WWE Backlash 2017: Biggest winners and losers
Well, that was quite something, wasn't it? The WWE's first Smackdown Live exclusive pay per view after Wrestlemania 33 – WWE Backlash 2017 – has ended and what an ending it was. Jinder Mahal – yes, Jinder freaking Mahal – is the new WWE Champion.
That shock main event finish aside, it was a show filled with ups and downs. Shinsuke Nakamura made his debut in an underwhelming match against Dolph Ziggler, while AJ Styles and Kevin Owens tore the house down in WWE United States Championship bout before we saw Randy Orton fall to The Maharaja to close out the night.
It was a roller coaster ride that pleased and disappointed in equal measure. It was a decent show but fell short of greatness due to some questionable booking decisions. We look at which WWE superstars benefited the most from said decisions and which superstars suffered.
So, without any further ado, let's get into our analysis of the biggest winners and losers from WWE Backlash 2017:
Loser #4: Shinsuke Nakamura
While the WWE didn't destroy Shinsuke Nakamura's main roster career by having him lose to Dolph Ziggler, it was still a very underwhelming debut for The King of Strong Style. He was on the defensive for most of the encounter and did very little to excite the WWE Universe.
Sure, we got to see his toughness as he came back from everything Ziggler threw at him but it would have been better if he did more offensively as well. When a man's greatest strength is his in-ring ability, you must allow him to showcase that to the greatest possible extent.
It's not a lost cause but it's definitely a small set back for The Artist.