Backlash (2023)

Backlash
Promotional poster featuring Cody Rhodes and Brock Lesnar
Promotion	WWE
Brand(s)	Raw SmackDown
Date	May 6, 2023
City	San Juan, Puerto Rico
Venue	Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot
Attendance	17,944[1]
WWE Network event chronology
← Previous WrestleMania 39 Next → Night of Champions
Backlash chronology
← Previous 2022 Next → Backlash France

The 2023 Backlash was the 18th Backlash professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on Saturday, May 6, 2023, at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This was the first WWE pay-per-view event held in Puerto Rico since New Year's Revolution in January 2005, and the second Backlash event held outside the continental United States following the 2004 event. After the previous two years were titled "WrestleMania Backlash", the 2023 event reverted to its original name while still maintaining its post-WrestleMania concept, with the 2023 event based around the backlash from WrestleMania 39.

Puerto Rico native and Grammy Award winning rapper Bad Bunny was featured at the event. He was originally promoted to be the host of Backlash, but it was later announced that Bad Bunny would compete in a San Juan Street Fight against Damian Priest, also of Puerto Rican descent, a match that Bad Bunny won. The match also saw appearances by Puerto Rican wrestlers, Carlito, who made his first WWE appearance since the February 1, 2021, episode of Raw, and Savio Vega, who made his first WWE appearance since the 2020 Survivor Series. This match and the event's final match were promoted as a double main event.

Seven matches were contested at the event, including Bad Bunny's aforementioned Street Fight. In the event's final match, which was the other main event, Cody Rhodes defeated Brock Lesnar. In other prominent matches, Austin Theory defeated Bobby Lashley and Bronson Reed to retain the United States Championship, Rhea Ripley defeated Zelina Vega, who was WWE's only female roster member of Puerto Rican descent, to retain the SmackDown Women's Championship, and in the opening bout, Bianca Belair defeated Iyo Sky to retain the Raw Women's Championship, subsequently becoming the title's longest-reigning champion.

The event received positive reviews, with fans and critics lauding the San Juan Street Fight and the Raw Women's Championship match, deeming them highlights of the night, while also praising Rollins vs. Omos, the six-man tag team match, and the main event.