WWE’s ‘Greatest Wrestling Match Ever’ will soon be upon us. Backlash 2020 will see Edge and Randy Orton square off in a WrestleMania rematch billed under the aforementioned tagline, and wrestling fans are wondering how it can live up to its questionable moniker.
While both performers are highly respected and talented in the ring, neither would be considered an all-time great when it comes to technical wrestling ability. Despite this, Edge and Orton do have many memorable matches to their names – but fond memories weren’t enough to drown out fans’ social media groans when the tagline was first uttered on Raw.
Slotted into an uninspiring card featuring the likes of Braun Strowman vs. The Miz and John Morrison and Asuka vs. Nia Jax, the Rated-RKO showdown definitely stands out as a likely highlight. As such, there’s a lot of pressure for this match to deliver – or at least do better than everything else on the card. But the roundly mocked tagline hasn’t done it any favours, and there are other factors that could hold it back…
1. The crowd
The lack of proper crowds has been a blemish on every televised wrestling show since the Covid-19 pandemic began. It’s just not the same, and the fans, wrestlers and promoters know it.
Without an authentic and enthusiastic live audience, the overall presentation suffers. And while the recent inclusion of some actual humans (read: NXT developmental wrestlers) in the crowd definitely helps, it’s not a patch on the real thing.
When you’re billing a match as the greatest, it’s essential to remember that there’s so much more to it than the ring work alone. It’s about the entire experience (the total package, if you will). I’m sure this fact isn’t lost on WWE, but that only makes this choice of tagline all the more curious. A buzzing crowd can turn a good match into an incredible one, with reactions enhancing the action and complimenting the storytelling. Without it, this bout could end up stuck in limbo – that dead zone of mediocrity between poor and good, rendering it ultimately forgettable.
2. Interest is at an all-time low
Wrestling is pretty dead right now – ratings are at record lows and any residual hype WWE had following January’s Royal Rumble has long since dissipated.
While this might not impact the match directly, it certainly affects its wider appeal and long-term memorability. When the initial buzz isn’t there, less people will be talking about it – this means fewer casual viewers will seek it out afterwards to see for themselves. In turn, the match’s reputation could stagnate. Often, a match’s reputation means more to its longevity than the actual grappling – if fans think it’s great, it’s great. Once the wrestling hive mind has decided, that’s final. With that being said, the current climate is hardly ideal for capturing fans’ hearts and endearing them to an arrogantly titled, near-empty arena match.
3. Edge’s possible ring rust
Aside from WrestleMania 36 and his Royal Rumble return, the Rated-R Superstar wrestled his final match on 5th April 2011 – a 10-person tag team dark match at the SmackDown taping following WrestleMania 27.
Undoubtedly, he’s been putting in the work day and night to make sure he’s in the best shape possible. But that doesn’t change the fact that he’s only performed twice in over nine years. And the Last Man Standing match at this year’s WrestleMania didn’t give us much to go off. It was a backstage brawl that saw Edge and Orton fight all over the WWE Performance Center, with very little in-ring action and the typical gimmicks to fill it out.
Here’s hoping Edge can pull it out the bag on Sunday and turn in a strong performance reminiscent of his best.
4. Randy Orton’s in-ring laziness
This one’s debatable, but many believe the Viper lets himself down with routinely average efforts in the ring. While invariably slick, Orton’s matches often follow a familiar structure and keep to a relatively slow pace. Only the RKO ‘out of nowhere’ tends to get fans on their feet, with nothing too exciting happening in the build-up.
Many of Orton’s best matches took place years ago – nothing recent stands out as a particularly stellar performance. This isn’t exactly indicative of a man about to have the ‘Greatest Wrestling Match Ever’. However, the bout was allegedly taped on 7th June meaning WWE will have had ample time to work their editing magic and make the match the best it can be. Hell, it might even help with the pacing.
We’re only a few days away from Backlash, so if you’ve got any thoughts heading into the show let us know below…
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Featured Image Credit: WWE (fair use)
