Backlash (2023)

The 2023 Backlash was a <a href="/facts/Professional_wrestling/wtYLlT50">professional wrestling</a> <a href="/facts/List_of_WWE_pay-per-view_and_livestreaming_supercards/7vLxmftb">event</a> produced by the American <a href="/facts/Professional_wrestling_promotion/guFrxaB6">company</a> <a href="/facts/WWE/XwgXLWRT">WWE</a>. It was the 18th annual <a href="/facts/WWE_Backlash/Tj47zHjk">Backlash</a> and took place Saturday, May 6, 2023, at the <a href="/facts/Coliseo_de_Puerto_Rico_Jos%25C3%25A9_Miguel_Agrelot/ARWGCtSt">Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot</a> in <a href="/facts/San_Juan%2c_Puerto_Rico/okx1X58r">San Juan, Puerto Rico</a>. The event aired via <a href="/facts/Pay-per-view/pgoMWMbp">pay-per-view</a> (PPV) and <a href="/facts/Livestreaming/rsFwFXrD">livestreaming</a> and featured wrestlers from the promotion's <a href="/facts/Raw_(WWE_brand)/pouMbtT1">Raw</a> and <a href="/facts/SmackDown_(WWE_brand)/2XhQepno">SmackDown</a> <a href="/facts/WWE_brand_extension/XE4L5WAt">brand divisions</a>. This was the first WWE pay-per-view event held in Puerto Rico since <a href="/facts/New_Year%2527s_Revolution_(2005)/7juqVrgN">New Year's Revolution</a> in January 2005, and the second Backlash event held outside the continental United States following the <a href="/facts/Backlash_(2004)/2xmuz9WL">2004 event</a>. After the previous two years were titled "WrestleMania Backlash", the 2023 event reverted to its original name while still maintaining its post-WrestleMania concept, with the 2023 event based around the backlash from <a href="/facts/WrestleMania_39/DrtfzLX2">WrestleMania 39</a>.
Puerto Rico native and <a href="/facts/Grammy_Award/2bxYJjPV">Grammy Award</a> winning rapper <a href="/facts/Bad_Bunny/6j3z3M7X">Bad Bunny</a> was featured at the event. He was originally promoted to be the host of Backlash, but it was later announced that Bad Bunny would compete in a <a href="/facts/Street_Fight_match/3frbKIgF">San Juan Street Fight</a> against <a href="/facts/Damian_Priest/DGT0Le5P">Damian Priest</a>, also of <a href="/facts/Nuyorican/HDnPmuF6">Puerto Rican descent</a>, a match that Bad Bunny won. The match also saw appearances by Puerto Rican wrestlers, <a href="/facts/Carlito_(wrestler)/VV1Uc3k2">Carlito</a>, who made his first WWE appearance since the February 1, 2021, episode of <a href="/facts/WWE_Raw/y2atJAts">Raw</a>, and <a href="/facts/Savio_Vega/k3EDHagE">Savio Vega</a>, who made his first WWE appearance since the <a href="/facts/Survivor_Series_(2020)/xqckkfCT">2020 Survivor Series</a>. This match and the event's final match were promoted as a double main event.
Seven matches were contested at the event, including Bad Bunny's aforementioned Street Fight. In the event's final match, which was the other main event, <a href="/facts/Cody_Rhodes/D9uuUU1W">Cody Rhodes</a> defeated <a href="/facts/Brock_Lesnar/FAYeqG3I">Brock Lesnar</a>. In other prominent matches, <a href="/facts/Austin_Theory/T8a2cp3f">Austin Theory</a> defeated <a href="/facts/Bobby_Lashley/bUTAIkRN">Bobby Lashley</a> and <a href="/facts/Bronson_Reed/Ajs2TEve">Bronson Reed</a> to retain the <a href="/facts/WWE_United_States_Championship/cNtRDhg9">United States Championship</a>, <a href="/facts/Rhea_Ripley/fWovtTr6">Rhea Ripley</a> defeated <a href="/facts/Zelina_Vega/QpQh6MSr">Zelina Vega</a>, who was WWE's only female roster member of Puerto Rican descent, to retain the <a href="/facts/SmackDown_Women%2527s_Championship/dF8KHe01">SmackDown Women's Championship</a>, and in the opening bout, <a href="/facts/Bianca_Belair/AGqFJ41b">Bianca Belair</a> defeated <a href="/facts/Iyo_Sky/DVomyMej">Iyo Sky</a> to retain the <a href="/facts/Raw_Women%2527s_Championship/wuRXcJNY">Raw Women's Championship</a>, subsequently becoming the title's longest-reigning champion. 
The event received positive reviews, with fans and critics lauding the San Juan Street Fight and the Raw Women's Championship match, deeming them highlights of the night, while also praising Rollins vs. Omos, the six-man tag team match, and the main event.

Backlash (2023) open-in-new

Backlash (2023)