6 Ups & 3 Downs From Last Night's WWE Backstage (Dec 3)

Seth Rollins responds to 'The Voice Of The Voiceless' on CM Punk's new home turf.

by Michael Hamflett
Seth Rollins
WWE

"WWE Backstage begins...right now!" was Renee Young's typically effusive kickoff to this week's edition of what has already turned out to be one of the strangest projects of 2019.

Upon clunky, double-pilot launch, Backstage was little more than another show about the shows. Raw and SmackDown were reviewed, other Fox Sports events were previewed, and an enjoyably cohesive panel had what appeared to be an enjoyable time together sharing a shiny network floor. A touch on the bland side? America thought so - the first episode proper scored worryingly low audience of just 49,000 - but an agent of change was fast approaching.

CM Punk's shocking arrival at the end of the November 12th episode and interview/hosting appearance the following week predictably serviced the brand and the interest levels well, but his absence last week (with Triple H as a guest, no less) stymied the buzz and acclaim his arrival had reclaimed.

The vaunted voiceless went without their voice, this week too. Though his potential WrestleMania opponent still had plenty to say...

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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