Date: 05/16	5:00 PM
Views: 587

After WrestleMania, it's basically a new season in WWE, but sometimes there's a little Backlash to be had with some rivalries unsolved. Drew McIntyre and Braun Strowman challenge Bobby Lashley for the WWE Championship. Bayley challenges Bianca Belair for the SmackDown Women's Title. Also, Cesaro finally challenges for the Universal Title against Roman Reigns! Join us for a live recap of WWE WrestleMania Backlash tonight starting with the pre-show at 6 PM ET/5 Central on social media, and the main PPV at 7 PM ET on Peacock (USA) and the WWE Network (worldwide). Hit F5 or refresh as often as you like for the latest updates.

6 PM ET: The Kickoff portion starts with Kayla Braxton, Booker T, JBL and Peter Rosenberg on the panel previewing tonight's show.

The Dirty Dawgs confront Dominik Mysterio backstage and beat him down, throwing him into anything and everything, then shove a cabinet on top of him.

Sheamus is out in the ring now to issue an open challenge for his U.S. Title. Ricochet is the man to take him up on that challenge, and he isn't even wearing his tights.

* United States Championship: Sheamus {C} vs. Ricochet

Ricochet gets in a flurry of moves at the beginning starting with a running dropkick at the bell, but Sheamus takes him down with a big clothesline. Ricochet starts to fight back, but Sheamus plants him with the Irish Curse backbreaker, hits the 10 Beats clubbing him on the chest, pulls at his face to stretch him, then tries to wear him down. Ricochet fights out, catches him with a jawbreaker, chops him on the chest, Sheamus kicks him, Ricochet comes back with repeated elbows, jumping kick to the ear, and a boot to the face. Ricochet blocks the Alabama Slam, drops him on the top rope, hits a springboard clothesline, running shooting star, springboard moonsault, and gets a near-fall. Sheamus hits a running knee, Ricochet leapfrogs over him, hits the backstabber, connects with the springboard 450 splash, and covers for 2.9! Sheamus rolls away from the 630, Ricochet rolls through, side-steps the Brogue Kick, Sheamus hits a kneelift to the face, and covers for 3! WINNER and STILL UNITED STATES CHAMPION: SHEAMUS!

Sheamus puts his jacket and fedora back on taunting about his victory, and says he's issued more open challenges than anyone else, which is false. Ricochet takes his fedora from him and dropkicks him, then puts his jacket on and dances! Sheamus goes after him but Ricochet is quick enough to escape his grasp and says he wants that title back in his clutches.

We go back to the panel where they discuss the main event of WrestleMania Backlash until the top of the hour at 7 PM ET, and the PPV is underway!

* Raw Women's Championship: Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka vs. Rhea Ripley {C}

Charlotte leaves the ring so the other two can do battle, but they chase her back into the ring and she clotheslines Rhea. Asuka grabs her, Rhea argues with her, they both kick Charlotte, they fight each other, Asuka knocks Charlotte off the apron, and the two continue to battle. Charlotte drags Asuka out of the ring to deliver an exploder suplex on the floor. Rhea trades punches with Charlotte, they both hit shoulder blocks at a stalemate, Charlotte hits an exploder suplex and stomps the champ down in a corner. Asuka grabs Charlotte's legs for Rhea to dropkick her off the apron, and she takes out Asuka as well, then Charlotte drops Rhea to be the one to stand tall.

Charlotte is in control over Asuka while taunting her, gets a 1-count, kicks her in the head, and covers for a couple of 2-counts. Asuka is fired up, traps her in the cross armbar, and Charlotte reaches the ropes, so Asuka reapplies it in the middle of the ring until Rhea breaks the count. Charlotte hits the Flair chops to Rhea, hits the backbreaker, sends her face-first into the turnbuckles, blocks a German suplex by Asuka, and hits the Flair chops. Rhea hits short-arm clotheslines, snapmare into a basement dropkick, northern lights suplex, bridges for 2, and Asuka breaks the count. Asuka knees Rhea in the face, Rhea kicks her in the neck, Asuka kicks her in the head, and all three women are down.

