8 Match Star Ratings For WWE Backlash 2020

2. Street Profits Vs. Viking Raiders

Asuka Nia Jax
WWE.com

What were the jokes, and where were they?

The wrestling promotion unilaterally booked by a 74 year-old man who thinks gurgling crap noises are hilarious can't do comedy wrestling because the comedy wrestling matches aren't funny, and there is no wrestling in them.

The wrestlers walk and brawl into comedic scenarios that aren't funny and make no sense. The absurdity isn't the premise because it's too aggressively zany and plain f*cking thick to develop qualities of irony or fun. They basically did a load of naff prop comedy that riffed on the skits that built towards this latest catastrophe of a "cinematic" match. Honestly, the most insulting this is that they think this is a riot. They used the same gags and even the same footage. They ran a celebratory clip show, essentially, of a sitcom no network would ever pick up because it is so sh*t.

Somewhere in the creative process, the 74 year-old white man and or the 57 year-old white man, both of whom have lived in a demented carny bubble no-selling reality for three quarters of a century between them, decided that Akira Tozawa, being Japanese, should play a ninja. Why? We know the answer. But why? Does he want the Tag Tag Team Titles? Is a heel now?

Was it all Ivar's dream? This was implied throughout. Maybe he's a big racist?

In terms of crafting something - a comedic short film, in this case - WWE proved, with its total inability to tell jokes beyond crude slapstick gags and callbacks so hollow they doubled the meaning of "Easter egg", that they might just "offer" up the worst television show. Then. Now. Forever.

In the end, a trash monster with a protruding tentacle frightened people in the Performance Center carpark. Did they rehire Matt Wichlinski?

See? That's a joke. It's not hard.

Star Rating: F*cking sh*t

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!