WWE Used Piped Crowd Noise In Edge Vs. Randy Orton At Backlash 2020
WWE's "Greatest Match Ever" split opinion for this curious production choice.
Was Edge vs. Randy Orton the "Greatest Wrestling Match Ever"?
No. The pool is far, far too deep to brand anything with that label and it was foolish of WWE to lump such impossibly lofty expectations on Edge and Orton at Backlash 2020. It was, however, an excellent contest between two old pros who made an epic 45-minute runtime feel like half that, overcoming their opinion-splitting WrestleMania 36 clash with a true WWE Match of the Year contender.
The work itself was tremendous. The production? Less so.
WWE's decision to pipe crowd noise into the Performance Center for the pretaped bout has attracted criticism, as the promotion tried to make it sound like thousands of fans were reacting to what was going on, not just the few-dozen Performance Center recruits in attendance. This was part of the promotion's efforts to create a "big fight feel," with the company also showing a Madison Square Garden sign and using ring introductions from the late, great Howard Finkel.
Those able to get over these choices and focus on the work were treated to something special, though the criticism is warranted. Such things are transparently false and it's easy to understand why some viewers may have experienced a disconnect.