It’s time for some Backlash in Tampa! The new World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns defends the championship against his own family Jacob Fatu! Bron Breakker returned at Mania but now he faces his former mentor Seth Rollins! Iyo Sky finally stands up to go one-on-one with Asuka to defend her honor! Trick Williams defends the United States Championship against former champ Sami Zayn in a Mania rematch! Danhausen has his first PLE match with a mystery partner against The Miz and Kit Wilson! Also, John Cena will be here live to tell us about a history-making announcement! Join us for a live recap of WWE Backlash today with the main premium live event starting at 6 PM ET with the first hour also airing live on ESPN2, and the rest of the show on ESPN Unlimited (USA) and Netflix (worldwide). Hit F5 or refresh as often as you like for the latest updates!
We start out seeing the Superstar arrivals from earlier. Of course, Danhausen arrived in his casket-mobile. Michael Cole and Wade Barrett are the commentators of the PLE. Seth Rollins is the first man to enter the arena, and the crowd sings his song. Bron Breakker storms out next with Paul Heyman accompanying him to the ring. Danilo Anfibio will be the referee for the first match.
* Seth Rollins vs. Bron Breakker
Rollins leapfrogs over him at the bell, sends him out the ring, hits a suicide dive, and beats him up around at ringside. Rollins throws him back in, tosses him back out the ring, hits another suicide dive in front of the announce table, and continues the brawl at ringside. Breakker tosses him over the barricade, but Rollins flies back at him, they get back in the ring, Breakker catches him off the top, and tosses him with a belly-to-belly overhead throw over the ropes! Back in the ring, Breakker takes control of the match, delivers a standing suplex, covers for a 1-count, Rollins fights back, but Breakker delivers a German suplex, hits another German suplex, and puts him in a rear chinlock.
Rollins battles back with a jawbreaker, chops him on the chest, Breakker catches him with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, and covers for 2. Breakker talks trash while gripping his head in a chinlock, Rollins gets to his feet, and counters with a back suplex. Rollins fights back, but Breakker runs the ropes for the 23 MPH clothesline, and covers for 2. Breakker delivers three more German suplexes, Heyman smiles, Breakker covers for 2, hits shoulder thrusts in a corner, sets him up on the top, Rollins fights him off, but Breakker runs back up for the Breakkensteiner for a near-fall! Heyman gives him some words of advice while he’s still in control. Breakker throws him out to the floor, stalks him from one side of the ring, charges, and Rollins superkicks him! The referee is counting both men, and they get in at the count of 9.
Rollins hits several short-arm clotheslines, gets a 2-count, hits a running knee, and covers for a 2-count. Rollins stomps on his head, Breakker blocks The Stomp, gets to his feet, picks him up for the military press gutbuster, Rollins counters the spear with a knee strike, Breakker hits a standing moonsault, and gets a 2-count. Breakker does a 10-punch in a corner while talking trash, Rollins cuts him off to hit the buckle bomb, and Breakker clotheslines him. “This is awesome! This is awesome!” Rollins rolls out the ring, Breakker goes after him, slams his head onto the announce table, gets on the apron, and hits the diving clothesline onto and over the announce table! Heyman likes it as he has a big grin on his face. Breakker sends Rollins back into the ring, goes up top, but Rollins pops up for the SUPERPLEX, and Breakker reverses to hit his own FALCON ARROW for 2.5!!
Breakker stands over Rollins, sets him up on the top turnbuckle, Rollins blocks the superplex, rakes his back, Breakker hits another Breakkensteiner, sets him up in the opposite corner, goes for the Breakkersteiner again, but Rollins lands on his feet! Rollins ducks a clothesline, superkicks him, another superkick, hits the Pedigree, and hits THE STOMP! Heyman gets on the apron to taunt Rollins just to get his attention. Rollins gets out the ring, grabs a steel chair, and hits Austin Theory and Logan Paul with the chair! STOMP to Theory! Logan Paul backs away as Rollins chases him with the chair. Rollins gets back in the ring before he gets counted out, Breakker hits the SPEAR, and covers for the 1-2-KICKOUT!! Breakker takes the straps down, charges, Rollins counters the Spear with the Pedigree, gets up on the middle ropes, leaps off and BREAKKER HITS THE SPEAR IN MID-AIR!! Breakker runs the ropes for another SPEAR, covers, and gets the 1-2-3!!! WINNER: BRON BREAKKER!!
