10 WWE Backlash 2020 Impulse Reactions

4. Drew McIntyre (c) Vs. Bobby Lashley

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WWE.com

Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley assembled what was quite comfortably the best strictly straight (and presumably live) wrestling match on a card with very few contenders, and did it without enhanced audio/visual tricks or the hum of a shopping centre playing throughout.

Lashley locking on his devastating full nelson before the bell was inspired. There's no shame in trying to weaken a protected champion like Drew McIntyre, just as there wasn't in the layout of the clash giving him time to fight on and fight back like true Champions should.

Everything Braun Strowman's defence wasn't, this felt big league and supplied yet more evidence in the absence of tangible fan noise that McIntyre could yet be The Guy regardless of what form the new normal takes. A fairly contrived finish that again put Lana's failings in the spotlight (and could put her and MVP in a shark cage if they run it back for Extreme Rules) was a touch forced, but it couldn't spoil the satisfaction established by both the match and yet another hard-fought retention for the Champion.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett