Best and Worst of Backlash 2023: Losing star to get a huge singles push soon, three top superstars disappoint

Welcome to the special edition of Best and Worst of Backlash 2023. It certainly was one for the books, and the incredible Puerto Rican crowd ensured that the weekend was a memorable one.

There were a lot of ups and downs, but overall, it was a memorable Premium Live Event. We now set the stage for Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia, where a new World Heavyweight Champion will be crowned.

But before we get to all of that, let's jump right into what was an incredible night in San Juan, Puerto Rico:

#3. Best: Iyo Sky's incredible performance at Backlash 2023

.@Iyo_SkyWWE Appreciation Tweet.
WHAT A PERFORMANCE! 👏👏
#WWEBacklash #WWE https://t.co/GgORynAFuU

Iyo Sky got one of the best reactions of the night at Backlash 2023. The show opened with the RAW Women's Championship match, and to everyone's surprise, Sky received a hero's welcome, whereas Bianca Belair was getting booed.

It got so loud that even Corey Graves had to acknowledge the reactions. Iyo Sky used the platform and delivered her best match on the main roster so far.

She ultimately fell short thanks to Bayley, who held Bianca Belair's hair and inadvertently cost her the match. Fans seem to think that the match foreshadowed the end of Damage CTRL, and we can't help but agree.

One thing seems to be certain - Iyo Sky is in line for a huge singles push.

#2. Worst: The Bloodline bathroom break match

VICTORIOUS. 🔥 ☝️ #WWEBacklash @WWESoloSikoa @WWEUsos @WWERomanReigns @HeymanHustle https://t.co/S03OBkLWpA

The co-main event of Backlash 2023 saw The Bloodline trio of The Usos and Solo Sikoa face Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and Matt Riddle.

There was a brief moment when Sikoa was ready to turn on Jey Uso, and he urged him to do it. It was about the only brilliant moment in the match, as the rest of it was quite forgettable. The fact that it was sandwiched between The Bad Bunny match and the main event was a sign that it was never going to succeed in the first place.

But it felt like the biggest toilet break match on the card, which is a shame given that it wasn't too long ago when this was the hottest story in all of wrestling.

#2. Best: Seth Rollins vs. Omos over delivers

#PuertoRico ❤️ @WWERollins

#WWEBacklash 🇵🇷 https://t.co/A7eZQwKkb4

As we expected, Seth Rollins gave Omos the best match of his career at Backlash 2023. It's perhaps a good sign since The Nigerian Giant can work with smaller and more credible stars. Despite the defeat, Omos looked good coming out of it.

It took three stomps for The Visionary to get the win, and the third one was from the top turnbuckle. Ultimately, Seth Rollins won the match, but it delivered well beyond expectations.

#1. Worst: The laziest finish possible to the main event

Cody survives The Beast!
#WWEBacklash #WWE https://t.co/784R2m7ZGu

Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar ended controversially after the American Nightmare won with a roll-up pin. The main talking point of the Backlash 2023 main event was the fact that Lesnar got busted open badly.

Other than that, the match itself was ok, and Bad Bunny headlining the show would have been a better idea.

We know that Cody Rhodes and Brock Lesnar can do a lot better, and we fully expect the feud to continue in some form until the summer of 2023.

#1. Best: Bad Bunny's show-stealing performance

Take a bow, @sanbenito. 🙇
#WWEBacklash #WWE https://t.co/M6warl9GfN

Bad Bunny was the man of the hour at Backlash 2023. He received a huge ovation in his home country Puerto Rico. He faced Damian Priest in a chaotic but epic Street Fight match.

Damian Priest had a star-making performance in his own right. Bad Bunny also stole the show with his performance, proving that he is one of the two best celebrity wrestlers of all time, likely just behind Logan Paul.

His performance was arguably even better than that at WrestleMania 37, and his respect for the business shows. There was a distinct lack of selling in the matches before - until Damian Priest and Bad Bunny changed that.

The involvement of Savio Vega, LWO, and Carlito Colon made fans go crazy. A shoutout to Carlito for spitting on Dominik Mysterio. Bad Bunny winning was the right decision, and he truly earned his victory.

We're interested to see how things play out for the Judgment Day star.