Paul Heyman is in the ring to congratulate Bron Breakker on his big victory getting the win over the former world champion. We get a look at the new video game Invincible VS available now. Time for some ads, basically a PLE commercial break.
Sami Zayn comes out and he is getting booed, but they still sing along to his song. Cathy Kelly interviews Trick Williams and Lil Yachty in Gorilla. Trick says he is the vet in the game, and tonight the games are over. “Let’s talk about it.” Lil Yachty heads out holding a kendo stick, accompanying the champion Trick Williams to a rousing chant of “Whoop that, Trick!” Trick and Sami shove each other before referee Daphanie LaShaunn shows off the title and calls for the opening bell.
* United States Championship: Sami Zayn vs. Trick Williams {C}
They scuffle in a corner, Sami chops him on the chest in a corner, puts him in a side headlock, Trick hits a leaping clothesline, chops him on the chest, and hits a backhand for good measure. Williams stomps him down in a corner to the chant of “Whoop that Trick!” Zayn exits the ring to take a breather, Williams clotheslines him from behind, Zayn reverses an Irish whip and sends him into the steel steps. Sami takes control now with a beatdown in the ring, punches and chops him, hits a clothesline, and covers for 1 as the crowd chants “Sami sucks!” Sami slaps him, taunts Yachty, Trick hits a capoeira upkick followed by a jumping neckbreaker.
Trick fights back, hits a crescent kick, body slams him, grabs his right hand, floats over, Sami counters the urinage with an armdrag, Trick blocks him, Sami side-steps the Trick Shot, then Williams counters the blue thunder bomb, plants him with the Book End, and covers for a 2-count. Trick sets him up on the top rope, Sami fights him off, clubs him on the back, hits the sunset flip powerbomb, and gets a 2-count. Sami sets up for the Helluva Kick, Trick gets a boot up to block, Sami catches him with the blue thunder bomb, and gets a near-fall as the crowd chants “Sami, Sami sucks! Sami, Sami sucks!” Sami goes down holding his knee, Williams picks him up, Zayn rolls him up for 2 playing possum, Yachty has referee LaShaunn’s attention, Sami hits Trick with the kendo stick, and covers for 1-2-NO!
Trick crawls to the ropes, Sami stomps on his head over and over, the ref checks on the champ, Sami stomps him down some more, the crowd chants Yachty’s name, so he gets on the apron, hits Sami with the kendo stick, Trick hits the discus kick, covers, and gets 2.9! Zayn sends him out the ring, gets in a cheap shot on Yachty, and whacks him repeatedly with the kendo stick! Trick clobbers Sami, sets up for the Book End on the steel steps, but Sami counters with a DDT ONTO THE STEEL STEPS! Sami throws the champ back into the ring, gets on the apron, looks over at Yachty, and hits Yachty with the HELLUVA KICK at ringside! Sami gets back in the ring, Trick side-steps the Helluva Kick, hits the TRICK SHOT, and covers for 3!! WINNER, and STILL, WWE UNITED STATES CHAMPION: TRICK WILLIAMS!!
Lil Yachty is already back in the ring tossing money in the air to celebrate Trick’s big title defense. This ends the broadcast of Backlash on ESPN2, and continuing on ESPN Unlimited in the States and on Netflix internationally. This also leads us to another commercial break.
Kit Wilson and The Miz head out for their tag team match coming up next. We get a video package highlighting all the shenanigans and events of Danhausen making The Miz’s life a mess after he refused to mentor Danhausen and then he… was… cursed! All of that led us to this moment. We hear the “Danhausen cloning machine” at work before Danhausen heads out on the Danhausen-mobile, then he heads over to the machine to open it. Who will be Danhausen’s mystery tag team partner? A Mini-Danhausen steps out, Danhausen says “Ah shit,” so he accepts it and they drive down and around the ring in the mobile-hausen, waving to Michael Cole and teasing a curse to Wade Barrett. Referee Eddie Orengo is assigned for this match.
