WWE Backlash 2018 review: What we learned, takeaways, future projections

WWE Championship Match (No Disqualification)

AJ Styles (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

What we learned: The first thing we learned here was that even though this was the only world title matchup on the card, AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura still isn’t good enough to be the main event of a pay-per-view. Anyone else feel like it’s five years ago and AJ Styles is CM Punk and Roman Reigns is John Cena? However, with the way this match ended, I see why they didn’t want this to close the show, even if I still don’t think it’s right. Oh yeah, and we learned that a steel chair can ricochet off of someone’s leg into someone else’s face.

Outside of the ending, I can truly say that I did enjoy this match. I know there are many people out there who feel that these matches between Styles and Nakamura haven’t lived up to the hype, but that would have been almost impossible. I think they’ve all been good and this one was no exception. Styles was very aggressive to start things off and the energy was very solid throughout. The crowd needed something to wake them up after what they’d seen for most of the night, and they got into this one, which was nice to hear. They were in the ring and out of the ring and were really trading shots with one another. And seriously, Styles taking that chair to the face after throwing it at Shinsuke was brutal, especially in slow motion. Kudos to the production team on that one.

I honestly thought Nakamura would pick up a dirty win with the No DQ stipulation in there, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. For the second match in a row between these two, nobody claimed victory as neither man could answer the 10-count after a double low blow, which was more funny than anything else.

What’s next: This obviously isn’t over, and all signs are pointing to a Last Man Standing Match at Money in the Bank, which means we’re in for weeks and weeks of more low blows. If that’s the direction we’re heading, however, it still doesn’t make sense. After the double countout at the Greatest Royal Rumble event, they didn’t put in a No Countouts stipulation and went with No Disqualification. So now that neither man could answer the count of 10, which is what a Last Man Standing Match is, that’s the type of match we’re likely going to get? Sorry, doesn’t add up. If we’re going to Money in the Bank, a place where there’s going to be plenty of ladders, let these guys tear it up in a Ladder Match and be done with it. But I suppose a Last Man Standing Match feeds right into a Money in the Bank winner cashing in a briefcase, doesn’t it?