WWE Backstage (June 9th, 2020) - 6 Takeaways from this week's show

This week's show was female-heavy as Paige, Beth Phoenix and Ember Moon joined Renee Young as panelists for Ladies' Night on WWE Backstage. The Evolution PPV aired prior to Backstage on FS1 and that event was discussed by the panelists. We also saw the event through the eyes of Nikki Bella as the Fearless One faced Ronda Rousey in the show's main event.

Sonya Deville joined as the special guest and reflected on her journey in the WWE as well as her journey to finding herself. It was a great sneak peek behind the veil of one of the best performers coming into their own in 2020.

With Backlash this coming Sunday, some of its events were briefly discussed including the contest between Randy Orton and Edge. Phoenix had some comments about the whole situation. Bayley and Sasha Banks became two-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champions and that title change was addressed. NXT's direction and the future of the women's division in WWE was also a hot topic.

Here are six takeaways from WWE Backstage from the June 9th, 2020 episode.

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#6 The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever

Backlash is the next stop on the WWE PPV road map. Both world titles are being defended and Randy Orton and Edge are facing off what WWE is calling the "Greatest Wrestling Match Ever". In order to sell the match, Hall of Famers such as Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle, and Ric Flair have chimed in with their thoughts.

The panel delved into it with Ember Moon claiming that she loves "when wrestling storylines cross over into real life". She added that: "We waited nine years for Edge to return. It was great, but I think we're going backwards with the order of the matches." Paige said, "I've always been very vocal about how much I love Edge and relate to him." The main issue, however, was that "right now they have so much pressure because they didn't label it but they have so much they have to think about and do to make it as perfect as possible."

Both women picked Edge to win before Phoenix gave her take. Of the Peep Show on RAW, she claimed: "Christian had me in tears. It's what a friend that really loves you would say because this is the biggest pressure match." She added that "Everyone's going to have an opinion...I don't know what's going to happen on Sunday but you're going to get the best of Edge and the best of Randy Orton."

#5 Looking back at WWE Evolution

The first-ever women's PPV was a hot topic on WWE Backstage this week

The panelists also looked back at the only female PPV in WWE's history, Evolution. Ember Moon claimed: "The one thing that I can really take back is how together we were as a locker room, as a unit, as women...it's the most positive experience I've had being in a locker room. It's one of the highlights of my career."

Paige felt that "The energy was so positive and so happy. It was just a really good atmosphere to be a part of. All the girls absolutely killed it." The commentary panel for the show included Young and Phoenix. The Glamazon said that "it was one of my maiden voyages in the commentary seat" and that she wanted to "throw out the notes and just enjoy it". The PPV reminded her of "days working the independent scene and being lucky if one or two women were there. It was a great melting-pot moment of generations."

The main event for the show was Ronda Rousey vs. Nikki Bella for the RAW Women's Championship. Bella relived the history-making moment, claiming that Mr. McMahon called her, "Vince told me that he really wants me to have a match against Ronda Rousey for the main event...this is the one thing in my career that puts the icing on the cake." She further mentioned that she had to tell herself that "you are the most amazing fighter ever" in order to "put myself in the mindset that I was Goliath and that she was David".

Nikki Bella concluded by saying that: "[The event] Very emotional for all of us because it was such a long fight for women. Every match that night was magical. The crowd hung on to every little thing we gave them. It was like when you can make magic like that in the ring and paint a beautiful painting."

#4 The WWE Women's Tag Team Championships

Sasha Banks and Bayley shockingly won the WWE Women's Tag Team titles last week on SmackDown with a win over Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross. Of the move, Ember Moon claimed that she didn't think it was the right step because Sasha and Bayley didn't really sell themselves. Because of that, Moon thinks that "It doesn't elevate their story, but it devalues the tag team title match (that was being alluded to between Bliss & Cross and IIconics at Backlash)."

Paige added that: "The Tag Team Championships haven't been used to their full potential. They're not being defended right or used right and not being taken very seriously. At some point, they need to be taken seriously." She explained her thought by reasoning: "It's such a big moment for the women and we could utilize all the tag teams we have. Bayley and Sasha are good but let's try and build some other people."

