10 Things WWE Regrets About Backlash

2. Laying Out THAT Match Between Samoa Joe And Roman Reigns

John Cena Backlash
WWE.com

Remember how in March, tonnes of toilet paper went missing, and everybody thought it was weird because diarrhoea isn't a symptom? That was WWE.

They sh*t the bed so hard at Backlash 2018 that they're still cleaning it up.

After so many unsuccessful attempts to get Roman Reigns over, Vince McMahon and his team of wacky road agents hatched a cunning plan for his main event versus Samoa Joe. It was genius. How had they never thought of this in the four definitive years of sustained audience rejection?

The rub from the Undertaker, the rub from John Cena, incessant use of the word "bitch": nothing had worked. Roman Reigns was simply positioned in such a way that didn't align with the fan reaction, and the longer WWE didn't budge, the more it felt like a personal affront to those not among the millions that had stopped watching. So they find Roman boring, huh?

Well, what if we make Samoa Joe so boring that we'll get Roman over on the tried-and-true "Lesser of two evils" push? The very same principle had literally failed at WrestleMania 34 - "Unlike that Brock Lesnar, at least he's there every week, much like a production assistant!" - and it failed at Backlash.

"That's Roman Reigns...and he's winning us back!" the fans didn't say, because he spent 10 minutes in a neck crank.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!