If I can be honest.... I'm only half-watching this show, really just holding out for the main event. The lineup hasn't exactly inspired any confidence.
Apollo Crews vs. Andrade was fine for a kickoff match, though I really did expect Andrade to regain the championship here.
The Triple Threat Womens Tag Team Title Match wasn't the world's best opener. While I enjoy Bayley and Sasha as a world-beating tag team, this three way just feels rushed. In any event, a pretty harmless tag team match that will promptly be forgotten about.
I really didn't enjoy Jeff Hardy vs. Sheamus. While the set-up to this match was intriguing, they just don't seem to gel very well. I'm completely fine with Sheamus winning this salvo in their feud, but I'm not sure these guys necessarily need a chapter two.
Continuing on with the Backlash hit parade, I wasn't in love with Asuka and Nia Jax. I feel as though they had better matches even in NXT, which isn't what you'd hope for with two of the bigger names in the division. The decision was okay; the match just underwhelmed.
Awesome music video aside, the Braun Strowman vs. Miz and Morrison match left a lot to be desired. It just seemed like a routine squash match that would have been fine for a routine episode of SmackDown. But as a PPV title match, I wasn't feeling it.
Unlike most of this show, Drew McIntyre vs. Bobby Lashley was a pleasant surprise. While this match could have benefited big-time from a "real" crowd, they did their best to give this a big fight feel. Lashley hasn't looked this dominant in a while; certainly not since his Lana run began. And speaking of Lana... while her distraction finish was kind of sucky, I didn't hate it. So far, this was the best match on the show.
That Street Profits-Viking Raiders segment - What The Actual F*ck? Between busting out the royalty-free background music, the multiple sequences, the ninjas, he dumpster and the overall parade of awful.... I just don't know, man. I'm all for cinematic wrestling when the situation calls for it, but did it really call for it here? They've already had prominent television time dedicated to backstage antics; would it have been too much to ask for an in-ring payoff?
Was Edge vs. Randy Orton the Greatest Wrestling Match Ever (EVER!!!)? Well, no. But let's talk about what it was. It was the first time in at least three months that I actually felt like I was watching a PPV-caliber main event. It was a match with tons of bells and whistles (Howard Finkel introductions; piped-in crowd noise; multiple camera angles; blood) and yet despite all of that... never tried to take the cheap way out. It had tons of drama through the entire bout and lots of interesting sequences and false finishes. And most importantly, the finish was unpredictable.
Not The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever, but quite possible the greatest match we've seen this year. Hell of a finish to a mostly-underwhelming show.