Beth Phoenix gave her two cents on tag team wrestling in WWE's women's division saying: "I echo some of those sentiments but I'm also a fan of tag team wrestling. It is a disservice to have so many talented females booked on a show with only so many spots." She ended by saying, "I hope it changes and we get some steam behind the titles." Renee Young concluded this discussion on WWE Backstage by saying that "It would be nice to see some other women step in there (tag team picture)."

#3 The future of WWE's Women's Division

The WWE and NXT rosters are the most talented they have ever been. Beth Phoenix claimed that: "Spots open up quickly. Becky Lynch is gone and that leaves a crater...Bianca Belair to me is the woman I feel is a future Superstar and face of the division. She has the physical abilities and the poise."

Paige commented on Belair saying that with her, "It goes beyond the ring but she's creative. She makes all of her gear and her husband's gear. She has so much passion for this business. We have so many people that could fill the void quickly like Charlotte, Nattie, Alexa, and Bayley."

Moon also championed the EST of WWE but said, "Don't forget about the Liv Morgans, Carmella, Naomi, Sonya Deville, and Mandy Rose...we might see a fight for that brass ring...we already saw it out there on SmackDown with Lacey and Sonya." Renee added that "The depth is so insane. The future is looking good for the women's division."

Beth Phoenix is a commentator for NXT and said: "We've seen so many women step up and stand out like Shotzi Blackheart. I really love Tegan Nox and want to see more of her. She's such a great, young talent." Phoenix also had praise for one particular NXT Superstar: "Raquel Gonzalez has that imposing physique and she now understands how to use her size to her advantage."

Io Shirai defeated Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley to become the new NXT Women's Champion at In Your House. Ember Moon claimed that: "NXT is the place where hard work pays off. To know that you are the face of the women's division and the face of a company, it's great."

Paige was the first NXT Women's Champ and said: "There was a lot of pressure but there weren't so many eyes on the NXT women's division (back then). Being the first NXT Women's Champion and the first female match on the WWE Network was a huge deal." The Anti-Diva also claimed, "For any wrestler who worked their whole lives, that passion and emotion is real (when they win the title)."

#2 Sonya Deville joins WWE Backstage

The main guest for this week's edition of WWE Backstage was Sonya Deville. She's seen her stock rise over the last few months, and her promo from a few weeks ago helped in that. Of the promo, Deville claimed that "The week leading up to it, I was figuring out what I was going to say...there was so much real emotion and passion leading up to it."

She's essentially been attached at the hip with Mandy Rose in WWE and talked about her time with The Golden Goddess: "We've done so much together and it was a lot to work with. Once the day (for the promo) finally came, I said that 'This was going to be my moment. This is make or break.' As soon as I said my first line, I felt like I was in my groove."

She claimed that the reaction to her promo was incredibly positive because it was "a lot of shock because I've never gotten mic time like this before. It had been something I had asked for for a long time." She remembered "asking Vince that (for mic time) a couple months prior and said 'if I screw it up, you can take it (mic time) away from me forever.'"

#1 Deville and coming out

A good portion of her life has played out in front of the WWE Universe

Sonya Deville's main-roster debut on WWE came alongside Mandy Rose and Paige in Absolution. She remembered, "Watching you (Paige) prep and seeing how cool, calm, and collected you were." Deville also claimed that: "If I didn't really deep down feel like I was the third wheel in Absolution, it wouldn't have made the promo seem real. I knew I was more than one-dimensional and now everyone else knows too."

Paige then asked her friend about the moment Deville came out to the world on Tough Enough. Deville remembered that: "It was one of those things. I was only out to my immediate family." When asked about any relationships, she said, "It (her response) was kind of a fight or flight moment and I couldn't have predicted if I tried in the last five years."

Since the moment passed, she felt that "It (revealing her truth) allows me to be comfortable with me. It allows your truth to become your reality." The moment was also even more life-changing for Deville as she said: "I realized that I was ashamed of who I was. Now I'm okay with who I am and am hopefully helping others to realize that they're okay with themselves."

The topic of featuring same-sex relationships in a WWE storyline before has been addressed by Deville. She feels that: "You see them in most movies and society so I think it should be the same with sports entertainment. I think we're on the same path. Stephanie McMahon has been one to help advocate for same-sex storylines for two years. Inclusion is coming and I think everyone here in WWE is on board."

Edited by Raunak J