5 Takeaways from WWE Backstage (January 21st, 2020)
Becky Lynch was the main guest this week on WWE Backstage while CM Punk also returned to the panel for the first time since December. Christian dubbed himself the Backstage Buddha after discussing Seth Rollins and Buddy Murphy winning the RAW Tag Team titles.
With the Royal Rumble less than a week away, it was obviously a hot topic with the build toward the event. We didn't have any comedic segments like the promo battles or the bits with psychiatrist Rachel Bonetta.
It worked greatly, however, as both Lynch and Punk added more than enough insight and opinions on the goings on currently in the WWE and in the past.
Since it's the 20-year anniversary of the hardcore match for the WWE World Championship between Triple H and Cactus Jack, the match was revisited by the panel and the participants. Each panelist also revealed their favorite matches of their careers.
There was a lot to get to so here are five takeaways from the go-home episode (January 21st, 2020) of WWE Backstage before the Royal Rumble.
#5 Thoughts on the latest developments on RAW
One of the biggest developments on the latest RAW was Seth Rollins and Buddy Murphy winning the RAW Tag Team titles from the Viking Raiders. Of the title swap, Punk felt that "the tag team titles are often a prop, so it's nice to see them maybe be used in the main angle on RAW." He also added that it would be "interesting to see which way they go."
Christian brought up what a lot of people were thinking as there might be "questions as to why AOP - the actual tag team of the group - didn't get shot." He did like how "we saw Buddy Murphy have a string of losses to Aleister Black "so it made sense for the self-anointed leader of the group take the initiative to lead by example with Murphy. Paige thought that "the championships should go to an actual tag team."
Captain Charisma also praised the stylistic need for Murphy's moves to change, saying Murphy "is stepping up to a different level and when you step up to a different level, there has to be a gear change." He added that the "flashy moves are all great but you gotta add a little bit of grit to it, be a little mean, realize that you're in a main-event feud". Punk agreed since those moves Murphy used against Black didn't lead to any wins.
The first ladder match on RAW in 13 years was also praised. Christian felt that Andrade has been "taking these giant steps" and with "every challenge put in front of him, he's hit them out of the park." Captain Charisma also championed the rarity of ladder matches so as they don't lose their luster due to overexposure.
Paige and the rest of the panelists gave Zelina Vega some props as the Anti-Diva claimed that Vega is "a great mouthpiece" and that "you can tell that she enjoys what's she's doing". Punk added that he thought "managers are fantastic" and that "there's always a lack of managers in the landscape and she brings a different flavor to things".