"WWE Backlash," the first brand-exclusive PPV event for the "WWE SmackDown Live" brand, is happening in over a week, and all of the stories are being rushed for the big culmination. The good thing is that "WWE SmackDown Live"'s two-hour runtime makes for a tighter canvas to focus on telling sensible stories, and that for the first blowoff event, they're at just the right pace for building these narratives up.
For a match that was just made on last week's episode of "WWE SmackDown Live," with two weeks left before the show, AJ Styles vs. WWE Champion Dean Ambrose is right on track. It stands to be the first chapter of a rivalry that has the potential to be explosive by the time we get to the next "Big Four" PPV, "WWE Survivor Series." It helps that the writers of the show know how to utilize the deep roster, putting the two title contenders in separate matches that don't have much to do with their story, but are still connected in some way.
AJ Styles defeating Apollo Crews is a dream match on "WWE SmackDown Live," and it's a testament to the kind of roster the show has that we can get a match like that. Dean Ambrose also defeated Baron Corbin in a non-title match that saw Styles inadvertently interfering to cost Corbin the victory, and it extends the storyline in a logical manner without the two competitors having to make unnecessary contact with each other.
Other results
The Hype Bros def. the Vaudevillains and Heath Slater and Rhyno def. the returning Headbangers to advance to the semifinals of the "WWE SmackDown Live" Tag Team Championship Tournament. Kane def. a local jobber called the Milkman. Natalya and Alexa Bliss def. Naomi and Becky Lynch with some interference from Carmella and Nikki Bella.
