WWE Backlash 2023 Results (5/6): Bad Bunny In Action, Cody Rhodes Vs. Brock Lesnar
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WWE presents Backlash 2023 live from the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot from San Juan, Puerto Rico. The event marks the first major WWE show to be held in Puerto Rico since New Year's Revolution in 2005. Seven matches are currently scheduled for this evening's broadcast, including Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny, who is set to host tonight's premium live event, taking on The Judgment Day's Damian Priest in a San Juan Street Fight. Priest, who successfully teamed up with the three-time Grammy Award winner on the first night of WrestleMania 37 against The Miz and John Morrison, put Bunny through the announce table after the recording artist attacked Dominik Mysterio at ringside on the "WWE Raw" after WrestleMania 39, which instantly sparked a feud between the pair.
Announced card
* Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar
* Bad Bunny vs. Damian Priest in a San Juan Street Fight
* Matt Riddle, Kevin Owens, and Sami Zayn vs. The Bloodline's Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso, and Solo Sikoa in a six-man tag team match
* Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Zelina Vega for the "SmackDown" Women's Championship
* Bianca Belair (c) vs. IYO SKY for the "Raw" Women's Championship
* Austin Theory (c) vs. Bronson Reed vs. Bobby Lashley in a triple threat match for the WWE United States Championship
* Seth "Freakin" Rollins vs. Omos
Raw Women's Championship Bout Opens The Show
Bianca Belair (c) vs. IYO SKY for the "Raw" Women's Championship
Belair and SKY locked up to get the match underway. Belair took SKY down and locked in a headlock. SKY and Belair traded submission holds on the mat. The fans in Puerto Rico cheered for SKY and booed Belair. Belair knocked SKY down with a shoulder tackle. Belair connected with a dropkick and briefly took control of the match. SKY targeted Belair's left arm.
Belair slammed SKY down. SKY connected with a series of forearms before driving Belair's left arm into the turnbuckle. SKY drove her knee into Belair's left arm. SKY connected with a stomp to the gut while Belair was building some momentum. Belair and SKY exchanged strikes in the center of the ring.
Belair connected with two clotheslines and a dropkick. Belair landed a vertical suplex. The champion delivered multiple strikes to SKY in the corner of the ring. Belair elevated SKY with one arm and slammed her into the mat. SKY kicked out of Belair's moonsault off the ropes.
SKY drove Belair's left arm down onto the top rope. SKY connected with a top rope missile dropkick. Belair sent SKY down from the top turnbuckle. SKY got her knees up to counter Belair's 450 splash and locked in a submission. SKY drove Belair into the canvas and attempted a pin. SKY connected with double knees in the corner.
SKY sent Belair out of the ring. SKY connected with a moonsault from the top turnbuckle to the floor. Back inside the ring, SKY kicked out of a cover following Belair's powerbomb from the top. Bayley and Dakota Kai of Damage CTRL made their way down to the ring. SKY rolled through Belair's KOD and attempted another pin. Belair sent Bayley into the ropes. Kai struck Belair with a kick while the referee was distracted. SKY missed a moonsault attempt moments after Bayley tried to get involved again. Belair delivered a KOD to retain the gold.
Winner and STILL the "Raw" Women's Champion: Bianca Belair via pinfall
- Backstage, Rey Mysterio greeted Bad Bunny in his locker room. Savio Vega appeared and handed Bunny a kendo stick.
Seth Freakin Rollins takes on Omos
Seth "Freakin" Rollins vs. Omos w/ MVP
Omos connected with a big boot while Rollins was soaking in the fans singing his entrance music. Omos knocked Rollins down with a big shoulder tackle as the bell rang. "The Nigerian Giant" sent Rollins into the turnbuckles. Rollins briefly fought back. Omos powered Rollins into the corner and then sent him out of the ring.
Rollins drove Omos into the ring post. Rollins failed to knock Omos down after diving through the ropes. Omos slammed Rollins down onto the apron following a second dive attempt. Omos elevated Rollins and sent him back into the ring. Omos dropped Rollins on the top turnbuckle and connected with a big boot.
