Orton and Edge Deliver at Backlash
What was an up and down PPV event, The Rated R Superstar and The Viper absolutely stole the show the way only the greatests can do.
per WWE Youtube
Tonight’s battle was a rematch from the Wrestlemania match back in April where we saw the return of Edge picking up a hard-fought win over Orton. That match was decent, but limitations due to the COVID-19 pandemic drastically changed the match. The two slugged it out through the WWE Performance Center but you could tell the match was missing something. Whether it was the fans not being in attendance or just the blunt reality of dealing with the pandemic, the match was off. But this time it was different and you could feel it literally at the start of the match.
WWE built this match as the “Greatest Wrestling Match Ever,” a title that many fans believe would let them down in the long run. It was a slow build to the match too, the promos got stale after a while and the lack of progressing the story didn’t create enough excitement for a rematch so soon, not to the fault of Orton and Edge but rather WWE Creative. But when it came to the actual match, WWE made sure it was special.
Before the match started, we got a welcoming surprise of hearing the Fink, Howard Finkel, who passed away in April, giving it old school and big match feels. The company recently started putting developmental talent in the crowd as “fans” to boost matches, a tactic they got from AEW. However, WWE went the extra mile with this and pumped in actual crowd noise, making it louder than usual in the P.C.
Orton and Edge started off slow trading hits and using their veteran tactics to get the upper hand on each other but the action really kicked up when we saw Orton take a headbutt from Edge that had him busted open.
per Bleacher Report Wrestling
From there on, the action was nonstop and had you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what would happen next. The Rated R Superstar, in particular, was taking a beating and it’s important noting that reports surfaced earlier that he had gotten hurt during the taping of the match. He took some incredible bumps from being sling into the barricades and ring post to taking a signature Orton suplex that made you think that’s when he got hurt as he was wreathing in pain selling the effects from the slam. The match itself was long, very long, but the action was so good and the way Orton and Edge were selling this match tremendously made up for it. We got to see some devasting chops to the chest that only Ric Flair could be proud of and even a tribute from Orton to the late Eddie Guerrero doing the Three Amigos. During the last 25 mins of the match, we saw the two trading signature finishes from not only themselves but other WWE legends. We saw the Killswitch, Pedigree, and even a Rock Bottom that still couldn’t score a pinfall for either man.
This match showed the story of two warriors being resilient time ten like they each had a stored finisher from WWE 2K so they could kick out when needed. The closing moment of the match is what really put the bow on this excellent performance. After kicking out of two spears, there was only one way Orton could put away his rival for good and that was bringing out his signature punt kick that put many wrestlers on the shelf for months. Orton then pinned Edge to win and told him to go home and be with his family before being stretchered out by WWE’s medical staff.
This was arguably Orton's best match and the most he has been interested in a storyline in a long time and Edge looked great for someone that has been retired for years. A way better match from their Wrestlemania bout. Hopefully, Edge’s injury isn’t something serious because the score is now tied at 1-1 between the two and we surely need that final match to settle the score once and for all. WWE will probably wait until SummerSlam or another big PPV event for the conclusion, giving Edge time to heal and hopefully time for actual fans to be in attendance.
This wasn’t the “Greatest Wrestling Match Ever ” but it was damn sure close enough.
