Booking Bummers

[Liz]

Going nowhere with Shinsuke Nakamura's faceoff with Roman Reigns and WWE changing the anticipated tag team title unification match at Backlash into a meaningless six-man tag is just another example of the frustration that can come with watching its product. The company did weeks worth of story to set up a fascinating Usos vs. RK-Bro clash that truly could have gone either way. Instead of paying it off and showcasing tag team wrestling and the further unification of titles, WWE used it as a vehicle to get the Reigns-McIntyre feud going at the contract signing, shoehorn them into the match and – for now — removing all stakes.

It took a unique, winner-take-all match off a card that otherwise feels like WrestleMania Rematch, all while dropping a potential Reigns-Nakamura match cold. At least WWE acknowledged the absurdity of having on-screen official Adam Pearce initially push back against the change before making it.