Rollins began to rally and connected with a glancing knee to the side of the face. Rollins delivered a series of low kicks. Rollins sent Omos down to one knee with a low dropkick. Omos landed a back body drop while on one knee. Rollins replied and connected with a tornado DDT from the top. Omos immediately kicked out of Rollins' cover following a frog splash.
Rollins sent Omos down with a strike to the back of the head from the turnbuckles. Omos countered Rollins' stomp attempt with his head. Omos delivered a chokeslam and attempted a pin. Omos escaped a sleeper hold with a side slam.
Rollins landed a stomp while MVP was on the apron. Rollins knocked MVP down with a superkick. Omos kicked out of Rollins' second stomp. Rollins delivered a stomp from the top turnbuckle to pick up the victory.
Winner: Seth "Freakin" Rollins via pinfall
Triple Threat WWE United States Title Match
Austin Theory (c) vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Bronson Reed in a triple threat match for the WWE United States Championship
Lashley immediately sent Theory down with a shoulder tackle. Lashley took control of the match. Lashley attempted a Hurt Lock on Reed. Theory returned and delivered a dropkick. Lashley elevated Theory and landed a delayed suplex. Reed delivered a splash to Lashley while he was on the mat. Theory and Reed began to work together.
Reed eventually sent Theory down. Lashley slammed Reed and Theory into the canvas. Reed dragged Lashley out of the ring while he was attempting a pin on Theory following a spear. Reed took out Lashley on the floor. Theory caused Reed to lose his balance on the top turnbuckle. Lashley locked in a Hurt Lock on Theory in the center of the ring. Theory escaped after using the rope to his advantage.
Theory broke up a pin attempt after Reed landed a splash from the top. Theory momentarily lifted Reed on his shoulders. Reed responded with a powerslam. Reed missed a moonsault from the top. Theory stole the victory after Lashley connected with a spear on Reed.
Winner and STILL WWE United States Champion: Austin Theory via pinfall
SmackDown Women's Title match
Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Zelina Vega for the "SmackDown" Women's Championship
Vega's ring attire was themed on the flag of Puerto Rico. Vega frustrated Ripley early on. The champion eventually caught Vega and delivered a powerbomb in the center of the ring. Ripley took control of the match and began to wear down the challenger.
Ripley connected with the ring post after Vega ducked out of the way in the corner of the ring. Vega delivered a series of forearms and two clotheslines. Ripley responded with a headbutt. Vega landed a DDT and connected with a 619. The champion kicked out of Vega's cover following a diving double knee drop from the top turnbuckle. Moments later, Ripley connected with a kick to the head and delivered a Riptide to retain the gold.
Winner and STILL "SmackDown" Women's Champion: Rhea Ripley via pinfall
San Juan Street Fight
Bad Bunny vs. Damian Priest in a San Juan Street Fight
Bunny brought various weapons to the ring with him. Priest pushed Bunny down as the match got underway. Priest toyed with Bunny. Bunny responded and drove Priest into the canvas and attempted a pin. Bunny grabbed a kendo stick.
Priest took control of the match and snapped Bunny's kendo stick in half. Bunny attempted to fight back. Priest landed a chokeslam and toyed with him again as he went for a cover. Priest grabbed an axe handle. Bunny launched a steel chair at Priest. Bunny pulled out another kendo stick. Bunny planted Priest with a tornado DDT from the top and sent him to the floor.
Bunny took out Priest on the floor after leaping from the top turnbuckle. Bunny used two trash can lids as weapons. Bunny struck Priest with a kendo stick back inside the ring. Bunny drove Priest into the canvas again and attempted a pin. Priest threatened to leave and Bunny chased after him with a trash can. Priest delivered a big boot to send the trash can into Bunny.
Priest struck Bunny with a kendo stick at ringside. Priest sent Bunny into the timekeeper's area. Priest and Bunny fought near the tech area. Priest and Bunny exchanged blows on top of an elevated equipment box. Priest drove Bunny down from the box.
