Freddie Prinze Jr. explains how top title match at WWE Backlash "burnt the house down"
Former WWE writer Freddie Prinze Jr. recently explained how Bianca Belair and IYO SKY's match at Backlash 2023 "burnt the house down."
Bianca Belair defended her RAW Women's Championship against IYO SKY at WWE Backlash in Puerto Rico. The match was widely regarded as one of the best bouts on the card and was praised by fans and critics. Prinze Jr. also shared his thoughts on the match.
Speaking on his Wrestling with Freddie podcast, Freddie Prinze Jr. stated that the Damage CTRL member and The EST of WWE burnt the house down in their match.
"Let me tell you right now, they burnt the house down in the very first match. The two women — and the crowd is not equally responsible — but they played a huge part in this match. I didn't think I would love the match as much as I did."
The former WWE writer continued:
"This was, from jump street, these girls owned the crowd. The crowd felt like they were part of the match. IYO let them know that their love was appreciated. But she didn't do it in an, 'aw, shucks,' kind of way, she did it like, 'Yeah, that's right, I'm bada**, and you know it.'" [H/T Wrestling Inc.]
Thunder Rosa cried during "beautiful moment" at WWE Backlash
Zelina Vega's entrance at WWE Backlash was filled with emotions as her family was seated ringside while she faced SmackDown Women's Champion Rhea Ripley. Vega couldn't hold back her tears as she was overwhelmed by the moment.
Speaking to Busted Open Radio, Thunder Rosa said she also cried during Zelina Vega's entrance.
“When Zelina Vega came out I really cried. People have been able to represent their countries and represent their cultures in such a positive way… It was such a beautiful moment. I remember when Thea Trinidad [Zelina Vega] came to STARDOM in 2015 and I saw her struggle, when I saw her in Puerto Rico with her people, it was such a beautiful moment… Even though she didn’t win the title, she won even more than that. Everytime I watch it I cry, I don’t know if I will ever get to do something as big as that.”
Although Zelina Vega came up short at Backlash, her impressive performance should earn her a push moving forward.
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