We open up the show with a crawl that reminds us that “Freedom is not free” and honoring those affected by the 9/11 attacks. Instead of a national anthem, SmackDown commissioner, Shane McMahon and SmackDown general manager, Daniel Bryan welcome us to the show.
The two thank us for making Backlash possible and practically plug the show, which leads us to our opening match!
This match was a surprisingly good opener with each woman looking strong. Alexa Bliss was eliminated first by Naomi after a Blockbuster/Powerbomb combo with Natalya. Naomi would be eliminated next, thanks to Natalya’s Sharpshooter. Less than two minutes later, Natalya would be eliminated by a TKO from Nikki Bella.
Eight seconds later, Carmella would roll up Nikki Bella to eliminate her. Carmella and Becky Lynch would be the final two in the match and Becky Lynch would make her tap out with the Dis-Arm-Her to become the first SmackDown Women’s Champion! Post-match, Becky Lynch would cut a promo, thanking the fans for our support.
My only complaint about this match is that Carmella had no business in this match whatsoever. I believe that this match greatly exposed how green she still is as the match stalled near its conclusion. If it was up to me, I would have drafted her to Raw with Enzo and Cass as she could continue to get better off-screen while appearing on-screen with the duo. Also, anyone know why Carmella turned heel? It’s been a few weeks and not once did we have an interview with Carmella explaining why she is targeting Nikki Bella.
Grade: B+