Asuka gives Charlotte the German suplex, and another, running hip attack to Ripley, kicks to both women, sliding knee to Charlotte, covers for 2, and hits the missile dropkick to Ripley. Charlotte tosses Asuka to the apron, Asuka kicks Ripley, Charlotte knocks her down, and hits the diving moonsault onto both women from the top rope to the floor below! Back in the ring, Charlotte goes back up top, Rhea cuts her off, Charlotte blocks the superplex, Asuka tries for a powerbomb, but instead helps Ripley with a DOUBLE SUPERPLEX TO CHARLOTTE FLAIR!

All three women attack each other while kneeling, up to their feet still throwing blows, Rhea headbutts Asuka, they all side-step and block kicks, Charlotte lands on her feet from a double suplex, hit chopblocks to both, hits a double Natural Selection to both women, and covers both for 2.5! They both avoid the diving moonsault from Charlotte, Asuka takes her out, blocks the Riptide, Rhea blocks the Asuka Lock, and Charlotte hits the big boot to Ripley. Charlotte and Asuka exchange counters, Asuka kicks Ripley, Charlotte boots Asuka in the face, Rhea hits the Riptide to Asuka, and gets the 3-count! WINNER and STILL RAW WOMEN'S CHAMPION: RHEA RIPLEY!

Charlotte is fuming mad that she didn't win the match, but Rhea is taunting her with a big smile and her Raw Women's Title.

The Miz and John Morrison are complaining about the lumberjack match, and they plan to persuade the lumberjacks to be in their favor.

After a replay of Dominik Mysterio being attacked earlier, we cut to the trainer's room and the verdict is that Dom is not well enough to compete. Mysterio tells his son he will take care of the situation, so what's he gonna do? That match is next!

* SmackDown Tag Team Championship: Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode {C} vs. Rey Mysterio & ??

Is this gonna be a handicap match? Mysterio goes right after Ziggler as the bell dings, but Roode is right there to attack him. Mysterio sends Roode out the ring with a headscissors takedown, rolls up Ziggler for 2. Mysterio hits a baseball slide to Ziggler, sliding splash on the floor, but he's outnumbered as Roode goes after him. Mysterio shoves Roode into the ringpost, hits the seated senton on the floor, gets back in the ring, and he's ready to go even though it's 2-on-1.

Mysterio gives Roode a drop toehold, Roode kicks him in the gut, Mysterio with victory roll for 2, and Roode clotheslines him. Ziggler tags in, covers for 2, mocks him with no tag partner, and tags out. Roode punches and chops him, sends him into the turnbuckle sternum first, gloats to the screens in the Thunderdome, mocks him, and Mysterio trips him into the turnbuckles. Mysterio fights off both men, Ziggler trips him on the ropes while Roode had the referee distracted, stomps him in the tree of woe and kicks his knee. Ziggler tags in, DDTs the hurt left leg on the floor, the ref counts up to 7, they get back in the ring and Dolph covers for 2.

Roode tags in, Mysterio can barely stand on his bad leg, Roode kicks him in the leg, tags out, Mysterio fights off both men, Roode holds him up and Ziggler hits the Famouser for a near-fall! Roode is back in, Ziggler gets the tag, Roode slides him across the ring and Ziggler superkicks him on the way down! The referee starts the count, 7... 8... 9, Mysterio makes it back in! Roode in off the tag, headbutt, tags Ziggler in, Mysterio counters a double suplex with a double DDT! Mysterio sends Roode into the ringpost, side-steps Ziggler and HE crashes into the ringpost as well as Mysterio was quicker.

Dominik Mysterio is here holding his ribs, and he gets on the apron waiting for the tag! Mysterio trips Ziggler onto the apron, knocks Roode off the apron, Ziggler hits the Zig Zag, and covers for 1-2-KICKOUT! Roode tags in, gives Rey the gutbuster, covers for a 2-count, throws him into the turnbuckles, climbs up the ropes with Rey in the fireman's position, Mysterio slips off, and hits a TOP ROPE BULLDOG! Mysterio has second thoughts, Roode grabs his leg, Rey kicks him off, and makes the hot tag!

Dominik knocks Ziggler off the apron, punches Roode, but Roode hits the spinebuster. Ziggler tags back in, they hit a neckbreaker/powerbomb combo, and Dom kicks out at 2.5! Ziggler throws Dom into the ringpost, Roode is talking trash, Ziggler tunes up the band, and Dominik superkicks him first. Both sides tag, Mysterio hits the seated senton to Roode, knocks Ziggler off the apron, and Roode hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for a near-fall. Mysterio counters a powerbomb, sends him into the turnbuckle, hits the 619, tags out, and takes out Ziggler with a sliding sunset flip powerbomb into the barricade. Dominik hits the top rope frog splash onto Roode, covers, 1-2-3!!! WINNERS and NEW SMACKDOWN TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: DOMINIK & REY MYSTERIO!!

