Bad Bunny Steals the Show During WWE Backlash in Puerto Rico
WWE held its latest "premium live event," WWE Backlash, in Puerto Rico, with Bad Bunny wrestling fellow Puerto Rican Damian Priest on Saturday night.
On the other hand, the Latino World Order's Zelina Vega challenged SmackDown women's champion Rhea Ripley, while Cody Rhodes took on Brock Lesnar in the main event.
The atmosphere in San Juan was electric, as the Puerto Rico crowd was considered one of the hottest and loudest crowds the WWE has had in recent memory.
However, it was clear that Bad Bunny, a lifelong wrestling fanatic, was the one who stole the show. He and the Latino World Order (LWO), led by WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio, stood tall.
The Puerto Rican reggaeton superstar has finally lived his WWE dream of wrestling in front of a red-hot home crowd.
The late Eddie Guerrero founded the LWO after a spat with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) head Eric Bischoff, but Rey Mysterio revived it just before Wrestlemania 39.
During the latest episode of WWE SmackDown before WWE Backlash, Bad Bunny, who wore the LWO's T-shirt, was shown to have led the LWO to save Rey Mysterio from a beatdown from Judgment Day in the show's final moments.
They also feuded with Rey Mysterio's son, Dominik Mysterio, who is now considered one of wrestling's hottest bad guys. That led to a second match between father and son.
It also led to the San Juan fight between Bad Bunny and Judgement Day member Damian Priest, who was Bad Bunny's tag team partner in a previous Wrestlemania match.
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Bad Bunny and Damian Priest Tore the Roof Off at WWE Backlash
Billboard reported that the match between the two Puerto Ricans in Puerto Rico had a very enthralling build. However, wrestling critics were concerned about WWE allowing a non-wrestler like Bad Bunny to wrestle in a one-on-one PPV match.
These concerns were soon erased as Bad Bunny showed he can wrestle, hitting the much-bigger Damian Priest with a Michinoku driver. The match between the two "hometown" boys got even more accolades as the Puerto Rican crowd made the atmosphere even more intense.
As expected, Judgement Day had some shenanigans as Dominik Mysterio and Finn Balor interrupted. However, they were soon driven away not just by LWO but also by Puerto Rican wrestling legends Savio Vega and Carlito Colon, better known as Carlito Caribbean Cool.
The latter surprised the crowd by wearing an LWO shirt and showing that he was aligned with Rey Mysterio's all-Latino faction. Bad Bunny managed to get the surprise win against his former tag team partner via a surprise roll-up.
In the end, the music superstar and the LWO stood tall in front of a jubilant crowd at Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot in San Juan. According to Bleacher Report, Damian Priest managed to give an excellent match from a non-wrestler like Bad Bunny.
Zelina Vega's Emotional Homecoming in Puerto Rico
Speaking of the LWO, the LWO's sole female member, Zelina Vega, was also in action, and she had one of the loudest crowd reactions that night as she wrestled in front of family and friends for the first time in Puerto Rico.
She took on SmackDown women's champion Rhea Ripley while wearing Puerto Rico's red, white, and blue colors. Vega, who is of Puerto Rican descent, was emotional, even after Judgement Day's sole female member defeated her.
However, the San Juan fans still gave her a standing ovation as she exited the ring. According to WrestleTalk, AEW star Malakai Black, who is married to the current Queen of the Ring, noted that he was proud of his wife, saying on social media, "Your moment in the sun, win or loss, your moment."
While the AEW star was not present in San Juan to support his wife, as he was in a competing promotion, Vega's mother, step-father, brother, and other family members were all ringside as they watched the current Queen of the Ring challenge for the women's title.
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This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Rick Martin
WATCH: Zelina Vega Makes an Emotional Entrance Honoring Puerto Rico: WWE Backlash 2023 highlights - From WWE