WIW Retaliation (2023)

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Revision as of 21:57, 29 April 2023

The 2023 Backlash is the 18th Retaliation (formerly known as Revenge) professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by WIW. It will be held for wrestlers from the promotion's Rage and SmackDown brand divisions. The event will take place on Saturday, May 6, 2023, at the Coliseo de Bayamón Ruben Rodriguez Agrelot in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, marking the first WIW event held in Bayamón and outside Montana and Pennsylvania. After the previous two years were titled "SuperBrawl Retaliation", the 2023 event reverted to its original name while still maintaining its post-SuperBrawl concept, with the 2023 event based around the backlash from SuperBrawl XV.

Puerto Rican rapper Princess Nokia will host the event. Big Boy was originally promoted to be the co-host of Retaliation, however, it was later announced that Big Bow would compete in a San Juan Street Fight, after was Michael Keaton attacked and pulled from the match.

Production

Background

Retaliation is a recurring professional wrestling event that was established by WIW in 1999. It was held annually from 1999 to 2009, but was then discontinued until it was reinstated in 2016 and has been held every year since, except in 2019. The original concept of the event was based around the backlash from WIW's flagship event, SuperBrawl. The events between 2016 and 2020 did not carry this theme; however, the 2021 event returned to this original concept and the event series was in turn rebranded as "SuperBrawl Retaliation". With the announcement of the 2023 event, the event reverted to its original name of Backlash while still maintaining its post-SuperBrawl theme.

Announced on March 8, 2023, the 18th Backlash will feature the backlash from SuperBrawl XV. It is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 6, 2023, at the Coliseo de Bayamón Ruben Rodriguez Agrelot in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, marking the first WIW event held in Bayamón and outside Montana and Pennsylvania. The event will feature wrestlers from the Rage and ShowDown brand divisions, and it will air on pay-per-view (PPV) worldwide. Furthermore, it was announced that Puerto Rican rapper's Big Boy with Princess Nokia, as well as Michael Keaton ,who has performed his songs as well as wrestled in matches in WIW, would serve as the host of the event. It was also announced that the May 5 episode of ShowDown would air live from the same venue. Tickets for both events went on sale on March 21.

Storylines

The event will include matches that result from scripted storylines, where wrestlers portray heroes, villains, or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that build tension and culminate in a wrestling match or series of matches. Results are predetermined by WIW's writers on the Raw and SmackDown brands, while storylines are produced on WIW's weekly television shows, Wednesday Night Rage and Friday Night ShowDown (although ShowDown is usually live on Saturday, when PPVs don't take place on Saturdays).

On Night 1 of SuperBrawl XV, Tyler Posey and Tyler Hoechlin defeated The McAlmonds (TJ McAlmond and Brad McAlmond), Dustin Simpson and Jesse Dern, and Daniel Mazurek and Jared Hunt, after interference by Kevin McAlmond, who cost The McAlmonds the titles. On Night 2 of SuperBrawl XV, Kevin McAlmond defeated Ryan Barnhart to retain the Undisputed WIW World Heavyweight Championship after interference from The McAlmond Bloodline and The Evolve trying to cost McAlmond the title, which brought out Antony Speranza, Daniel Mazurek and Jared Hunt as well as Tyler Posey and Tyler Hoechlin to help McAlmond retain by chasing the McAlmond Blooodline and the Evolve out. On the following episode of ShowDown, Daniel Mazurek and Tyler Hoechlin was attacked backstage by Dylan McAlmond and Daniel Gonzalez, and later that night, TJ McAlmond and Brian Tobol defeated Jared Hunt and Tyler Posey after interference from Dylan and Gonzalez. Afterwards, TJ McAlmond, Dylan McAlmond, Gonzalez and Tobol attacked Hunt and Posey further until Antony Speranza and Kevin McAlmond made the save—Speranza was injured by Dylan back in December and had returned on that week's Rage. The following week, Hoechlin and Posey's promo was interrupted by The McAlmonds and Dylan. Afterwards, a brawl broke out and Speranza and Kevin McAlmond got involved with the group of Kevin, Hoechlin, Posey, and Speranza standing tall. On April 19, Kevin McAlmond challenged the McAlmond Bloodline to a match at Retaliation, but instead of was interrupted by Speranza, Mazurek and Hunt who told Kevin that knowing what 'McAlmond does' they don't trust them which brought out Posey and Hoechlin, who choose to stand with Kevin against anyone. Later that evening, a Fatal four way Tweleve-man tag team match pitting The McAlmond Bloodline (The McAlmonds and Dylan) against The Evolve, Antony Speranza, Daniel Mazurek and Jared Hunt and the team of Kevin McAlmond Posey and Tyler Hoechlin was scheduled for Retaliation.

In the main event of Night 2 of SuperBrawl XV, Kevin McAlmond defeated Ryan Barnhart to retain the Undisputed WIW World Heavyweight Championship after interference from The Evolve, Martin McAlmond, Monte McAlmond and Dylan McAlmond. On the following Raw, Barnhart challenged Martin McAlmond to a match for his WIW Heavyweight Championship, but Martin declined. Barnhart then challenged Martin McAlmond and Dylan McAlmond to a tag team match, which Martin accepted on two conditions: Barnhart's partner was someone who competed at SuperBrawl XV, and that person could not challenge Martin's Heavyweight Championship or the WIW Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship as long as either McAlmond's was champion's. Tyler Mane answered, with the latter stipulation not applying to him due to the stipulation of his match at the 2022 SummerBash. However, the match never occured due to Mane viciously assaulting Barnhart before the match could begin. It was later reported that Mane was mad due to his position on the SuperBrawl card, as his match had opened Night 2 instead of being in a main event slot. Barnhart addressed the attack on the following Rage and challenged Mane to a match at Retaliation. The following week, Barnhart appeared ready to fight despite not being medically cleared to compete. To keep Barnhart from fighting Mane that night, WIW official Turf Finnegan made the match for Retaliation official.

Matches

See also

• Professional wrestling in Puerto Rico

References

External links

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