* Kit Wilson & The Miz vs. Danhausen & Minihausen
The Miz laughs and teases Minihausen before the bell, Kit boots Mini in the face before he can curse him, Mini fights back, hits a springboard shoulder tackle, and a basement ‘rana. Miz tags in, Mini ducks clotheslines, hits a revolution hurricanrana, rapid punches and chops to Wilson, gets to the top rope, walks the top rope to kick Miz in the face, Wilson blocks a hurricanrana, Mini fights him off with punches to the noggin, hits the hurricanrana, and jumps off of Danhausen’s shoulders to dive onto Miz and Wilson! Danhausen throws Wilson back into the ring, helps Mini get back into the ring, Miz sends Danhausen into the ringpost, Wilson sends Mini into the ropes with a knee to the back, and Miz hits a cheap shot to Mini behind referee Orengo’s back. Miz tags in, Wilson picks Mini up, Miz catches him, hits a military press powerslam, and taunts the crowd. Wilson tags in, they set up a double suplex, Wilson continues solo, swivels and delivers the vertical suplex for a 2-count. Wilson puts him in a chinlock, Mini gets to his feet, Wilson ragdolls him, puts him in the tree of woe, shoulder thrusts, Mini sits up to avoid him, and hits a top rope moonsault!
Miz tags in, Danhausen gets the hot tag, hits an inverted atomic drop and a clothesline to Miz, northern lights suplex to Wilson, clotheslines both men in opposite corners, he gets exhausted but catches his breath with crowd support, clotheslines Miz, side-steps Wilson and gives him a German suplex. Danhausen hits Miz with a tilt-a-whirl DDT, sits up, hits a pump kick to Wilson taking the bullet, Miz with a schoolboy roll-up for 2, and hits a big boot. Minihausen tags in, Miz crotches himself on the middle turnbuckle as Danhausen falls down, Mini hits a diving hurricanrana to Wilson sending him out the ring, and he hits a suicide dive onto both men! Kit Wilson backs away from Minihausen heading up the ramp, hits a boot to the face, and throws him back into the cloning machine. However, the cloning machine restarts, the door bursts open, and SIX MORE Minihausens emerge to attack Wilson!!
Wilson runs back to the ring to get away from them, Minihausen gives him the airplane spin, plants him with the Wasteland, and Barrett shouts “That’s my move!” Mini gets ready to curse Kit, but Wilson shows him the mirror making Mini accidentally curse himself, Miz plants Mini with the SKULL CRUSHING FINALE, covers, and Danhausen breaks it up! Danhausen drags Mini back to his corner, tags back in, Miz slaps him, Danhausen does a Thesz Press, clotheslines him out the ring, clotheslines Wilson out the ring, and high-fives one of the minis on the announce table as Barrett tries to shoo away all the minis. Miz kicks him away, pulls out a fire extinguisher from under the ring, but it goes off in his own face instead and he accidentally sprays it in Wilson’s face too! Danhausen throws a blinded Miz back into the ring, Minihausen goes up top, they curse their opponents again, Mini dives out the ring to take out Wilson at ringside, Danhausen hits Miz with the pump kick, and gets the victory!! WINNERS: DANHAUSEN & MINIHAUSEN!
Danhausen, Minihausen and the other minis dance at the top of the stage. When the lights go out, they don’t know which way to run off to so they scatter everywhere! Goofy wrestling lives.
We get some breaking news about AAA with a special announcement. This September, AAA TriplemanÃa 34 will be the first-ever two-night event! Night one will take place on Friday, September 11th in a location soon to be determined, then night two will be on Sunday, September 13th in Mexico City. Time for a commercial break.
* IYO SKY vs. Asuka
The referee Jason Ayers calls for the bell, but neither woman rushes into anything, allowing the crowd to chant “We want Kairi! We want Kairi!” They lock up collar-and-elbow, move around into the corner and the ropes, Asuka pushes her away, and a clean break in the ropes. Asuka puts her in the side headlock, and the crowd chants for Kairi again. Iyo puts her in the headlock, shoulder block, Asuka hits elbows and a kick, Iyo backflips, trips her, hits the basement dropkick, and stomps her down in a corner. Iyo flips away from her, drop toehold into the middle turnbuckle, hits the double knees in the corner, and covers for 2. Asuka rolls onto the apron, Iyo knocks her down, Asuka kicks her leg in the ropes, and swings her head into the ringpost!
