Pay-Per-View Rewind of: WWE WrestleMania Backlash
16/05/2021 Match 6/Part 6/Conclusion by AverageMansReviews - Spoiler Alarm!
Warning: there are flashing
effects/colourful effects
Background information: there is this video package of how we got to this point and a
scene with Heyman, Reigns and Jey Uso, just before Reigns with Heyman make
their entrance where everything doesn’t seem to be okay between these two
real-life cousin’s.
Match/Stipulations: “The Swiss Superman” Cesaro vs. the WWE
Universal Champion "The Tribal Chief" Roman Reigns [with his Special
Counsel Paul Heyman:] Singles Match for the WWE Universal Championship
Match Attributes:
Match Quality: 10/10
Match Storyline: 7/10
Crowd Participation: 7/10
On Commentary: Raw of;
Pat McAfee & Michael Cole 5/10
Satisfying Conclusion:
6/10
Recommend Watch: 8/10
Match Total: 43/60 - this match is
good
Comments: I am getting the feeling
of déjà vu here; in one way or another it has to be said they really, really
took the shine off this match. What with Cesaro being the only one out of these
Men's individual main rosters/main event picture Championships not to be given
a segment in any capacity to build him up in the slightest, yes individually
The Usos [Jimmy or Jey Usos] put across Cesaro is a threat to their real-life
cousin's Reigns Championships reign [in the case of Jey he does it accidentally
in the background information section] and just to cover my back Lashley's
manager MVP does an interview with [Kevin Patrick] so all I'm saying here is
Lashley is covered so Cesaro it is very much a case of the WWE hierarchy
telling us these two things; 1, he isn't winning so why bother giving him the
screen time [I think a very high percentage of us knew Cesaro wasn't winning
anyway,] but you know it would have been great if they actually put some effort
into not telegraphing that. 2, the fact that the hierarchy of this company see
very little value in Cesaro which let's be honest for 90% of his time with the
WWE he has been the worst kept secret in all of professional wrestling [I never
liked his first gimmick of being basically really intelligent, I know it is a
classic model of being a Heel.] But when you have someone which is a
fundamentally sound wrestler, they don't need a goofy gimmick be it Babyface or
Heel, you just need to give them a solid gimmick and strap a rocket to their
back and have them circulate between the mid-card and the main event picture
that is it. The commentary is
purposefully designed to put over Reigns more; it very much begins from the
entrance of Cesaro which it is the usual
stuff from the commentary table going with the tinplate building up for Cesaro like; we have McAfee saying in Cesaro's entrance the following "His
potential has always been there, he's been flying at its highest altitude for
the last few weeks. Ever since wrestlemania, the hottest Cesaro we have seen,
the biggest night of his life. With Cole responded "Will it pay off in
this match?" I refer back to the worst kept secret in all of professional
wrestling, Cesaro standards of
wrestling and consequently matches doesn't drop he gives you 100% quality every
single time; he makes his opponents look better for having a match with him
regardless of the booking decision.
and Reigns entrance with Heyman then Cole makes reference
to Paul Heyman bringing up this statistic on the previous SmackDown of how many
times Reigns has been in World Championship matches; Reigns 39 [40 now] to
Cesaro 0 [1 now.] Then we have McAfee really selling Reigns talent [I am just
shortening it] calling it "Generational and being dominant in this
business as soon as he stepped in it."
I know McAfee has been probably told to say these things
but just based on what he has said he does know how the wrestling industry
works on its most basic level right? As in booking and all that, apologies if I
have shattered kayfabe for you here.
Don't get me wrong I get away why Heyman and Cole made
reference to this statistic because it is storyline building 101, but I can't
be the only one thinking “Man that was a dumb move to make reference to those
statistics." Because it reminds us and shows us how exposed the main event
pictures have been for many years or how much Mr McMahon wanted Reigns to be
the next guy to carry his company for years to come. I mean to have 40 matches
[at the age of 36 when this blog was first dictated;] should tells you
everything about the main event pictures and I hasten to add this is nothing
against Reigns I am simply talking about the hierarchy of this company and its
lack of creative imagination.
Moving on then in short at one point or another we have
Cole or McAfee making reference to Reigns wanting to do this on his own, but in
fairness and balance at least McAfee acknowledges Heyman is at ringside when he
says his first but not the second version.
Now let's say we have McAfee and Cole individually or
together building up/putting over Reigns in this match slot and then they do it
for Cesaro, but is it me or doesn't McAfee and/or Cole sound like they are just
reading a 90% tinplate of things to say about Cesaro.
This is speculation on my part, mixed in with how I hear
it and how I see it unfortunately this echoes my earlier sentence about the
hierarchy of this company see very little value in Cesaro. Because basically
they have/had designed this match slot, so yes Cesaro looks a top-notch class
wrestler as he always does, but they really didn't want him to look better for
having this match and to back up my opinion; they could have had Cesaro have
his moment in the sun, you know as he very much deserves it with basically
standing up after some time looking worse for wear, but stands up in the middle
of the ring and shows his appreciation to the WWEThunderDome in attendance and
slowly walks back to the back; end of this pay-per-view. But no without giving
too much away they went with what they went with to send a subliminal message
not once but twice of basically Mr McMahon giving us the "Stone Cold"
Steve Austin two fingers salute. But I don't think actually everyone knows Mr
McMahon doesn't look at the bigger picture and in this case as it relates to
Cesaro we have now seen him in the main event match I don't know about everyone
else, but it has just confirmed but even more crystal clearly he is a main
event player and Champion wherever he is in this company or outside it.
Basic Result: the WWE Universal Champion "The Tribal Chief" Roman Reigns [with his Special Counsel Paul Heyman] Retains his WWE Universal Champion
This pay-per-view receives: 4/10, this pay-per-view is mixed; I don't know how anybody can
sit through any of the main rosters content after watching this pay-per-view.
[I am not trying to take anyone else's enjoyment away from this pay-per-view,
if you did get enjoyment from watching this pay-per-view, all the power to
you.] I mean the constant selling, advertising [ yes I am not that stupid I
know, this is speculation on my part mixed in with an educated guess, but they
are probably contractually obligated to do so for that sweet, sweet money
or/and building up matches/feuds in fact just to cover my back it would be
much, much, much easier and quicker if I was just to say everything but the
physical side of the wrestling can go or needs to go [I mean on a quick bit of
research I can't give this pay-per-view anything less on its marking, because
on a little bit of research 5 out of 6 matches are at minimum positive] in
short in the words of Seth Rollins' ring entrance "Burn it down!" And
like the Phoenix build the main rosters product up from those ashes.
I mean I am not being a gatekeeper here, but I can really
understand why people are pining for the old eras of wrestling; it has very
little to do with the wrestling, it has so much more to do with the WWE main
rosters product on the whole minus as I have already said the wrestling, this
pay-per-view has hardly been a joy to watch And I am just happy to get through
it, that is why I am very happy with AEW, they may not get everything right;
but at least they try to make things fun.
The highest ranking match on this card based on
Attributes that we see would be: "The Queen"
Charlotte Flair vs. "The Empress of Tomorrow" Asuka vs. the WWE Raw
Women's Champion "The Nightmare" Rhea Ripley: Triple Threat Match for
the WWE Raw Women's Championship with 53/60.
The lowest ranking match on this card based on
Attributes that we see would be: The Miz [with John
"Drip Drip" Morrison] vs. "The Archer of Infamy" Damian
Priest: Lumberjack Match with 20/60.
