackdown Live. He said Mahal has shocked the world. Jinder celebrated in the crowd.

WINNER: Mahal to capture the WWE Championship in 16:00. (**1/4)

(Keller’s Analysis: Let that be a lesson to the locker room if you’re looking to get to the top quickly out of nowhere. As pedestrian of a match as everyone should have anticipated. By the numbers decent action. Not quite a B-minus this time, though.)

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