Best and Worst Booking Decisions of 2023 WWE Backlash Results

WWE traveled to San Juan, Puerto Rico, for Backlash on Saturday in a historic premium live event that wasted little time establishing itself as one of the hottest and most satisfying nights of professional wrestling in 2023.

From emotional homecomings to physical battles to one of the best matches of the year, the show had something for everyone, not the least of which was an electric crowd.

As is the case with everything spectacular, there were some booking choices that were absolutely the right call and others that left a bit to be desired. In the wake of the acclaimed event, these were just a few of those.

Match Results

The results from Saturday's show:

• Cody Rhodes defeated Brock Lesnar
• Solo Sikoa and The Usos defeated Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Matt Riddle
• San Juan Street Fight: Bad Bunny defeated Damian Priest
• United States Championship Match: Austin Theory defeated Bronson Reed and Bobby Lashley to retain
• SmackDown Women's Championship Match: Rhea Ripley defeated Zelina Vega to retain
• Seth Rollins defeated Omos
• Raw Women's Championship Match: Bianca Belair defeated Iyo Sky to retain

Worst Booking Decision: Main Event Placement

It was abundantly clear in the wake of the Bad Bunny-Damian Priest San Juan Street Fight that it should have been the main event of Saturday's Backlash.

The crowd heat was off the charts, the world-renowned entertainer was the most popular guy on the card, and what he and Priest accomplished over the span of 25 minutes was one of the best matches of 2023.

While Cody Rhodes and Brock Lesnar had a solid story behind them and both are enormous stars in professional wrestling, Bunny is a megastar beyond the squared circle and the guy around whom the entire show had been booked.

There was so much that went into the street fight that the idea of it taking place third from the top felt noticeably wrong.

That Rhodes vs. Lesnar felt and was booked like the first chapter of a story that will conclude at a later date only helped accentuate the argument for the much-anticipated match between the world's most streamed musician and his former tag team partner.

This was Bad Bunny's night, and the images of him celebrating with the LWO and the other legendary Puerto Rican Superstars who assisted in keeping The Judgment Day at bay would have made for a more fitting finale.

Best Booking Decision: Giving Zelina Vega the Spotlight

Zelina Vega took center stage Saturday night as she challenged Rhea Ripley for the SmackDown Women's Championship in one of the most emotional matches of the entire card.

It was a rare title opportunity for the 2021 Queen of the Ring and in a place that is so incredibly important to her family and her own heritage. The fans in San Juan greeted her like a hometown hero, cheering and singing for her as she attempted to dethrone the seemingly unstoppable Eradicator.

Vega paid homage to Rey Mysterio, Eddie Guerrero and Sasha Banks during a red-hot babyface sequence, but it was Ripley who retained her title by way of the Riptide.

Still, Vega had the spotlight to herself before and after the match, and the crowd rained down on her with the love and respect she has earned over the course of her career. It was a truly special night for the oft-underutilized talent and one that will ultimately stand out among the best moments of the entire show.

Worst Booking Decision: Bronson Reed as the Fall Guy

Bronson Reed is a special big man who, when presented at his most effective, is a dominant force of nature that can be utilized to really build up a babyface opponent.

Leading into Saturday's show, the big Aussie had been effectively utilized as a potential threat to Bobby Lashley's own dominance and a competitor very capable of defeating Austin Theory for the United States Championship.

In the final moments of the Triple Threat Match for that particular title, it became clear that Reed was only there to protect Lashley and eat the fall.

That was the wrong call, especially for a guy who will now be expected to find his own way on Monday nights.

Yes, Lashley delivered the spear that ultimately undid his quest for a title and Theory's cowardly pinfall was a great bit of heel booking that presented him as a lucky and resourceful champion rather than the best guy in the match, but there were ways to do that without involving Reed and hurting the momentum he had built for himself in recent weeks.

Anyone else could have slid into that role and accomplished the same thing, making the decision to use Reed that much more dumbfounding.

If there is a silver lining in this one, it is that Reed looked strong leading up to the finish as he manhandled The All Mighty and had his Tsunami finish protected by the booking along the way.

Best Booking Decision: Everything About the San Juan Street Fight

There was enormous pressure on the shoulders of everyone involved with the San Juan Street Fight, especially considering it was really the centerpiece of Saturday's show.

Bad Bunny was the most hyped star on the entire card, the feud with Damian Priest was at the heart of the promotional efforts, and the one match the crowd was the most amped to see.

Luckily for them, it did not disappoint.

In one of the best matches of 2023, Bunny and Priest delivered a sports-entertainment spectacle that kept the fans invested and engrossed. From the high spots and big bumps to the Judgment Day and LWO run-ins to the surprise cameos from Carlito and Savio Vega and through the Puerto Rican Destroyer finish from a music star, the match delivered everything fans could have asked for and gave them the outcome they desired on top of it.

It was quite possibly the best booking Triple H has executed since taking over as the Chief Content Officer and a match his staunchest supporters can point to as proof of his ability to handle the immense pressure that comes with that position.

Bunny established himself as one of the GOAT celebrity wrestlers of all time, WWE delivered the surprises that helped accentuate the match and make it an unforgettable example of pro wrestling at its most fun, and Priest proved that company officials were right to trust him with such a high-profile match with one of the performances of his career.

Enough good cannot be said about the match, what it accomplished and more importantly what it meant to the fans in the stands. The Puerto Rico chapter of the WWE Universe was red-hot all weekend long, and San Juan should absolutely be looked at as a potential location for all future WWE premium live events.