FIRST TIME IN WWE HISTORY FATHER-AND-SON TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS!! Rey Mysterio has won a championship after a long time away, and Dominik Mysterio wins his FIRST championship in WWE!!

John Morrison knocks on the locker room of the lumberjacks, and they're all zombies from Batista's new movie. Jimmy Uso heads into the locker room for Roman Reigns, but the champ's not there. Instead, he meets up with Jey Uso and tries to get in his head about being on his side. Roman shows up, and Jimmy says he just wants to wish him luck, since he'll need it. We cut back to John Morrison telling Miz about the zombie lumberjacks, but The Miz doesn't believe him and tells him to snap out of it. The zombies start walking past the camera, and Corey Graves even says he can't believe it. We then see a tweet from Batista saying that he couldn't make it to Backlash, but "some of his friends" are here.

* Lumberjack Match: The Miz vs. Damian Priest

Miz and Morrison panic when they see the zombies making their slow arrival around the ring, even the commentators bail! The bell dings, the "zombies" are reaching for the competitors, Miz knocks Priest onto the apron, Priest kicks away all of them, Miz falls to the floor and freezes as the commentators make it back. He makes it back into the ring, the zombies grab his arm, and he pulls Priest out the ring. Priest fights them off, gets back in, Miz boots him in the face and covers for 2. Miz hits the awesome clothesline, falls out the ring, crawls under the ring, gets back in, and Priest clotheslines him. Priest hits a spinning heel kick, covers for 2, back elbow in the corner, goes up top, hits the diving spinning heel kick, and gets a near-fall. Miz counters a powerbomb, double-leg takedown, and applies the figure-4 leglock. The "zombies" pull both men out the ring, they fight them off, back-to-back realizing they have to team up, and they fight them all off. Priest hits a jumping kick from the stairs to knock down a bigger zombie. They get back in the ring, Miz fakes a hi-five, Priest hits the Broken Arrow, and gets a near-fall. John Morrison comes back, Priest fights him off, Morrison hits the capoeira kick on the apron, and Miz hits the running knee for 2.9! Morrison hits a flip kick off the steps onto a couple of zombies, hits a jump kick to another, jumps onto the apron, but two zombies pull him into the abyss. Prist hits Miz with Hit the Lights and gets the 3-count! WINNER: DAMIAN PRIEST.

All of the zombies slither into the ring to consume the prone body of The Miz while Priest makes it out safely. "Army of the Dead" appears on the screen above the ring. We get a commercial for WWE Hell in a Cell coming early this year on Sunday June 20th.

Jey Uso walks up to his Jimmy Uso about his attitude putting the family issues in Roman's head. Jimmy again refuses to bow down to his cousin and suggests the name on the door should say "Roman Reigns and his bitch!" Jey is FUMING at his brother's comment.

* SmackDown Women's Championship: Bayley vs. Bianca Belair {C}

Bianca calls out her opponent, Bayley tries to start her own chant for Michael Cole, they lock up, counters and counters, and Bayley gets sent out the ring. They lock up collar-and-elbow, Bianca takes her down with an armbar, hammerlock, Bayley grabs the champ's hair, and Bianca teases the hair whip. Bianca leapfrogs, Bayley covers for 2, Bianca rolls her up for 2, Bianca taunts her from the middle ropes, backflips over her, dropkick, kips up, and the champ is in control. Bayley rolls out the ring avoiding a moonsault, Bianca goes after her, leapfrogs over her, hits a shoulder block, hits the moonsault, and gets a 2-count.

Bayley capitalizes in one moment and has the advantage now with knees to the back and puts her in a chinlock. Bayley plants her with a back suplex, covers for 2, goes to the top rope, Bianca cuts her off, but Bayley hangs her on the middle rope. Both women try to get the upper hand, they scuffle out of the ring, Bayley suplexes her onto the steel steps, then onto the floor, then throws her back into the ring and covers for a 2-count. Bayley drops her, gets a 2-count, hits a running knee, covers, and Belair powers out sending Bayley to the floor! Bayley quickly gets back in and pummels her, then laughs at her. Belair swings wildy, finally starts to make her comeback, and plants her with a spinebuster for a near-fall.

