[7.0] "This was good until the same repetitive bloodline interfering ending, the drew and priest brawling in the crowd was dumb and i am so over their feud, La Knight is the most over and doesn't deserve to be pinned. (3.5*)"
[6.0] "The best match in the card without a doubt. Really entertaining to watch, my face was against the screen the whole time during this match. Everyone came out strong, and the table spot was cool as hell."
[7.0] "A crazy, yet safe and predictable Fatal 4-Way. Between these four hard hitters, it was a guaranteed barnburner to kick off the show and it does a great job at that. The surprise debut of Jeff Cobb (later named JC Mateo) as a member of the Bloodline to help Jacob Fatu win was a cool moment that wasn't paid off as now Cobb is just another member of the Bloodline and nothing more. Overall, good first defense for Jacob Fatu and a good way to keep the rivalry between Drew and Damian going as well."
[5.0] "For me it was very poor and extremely predictable, since Jacob had won the title a month ago or even less and they put the 4 only to develop the future fight between Drew and Damian, so it was almost a 1 for 1 between LA Knight and Jacob Fatu. That Drew and Damian go to fight in front of the public while they are in a title fight, I think it is very stupid and illogical."
[7.0] "A pretty fun Fatal 4-Way that was, in my opinion, the best choice to kick things off. This got a good amount of time, and everyone got to show out. Fatu winning is, also, the completely correct call, in my eyes. Anyways, yeah, this was crazy and whatnot."
[8.0] "This was genuinely a good match. It's up there with the Wrestlemania match between la and Fatu. All four men looked incredible here. The crowd had fun. Drew and priest did their thing. And la and Fatu tore the house down in the ring. Right winner."
[8.0] "A fantastic opener that showcased all four guys, but especially Knight and Fatu very well. The spot of the match to me was Fatu hitting the Samoan Drop on Priest on the barricade which looked awesome. The debut of Jeff Cobb was great and the finish worked to continue the story between Jacob & Solo. Solid 4 stars."
[8.0] "Just a super fun, high energy Fatal 4 Way. Everyone had a moment to shine, and the pacing was tight from start to finish. Priest looked like a dominant champ, Fatu was an absolute monster, Drew brought the power, and LA Knight had the crowd eating out of his hand. Great balance of chaos and structure. Not a classic, but definitely entertaining from bell to bell."
[8.0] "Very exciting opener. Everyone had their chance to shine in this match, and nobody necessarily looked weak. The Bloodline, including a debuting JC Mateo, interfered and added to the story with tension between Solo and Jacob."
[7.0] "For an opening match I thought it was pretty cool. For me, it exceeded expectations because normally 4-ways don't do well if there isn't a good time for them. But they knew how to make the most of the time given to them."
[8.0] "This was a good match! It was the best way to start the show and it was also the best match on the card. Nice to see Jeff Cobb debut, even though they aren't going to use that name for him."
[5.0] "This match was a mixed bag. I like all four wrestlers and they each do a good job of getting the crowd involved. There are a few impressive spots too, such as Priest choke slamming Drew through a table off a raised platform. All four men have their opportunity to hit their signature moves too. And that's part of the problem. This match is way too fast. It's like these guys planned for another 10 minutes but then had time cut, so they sped up the match rather than cutting any spots. The result is a match that is worked like a sprint, and there is no time for it to breath, no chance to build suspense, and worst of all, there is almost no selling. I was pulled out of the match because it simply looked too fake."
[8.0] "Electric opening match to the PLE. WWE have been doing multi-person matches right recently in my opinion. Just really fun chaos where each man got their opportunity to shine, with a great debut in Jeff Cobb. Jacob sold his confusion really well here. Excited to see where this goes."
[8.0] "Now this is how you do interference. A great debut for Cobb. He'll be missed in NJPW. Match itself was good too. Everyone got their stuff in and the crowd was hot."
[9.0] "Einer der besten 4- ways der WWE- Geschichte. Alle vier Schwergewichte hatten ihre Momente und sahen gleichstark aus. Nur das Ende wurde mit dem Eingriff ein bißchen nach unten gezogen, obwohl es für die Zukunft einige Optionen für neue Storylines bietet. Jacob Fatu ist weiter auf dem Weg nach oben!"
