backlash hits and misses
source: custom, WWE Twitter screenshot

WWE’s latest PPV is in the books, so it’s time to discuss WrestleMania Backlash 2021‘s Hits and Misses!

It was a mostly paint by numbers show, with a couple items worth mentioning, so without much more delay…

WrestleMania Backlash 2021: Hits and Misses!

People always debate, do you start with the good news or the bad news. Not that it’s bad news for the misses…but we might as well start there.

The Misses

I have a few…

The Zombies

I get it, WWE had to tie things in for a marketing deal with Army of the Dead. However, having the lumberjacks be zombies was just…weird.

backlash hits and misses

source: custom, WWE Twitter screenshot

I’d imagine we will hear down the road that one or two of the zombies turns into some top Superstar in five years. For now, marketing deal aside, it was just such an odd and forced thing.

For me, the match worked in spite of the zombies, and more because of Priest and Miz.

The Main Event aftermath.

Call me not a fan of this one, and if I am in the minority, I accept that.

However, I came into this show expecting that Cesaro would effectively be a PPV jobber.

I expected him to lose. But, I expected the loss to involve something to do with Jimmy and Jey Uso.

The clear win for Roman Reigns was fine, no interference needed. I accept that.

Having Jey put on some gratuitous beating was not going where I expected. I figured Jimmy would run down and things could get interesting…but nope, no Jimmy.

Instead we got Seth Rollins running down, getting a bizarre interaction between the former Shield members and then Rollins taking his turn to beat on his WrestleMania opponent.

For me, I wanted more tribal focus. Rollins beating on Cesaro could have easily just happened on SmackDown.

The name.

If I have no other major gripe, then I am going to take a shot at the name.

Because, I have already a few times…but one more is worth it.

Just call it Backlash. Adding WrestleMania to it seems superfluous.

I gather WWE just wanted to re-use some WrestleMania themed decor or something.

However, if I only have three hits, that’s not a bad thing. Which leads me to get into…

The Hits!

Yes, we saved the best for last…

Cesaro, even in losing.

Happy he got the long overdue chance at a major singles championship.

Thought that he looked like he belonged, or at least looked like he deserved another big shot or two.

cesaro wrestlemania backlash

source: custom, WWE Twitter screenshot

Of course, looking the part and getting the shots are two totally different realities. We shall see where things go next for Cesaro.

Based on how the show ended, however…it seems like Cesaro is likely done with the Universal Championship for a bit.

Our new SmackDown Tag Team Champions

backlash hits and misses

source: custom, WWE Twitter screenshot

This one had to get a mention. I mean…it made history, right?

How cool is it that Rey and Dom are now the first father and son team to hold the titles?

I’m not going looking, but I’d be pretty sure we’ve had fathers and sons hold the same titles…just not at the same time.

This time around, however…we got father and son holding the titles at the same time. Very cool.

The card as a whole

I could say this is both good and bad…but I am considering it good.

This card wasn’t wowing me, but it surpassed my low expectations.

The PPV will not win show of the year for 2021. It may not even have given us a match of the year contender.

However, I am glad in a way that WWE did not make any bad title change decisions. The one we did get, I doubt many people hate it.

And just like that, that is all we have for WrestleMania Backlash and the hits and misses from the show.

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