Belair takes a deep breath, picks her up, Bayley counters, clotheslines her, hits the diving elbow drop, covers for 2.5, and kicks her out the ring. Bianca side-steps a suicide dive, hits the Glam Slam into the ring apron, puts her back into the ring, and covers for 2. Bayley gets a backslide, feet on the ropes, 2-count, rolls her up, grabs the ropes again, still gets a 2-count. Bianca fights back, Bayley rakes her eyes, grabs her braid, ducks a swing, ripcord with the hair to hit the Bayley to Belly, and gets a near-fall! Bayley grabs the braid again, Bianca counters the Roseplant, and uses her braid to roll up Bayley for 3! WINNER and STILL SMACKDOWN WOMEN'S CHAMPION: BIANCA BELAIR!

Bayley runs to the announce table and demands a replay of Belair cheating with her braid. MVP gets interviewed backstage and says he's not concerned for Bobby Lashley in his triple threat match tonight.

* WWE Championship: Drew McIntyre vs. Braun Strowman vs. Bobby Lashley {C}

Lashley proposes a team-up with McIntyre, but Strowman strikes first on both competitors. Lashley hits the flatliner to Strowman, the monster briefly gets up, but Lashley and McIntyre beat him down. They team up for a DOUBLE DELAYED SUPLEX, and they start to fight each other. McIntyre hits a belly-to-belly overhead suplex, hits the Glasgow Kiss headbutt to Strowman, Lashley pulls McIntyre out the ring and throws him into the barricade. McIntyre pushes Lashley into the ringpost, and Strowman hits both men with a running 385-POUND CANNONBALL off the apron!

Strowman chokes slams Lashley in the middle of the ring, covers for a 2-count, picks him up, Lashley blocks the powerslam, Strowman blocks the Hurt Lock, and McIntyre hits both with a diving crossbody! McIntyre hits the belly-to-belly on Lashley, side-steps Strowman sending him into the ringpost, hits Lashley with the diving clothesline, kips up, hits a jumping neckbreaker to Strowman, and Lashley breaks the count! Lashley delivers his own overhead belly-to-belly suplex to McIntyre, plants Strowman with a spinebuster, covers for a 2-count, sends McIntyre into the barricade, picks him up, and rams his head into the ringpost. Strowman hits Lashley with the steel steps, then McIntyre hits Strowman with the Claymore sending him over the barricade!

McIntyre takes Lashley to the ramp, Lashley reverses and delivers a suplex onto the ramp, the fight continues near the stands in the ThunderDome, McIntyre hits the Glasgow Kiss, and throws the champion through the LED barrier with an explosion of sparks! McIntyre looks into the hole he made, Strowman clobbers him, launches him down the ramp, and hits the running shoulder tackle. Back in the ring now, Strowman clubs McIntyre in the chest, hits a running senton, covers for 2.5, smacks him with a right hand, but then McIntyre hits the MICHINOKU DRIVER TO STROWMAN FOR 2.9!! Strowman dumps him to the floor, starts his run, but McIntyre cuts him off with a belly-to-belly suplex on the floor. Strowman counters the Claymore with a POWERBOMB THROUGH THE ANNOUNCE TABLE!! Strowman brings McIntyre back into the ring, McIntyre counters the powerslam, ducks a clothesline, and hits the CLAYMORE! Lashley quickly throws McIntyre out the ring, hits the SPEAR to Strowman, and covers him for the 3-count! WINNER and STILL WWE CHAMPION: BOBBY LASHLEY!

Michael Cole and Pat McAfee stand over the demolished announce table and promote the WWE Hell in a Cell PPV coming in five weeks on June 20.

Jey Uso is there at the curtain to hype up Roman Reigns. However, Reigns is not happy with Jey and tells him to go find his brother instead, and then he steps out only with Paul Heyman and his WWE Universal Championship.

* WWE Universal Championship: Cesaro vs. Roman Reigns {C}

They lock up collar-and-elbow around the ring, both men matching power, clean break in a corner, lock-up again, Reigns with a side headlock takedown, back to the feet, Reigns hits a shoulder tackle for a 1-count, back to the headlock, Cesaro leapfrogs over him, hits his own shoulder tackle, covers for 1, covers again for 1, and wrestles him down for another 1-count. Reigns rolls out the ring for a breather and Heyman gives him words of encouragement, acknowledging him as the Tribal Chief.