Asuka slams her head onto the barricade, hangs her over the edge of the apron, hits short kicks, gets in the ring and traps her in a submission in the ropes. Asuka bullies her, the crowd chants for Kairi again, Iyo fights back, Asuka hits a big kick to the chest, and covers for 2. Iyo battles out of an armbar, Asuka slams her back down by the hair, hits the chest kicks, Iyo fires up with every kick, and she strikes back. Iyo rolls through to hit the double foot stomp and collapses. Iyo fights back, hits the Shotei, swings onto the apron, hotshots her, goes up top, connects with the missile dropkick before she goes full IYO! Iyo hits the Bullet Train Attack, covers, and gets a 2-count!
Asuka comes back with a sliding kick, deep cover for 2, Iyo ducks a head kick, rolls her up for 2, hits a low back kick, and gets a 2-count. Asuka blocks a German suplex, Iyo hits the suplex, bridges for 2, and Asuka puts her in the armbar. Iyo counters, kicks her in the head, Asuka gets a boot up, hits the pop-up knee strike, Iyo with a superkick, and both women are down. They pull themselves up with the ropes, Asuka traps her in the Asuka Lock, Iyo escapes the hold, hits back elbows, hits a modified Stunner, and puts her in the cross armbar. Iyo puts her in her own Asuka Lock, Asuka gets a foot on the bottom rope to break to hold, she rolls onto the apron, Iyo pulls her up the ropes, but Asuka pulls her hair to smack her head on the post. Iyo hits the Shotei, hits the hurricanrana, Asuka rolls through and gets 2.9!!
Iyo side-steps the hip attack, dropkicks her to knock her out the ring. Asuka blocks the suicide dive with a punch, drops her onto the announce table. Iyo blocks the suplex, and uses Wade Barrett’s notepad to block the mist! Iyo trips her on the table, dives off the table with a crossbody, breaks the ref’s count, and hits the Asai moonsault! Iyo throws her back into the ring, gets her in position, Asuka counters Over the Moonsault to lock in the cross armbar, Iyo counters with a rollup for 2, but Asuka switches to the ASUKA LOCK! Iyo is almost knocked out, but she rolls her over to get a 2-count, and both women are spent. “This is awesome! This is awesome!” Both women trade punches, Asuka delivers a German suplex, Iyo delivers a German suplex, hits the Bullet Train Attack, gets on the top rope, hits OVER THE MOONSAULT, and covers for 3!! WINNER: IYO SKY!!
That was a great match! IYO shows respect to her former mentor with a bow, Asuka smiles, they hug, and the respect is returned as they show love to each other. Could this be the end for Asuka?
* John Cena’s History-Making Announcement
Alicia Taylor introduces “The Greatest of All Time” John Cena to the ring – it’s time for his announcement! Cena thanks the crowd for their love, especially when he knows there’s nobody coming down to kick his teeth in. He knows people are wondering about the next phase in his career, and the crowd chants for “one more match.” Cena has thought about that last match and moment, but he says says he was truly happy. He knew that night would be an evening of opportunity, giving NXT stars a platform to show the world what they’ve got. On that night we saw Sol Ruca, Je’Von Evans, and Oba Femi impress the crowd. The crowd then breaks out an Oba chant. “Oba, I hope you’re listening! Oba debuts in December, he was strutting, and whips Brock’s ass at WrestleMania!” Cena says we will do this again, and announces The John Cena Classic, an entire event where WWE superstars and NXT superstars will battle to be a champion. This will be a brand-new event with a brand-new championship for the event; this will be a championship that Cena will personally put his name on; and he will do everything to make this event special. For the first time in history, the WWE Universe’s voice will be heard, and they will vote who will become champion of The John Cena Classic. This means for the first time in history, a superstar could lose their match but still win the vote to become champion. Cena doesn’t want this to be just once a year, but multiple times a year! Cena thanks the WWE for this crazy idea and hopes it works, and he thanks Tampa for everything that the city has meant to him. “And now, it’s time for your main event!”
