Well, that was quite something, wasn't it? The WWE's first Smackdown Live exclusive pay per view after Wrestlemania 33 – WWE Backlash 2017 – has ended and what an ending it was. Jinder Mahal – yes, Jinder freaking Mahal – is the new WWE Champion.
That shock main event finish aside, it was a show filled with ups and downs. Shinsuke Nakamura made his debut in an underwhelming match against Dolph Ziggler, while AJ Styles and Kevin Owens tore the house down in WWE United States Championship bout before we saw Randy Orton fall to The Maharaja to close out the night.
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It was a roller coaster ride that pleased and disappointed in equal measure. It was a decent show but fell short of greatness due to some questionable booking decisions. We look at which WWE superstars benefited the most from said decisions and which superstars suffered.
So, without any further ado, let's get into our analysis of the biggest winners and losers from WWE Backlash 2017:
Loser #4: Shinsuke Nakamura
While the WWE didn't destroy Shinsuke Nakamura's main roster career by having him lose to Dolph Ziggler, it was still a very underwhelming debut for The King of Strong Style. He was on the defensive for most of the encounter and did very little to excite the WWE Universe.
Sure, we got to see his toughness as he came back from everything Ziggler threw at him but it would have been better if he did more offensively as well. When a man's greatest strength is his in-ring ability, you must allow him to showcase that to the greatest possible extent.
It's not a lost cause but it's definitely a small set back for The Artist.
Winner #4: Tyler Breeze, Fandango, Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso
When Breezango – the team of Tyler Breeze and Fandango – unexpectedly became the No. 1 contenders for the WWE Smackdown Live Tag Team Titles, no one really expected too much. Oh, how wrong we all were.
After teasing some comedy sketches in the weeks building up to Backlash, the four put on a superb encounter that has served to revitalise the Tag Team division on the blue brand. Special shoutout to Tyler Breeze for the superb comedy elements he added to the match.
Loser #3: Erick Rowan and Luke Harper
This was quite a pointless match, it has to be said. We've seen the two butt heads a number of times now and there was nothing fresh and exciting about this encounter. It basically served as a filler match, to be honest.
There were a number of different routes that the WWE could've taken with this match, but at the end of the day, other than a weird bit where Rowan got pumped by his mask, it was an extremely stale bout.
Maybe it's time to reunite Luke Harper and Erick Rowan again because their singles careers have come to a grinding halt.
Winner #3: Sami Zayn
Well, who would've thought that Sami Zayn would get a big win at a pay-per-view? The Underdog from the Underground put on a pretty good match with Baron Corbin where both men came out looking really good but there is no doubt that was Zayn's night.
It's a feel good moment to see the man formerly known as El Generico finally get the big win he deserves after months of losing to people on the big stage. Hopefully, this is a platform for Zayn to kickoff onto greater things.
Loser #2: The Smackdown Live women's division
I feel like a broken record saying this over and over again – The Welcoming Committee is one of the worst ideas in the history of the WWE and even all of professional wrestling. It has thrown the Smackdown Live Women's Division into complete disarray.
The only way to have salvaged this situation was to have the babyfaces go over at Backlash but it's clear that the Smackdown creative team plans to stick with this angle as it Natalya, Tamina, and Carmella – along with James Ellsworth – defeated Becky Lynch, Charlotte, and Naomi when the Lynch tapped out to the Sharpshooter.
Winner #2: AJ Styles and Kevin Owens
Does AJ Styles ever have a bad match? On the evidence of his encounter with Kevin Owens, not bloody likely. The Phenomenal One and The New Face of America put on the match of the night for the WWE United States Championship.
Both men looked superb during the encounter, the storytelling was on point with the knee injury angle and the finish was cleverly done in a way that hasn't been seen before. It was a flawless match.
Loser #1: Randy Orton
When Jinder Mahal emerged as the shock No. 1 Contender for Randy Orton's WWE Championship, everyone expected a pretty straightforward encounter with The Viper retaining his belt.
Except, nope. Orton is the biggest loser from Backlash as he is now the man who lost his WWE Championship to Jinder Mahal of all people. It doesn't get worse than that.
Winner #1: Jinder Mahal
Who else was it going to be? Jinder Mahal is the new WWE Champion. Need I say anything more?