Priest missed with a kick and connected with the ring post outside of the ring. Bunny used a kendo stick on Priest's injured leg. Bunny continued to target Priest's left leg. Bunny smashed Priest's left leg against the ring post with a steel chair. Priest attempted to apologize and then kicked Bunny.
Bunny connected with a low blow. Dominik Mysterio and Finn Bálor came down to the ring to help Priest. Rey Mysterio came to Bunny's aid. Carlito then headed down to the ring and took out The Judgment Day. Mysterio delivered a 619 to Dominik. Savio Vega made his entrance followed by the Latino World Order. The LWO, Carlito, and Vega chased off Bálor and Dominik.
Priest's left leg gave out as he attempted a move on Bunny. Bunny locked in the figure-four leglock. Priest collided with a steel chair in the corner of the ring. Priest kicked out of a cover following Sliced Bread. Bunny repeatedly hit Priest with a steel chair in the center of the ring. Bunny planted Priest with a Destroyer to win the match.
Winner: Bad Bunny via pinfall
Six-Man Tag Team Action
Matt Riddle, Kevin Owens, and Sami Zayn vs. The Bloodline's Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso, and Solo Sikoa in a six-man tag team match
Zayn and Jey Uso started things off. Jey locked Zayn in a headlock. Zayn replied and sent Jey down. Jimmy and Kevin Owens tagged in. Owens took Jimmy out. Riddle briefly tagged in. Sikoa became the legal man for The Bloodline and collided with Zayn. The Bloodline traded tags as they wore Zayn down in their corner of the ring.
The Bloodline took out Owens and Riddle to prevent Zayn from tagging them into the bout. Zayn eventually responded and landed a tornado DDT on Sikoa from the corner. Zayn managed to tag in Riddle. Riddle took out The Bloodline on the floor after leaping from the middle rope.
Riddle returned to the ring and ate a superkick from Jey. Owens was eventually tagged in and performed a Swanton Bomb on Jimmy. Jey was accidentally struck by Jimmy. Owens delivered a pop-up powerbomb to Sikoa and attempted a pin. Owens and Jey went back and forth in the center of the ring.
Zayn tagged in and landed a Blue Thunder Bomb. Jimmy and Jey connected with a double superkick as Zayn leaped from the top. Tension grew between Sikoa and Jey as they traded tags. Zayn connected with a Helluva kick on Sikoa and then attempted a pin on Jey after landing another Helluva Kick.
Sikoa grabbed Jey and threatened to deliver a Samoan Spike. Jey landed a superkick on Zayn. Riddle was tagged in. Sikoa tagged himself into the match. Sikoa connected with a Samoan Spike to win the match for his team after Riddle hit a Bro Derek on Jey.
Winners: The Bloodline's Solo Sikoa, Jimmy Uso, and Jey Uso via pinfall
Main Event
- Rhodes dived through the ropes and wiped Lesnar out on the floor. Rhodes struck Lesnar with the steel steps and a steel chair.
Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar
The referee rang the bell and Rhodes went after Lesnar in the corner. Lesnar responded and drove Rhodes into the opposite corner of the ring. Rhodes landed two Disaster Kicks. Lesnar caught Rhodes as he leaped from the middle rope and delivered a German suplex. Lesnar launched Rhodes across the ring. Lesnar delivered multiple suplexes.
Rhodes exposed the top turnbuckle as Lesnar landed another German suplex. Lesnar was busted open when Rhodes drove Lesnar into the exposed turnbuckle. Rhodes connected with a Disaster Kick and took control of the match.
"The American Nightmare" attempted a pin after delivering a Cody Cutter and a double Cross Rhodes. Rhodes kicked out of a cover after Lesnar landed an F5. Rhodes managed to pick up the victory after rolling Lesnar's Kimura Lock into a pin.
Winner: Cody Rhodes via pinfall
- That's all for WWE Backlash 2023!