The main event is NEXT… after a commercial break. The next PLE will be WWE Clash in Italy on Sunday, May 31st. We get a video package that leads up to the main event match between cousins Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu fighting over the World Heavyweight Championship. Jacob Fatu heads out first with his own lei and wearing Samoan garb for his entrance. Roman Reigns heads out next with the crowd in Tampa acknowledging the World Heavyweight Champion. Alicia Taylor is in the ring to make the proper title match introductions, and Shawn Bennett is the referee assigned for this main event.
* World Heavyweight Championship: Jacob Fatu vs. Roman Reigns {C}
The bell dings, the main event is underway, Fatu looks over at the title, the crowd chants his name, and Reigns looks on. They circle each other in the ring, they lock up collar-and-elbow, Reigns puts him in the side headlock, hits a shoulder block, throws up the one, and Fatu is already back up. Now the crowd chants Roman’s name, another lock-up, Fatu with the side headlock, Reigns pushes him off, Fatu hits a shoulder block, Reigns leapfrogs over him, clotheslines him, and Fatu stays on his feet. Jacob clotheslines Roman out the ring, hits the suicide dive into the Tongan Death Grip before shoving him into the ringpost!
Roman attacks Fatu’s hand to prevent the Death Grip, smacks his hand on the ringpost, gets him back into the ring as the crowd starts dueling chants, and Reigns slams his head on the turnbuckle before attacking the hand again. Fatu headbutts him over and over, Reigns uppercuts him, does the 10-punch in a corner, clotheslines him several times, Fatu blocks a clothesline, and hits his own clothesline. Fatu headbutts him again, sends him shoulder-first into the ringpost, and he starts playing to the crowd. Reigns side-steps him in a corner, clotheslines him, hits the jumping clothesline, clotheslines him in the corner, hits the big boot, throws up the one, hits the Superman Punch, covers, and gets a 1-count!
Fatu is back up on his feet before the champ, he strikes back, clotheslines him, hits the running senton, running clothesline in a corner, 10-headbutts in the corner, running hip attack just like Umaga, and Reigns hits the Superman Punch for a 2-count! Reigns hits the drive-by dropkick, removes the cover of the announce table and clears it off, but Jacob grabs him with the Tongan Death Grip, then POWERBOMBS HIM THROUGH THE ANNOUNCE TABLE!! Fatu throws him back into the ring, Reigns surprises him with the SPEAR, and covers for 1-2-KICKOUT!! “This is awesome! This is awesome!” Both men are down, they get back to their feet, Roman calls for another Spear, but Fatu counters with the pop-up Samoan drop, hits the DOUBLE JUMP MOONSAULT, and gets 1-2-2.99!!
Fatu hits falling headbutts, mounted punches, drags him into position, goes up top, and Reigns gets his knees up to block the swanton. Both men lock eyes as they struggle back up, they trade shots from kneeling to standing, Fatu uppercuts him, Reigns uppercuts him back, Fatu uppercuts him, hits the running hip attack, another running hip attack, and locks on the Tongan Death Grip! Reigns starts fading, the ref checks his arm, Reigns rakes his eyes, backs him into a corner squishing referee Bennett, hits Fatu with the Superman Punch, another Superman Punch, counters the pop-up with another Superman Punch, and covers for 1-2-KICKOUT!! Reigns asks the ref if it was just two, Fatu catches him with the Tongan Death Grip again, Reigns grabs the ref in a panic, grabs the turnbuckle pad ripping it off, sends Fatu into the exposed turnbuckle, hits the SPEAR, AND COVERS FOR 1-2-3!!! WINNER, and STILL, WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION: ROMAN REIGNS!!
Jacob Fatu is very unhappy with that result, so he grabs the ref, puts Roman back in the Tongan Death Grip, referee Shawn Bennett tries to get him off the hold, and Fatu hits Bennett with the pop-up Samoan drop!! More referees and agents run down to stop him, Fatu superkicks Gregory Helms, throws Raw GM Adam Pearce out the ring, and goes back on the attack to Reigns! Finally Jacob Fatu releases the hold and walks off looking at his hand. Adam Pearce checks on Reigns, and Fatu is coming back to attack him some more! Jacob Fatu picks up the championship and poses with it to close out the Backlash.