Cesaro gets a waistlock, Reigns elbows him in the face, misses a clothesline, Cesaro hits the springboard uppercut, takes him down, Reigns wriggles to the ropes to avoid the big swing, throws him out the ring, and Cesaro is holding his arm after that landing. Cesaro hits a couple of uppercuts, Reigns throws him into the ringpost, hurting Cesaro's arm some more, slams his head on the rebuilt announce table, throws him back into the ring, covers for 1, and puts him in a cravate. Cesaro counters, Reigns hits a snap suplex, and covers for a 1-count. Cesaro fights back, Reigns punches him audibly, then re-applies the cravate. Reigns hits the jumping clothesline, covers, 1-count, hits striking elbows, then puts him in the chinlock. Cesaro fights out, Reigns takes him down, Cesaro counters the Superman Punch, and hits the Pop-Up Uppercut for a near-fall!

Cesaro hits a few running uppercuts, pins him for 2, weakens the legs, and applies the Sharpshooter! Reigns grabs the bottom rope to break, rolls out the ring, Cesaro hits a corkscrew plancha, Reigns rolls out the other side of the ring, and Cesaro hits the running uppercut against the barricade, then hits a top rope diving crossbody for a near-fall. Both men trade punches, Cesaro slams his head against the ringpost, Reigns counters him dropping in the ropes, then hits the big boot, but Reigns was holding the arm, then he hits the running dropkick against the ringpost. Back in the ring, Cesaro kicks out at the count of 2, Reigns is smiling, Cesaro fights back, Reigns works on the arm now, looks in the camera to taunt Daniel Bryan, clotheslines him and gets a 2-count. Reigns starts striking with punches and knees in a corner, hits the big boot, and talks trash to him. Reigns stomps him down in a corner, argues with the referee, Cesaro hits an elbow, uppercut, big boot, and hits the discuss clothesline. Cesaro and Reigns trade punches, Cesaro uppercuts him, stomps on him in a corner, Reigns rolls onto the apron, Cesaro delivers a DEAD-LIFT SUPERPLEX, and gets the 2-count. Reigns blocks the foot stomp, so Cesaro hits the double foot stomp, goes for the Neutralizer, Reigns counters and punches him, then puts him in the Fujiwara armbar. Cesaro counters with a rollup for 2, goes for the springboard, Reigns hits the Superman Punch in mid-air, and covers for a near-fall!

Cesaro counters the Spear with an uppercut, his arm gave out for the pop-up, Reigns locks in the Guillotine, Cesaro powers back up, counters with a mat slam, Reigns gets the shoulder up at 2, Cesaro hits elbows to the head, and locks in the Sharpshooter! Cesaro switches to the Crossface, Reigns gets the mount, hits elbow strikes, dead-lifts him into a sit-out powerbomb, and Cesaro kicks out at the last possible second! Reigns with the mounted punches again, Cesaro blocks the final strike, throws him off, Reigns comes back with a front facelock, turns it into the Guillotine, and Cesaro drops him with a powerbomb. Reigns keeps the Guillotine locked on, Cesaro starts to fade, he powers back up to break the grip, Reigns locks it back in, Cesaro stops moving as his head turns bright red, and it's over. Cesaro comes to seconds later gasping for air in a state of confusion, but sorry homie it's already ended. WINNER and STILL WWE UNIVERSAL CHAMPION: ROMAN REIGNS!

Jey Uso rushes into the ring, brings the celebratory lei for the Tribal Chief, and places it around his neck. Jey turns his attention to Cesaro, and requests "Let me get him." Roman gives the OK and Jey strikes with the beatdown of Cesaro and goes up top. SETH ROLLINS music plays and he makes his way down to step up to Roman Reigns... and smiles. Rollins attacks Cesaro and throws him into the steel steps and over the announce table. "What did you think was gonna happen?!" Rollins hits him with the chair on the back and the gut, then puts his arm in the chair screaming at him, then slams it against the ringpost after yelling that no one makes a mockery of him. Rollins finishes the beatdown with the STOMP and gets back in the ring to admire his work as the PPV goes off the air.