Bully Ray Criticises WWE Backlash 2023 Booking

Should WWE have booked this title change at Backlash? Bully Ray says yes.

Zelina Vega
WWE.com

WWE legend Bully Ray/Bubba Ray Dudley thinks the company made a mistake by not booking Zelina Vega to win the SmackDown Women's Title from Rhea Ripley at Backlash last weekend.

Ray told listeners on Busted Open Radio that Vega deserved the chance to win the belt in front of a passionate Puerto Rican crowd, then celebrate with her family. The Hall Of Famer also reckons WWE should've had Zelina "take some pictures at her dad’s final resting place" so she could treasure that forever too.

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Explaining, Bully said Rhea could've "slipped on a banana peel" and survived a sudden loss. This, of course, would've solved another problem for WWE: Ripley is on Raw after the 2023 Draft, but still holds SmackDown's belt. Meanwhile, Vega was drafted to SmackDown alongside her LWO cohorts.

That didn't necessarily come into Bully's thinking though - he just thinks winning the strap in front of family would've been a sweet, memorable moment for Zelina, and he wished it had happened.

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Fans have already criticised Ray's idea on social media by pointing out that Ripley just won the belt herself at WrestleMania 39.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.