[8.0] "Story wise this match sold me on Fatu as champ and on the Priest McIntyre rivalry while also getting LA Knights rematch out of the way. The spots were near perfect and the finish was great advancing the Fatu Solo story. For a brief moment I thought Cobb was Rhino and was very confused due to his AEW debut."
[8.0] "First half or so was fine but Jacob was notable by his absence. The dude's a star and makes anything he's involved in more intense and entertaining. Crowd came unglued with the Fatu triple attack (Swantom to Knight, hip attack to Drew, suicide dive to Priest) and then a minute later when all guys hit their signature moves and DP got a nearfall. It looked like Drew had it won when Priest slid the ref out of the ring, and that was the beginning of the end of these two's involvement in the actual match as their night ended with a brawl into the technical area and a nasty looking South of Heaven through some tables. Back in the match, Solo saves Fatu and Knight gets laid out by a debuting Jeff Cobb! Good get for the company, he doesn't have age on his side but he's a big guy who can do some really impressive stuff and should do well as a hired gun for Solo's bloodline. Fatu gets the win but doesn't look impressed with the help. Good stuff overall, the debut and tension and storytelling around it creep it into 8."
[6.0] "Only a couple spots that actually engaged all participants towards the end, most of the focus on this was to do with the two one on one feuds so a lot of time was spent getting the other two bodies out of the ring making the match feel a little clunky and unfocused. However, Fatu is the future, and Drew was great here too!"
[7.0] "Very strong in-ring action and a fast pace throughout. Jacob Fatu absolutely stood out -- even with such strong opponents, he managed to win the crowd over in no time. Really curious to see how Jeff Cobb adapts to WWE. A solid, honest opener."
[7.0] "7 points for the match. Fast paced, alot of action. Some nearfalls. Unfortunetaly there was almost no consequences from the moves. Cobb was a shock - thought he would show up in TK's promotion. Ending was okay. Storyline was okay. Nobody looked weak."
[7.0] "that jeff cobb intervention was really a shock. it was a good match overall but I think the storyline here didn't work that much. McIntyre and Priest's rivalry should be over by now and cobb's appearance made it interesting but I'm not really excited to see what happens."
[4.0] "Maybe I'm just missing the mark here, but I didn't enjoy this really at all because it did not need to be one match. At the beginning there was 0 chain offense and it was just a finisher/signature fest for everyone in a rotation. I like seeing these multi-man matches where they feed off one another, not each do their own thing. Then at one point it just full devolved into two separate 1v1 matches and I was left wondering... why. Why was this done a one fatal 4 way? To save space? To stick to a 5-match card? I just don't get why you don't split them up."
[8.0] "WWE allows for a fairly dynamic match where the wrestlers change fairly regularly. I'm a fan of the Priest and McIntyre rivalry, who neutralized each other in this match. At one point, McIntyre almost gave Priest the victory. The bloodline following this match could become interesting again. Jeff Cobb is a good wrestler for those who discover him following this match. Jeff Cobb was not aware of Solo's plan and this will fuel the rivalry between Fatu and Solo."
[9.0] "What a match ! So much spots ans action ! A fire crowd and the beginning of Jeff Cobb in WWE ! The only weird thing is Priest and McIntyre going away from the ring. The goal is to win the US Title, it's not a Falls Count Anywhere. So yeah the only stupid thing in this match though I understand they needed to show that their rivalry continues. Also the addition of Jeff Cobb will have to be legitimated. Is it still the Bloodline ? What and who is the bloodline anyway now ? Hope they clarifiy everything later this year."
[7.0] "WWE has a formula for these multi-person matches that they largely stick to and with good reason. Really solid work by all four guys. Fatu is an absolute star, and the crowd loves him. They should have him hold this title until they're ready to give him a serious main event push. I hope McIntyre is okay, he seemed to hit his head on the table spot. I'm really uninterested in the current state of the Bloodline story. It just lacks any of the intrigue and unpredictability it had a few years back. Cool to see Cobb in WWE. The guy has all the tools to succeed in the company, and he's got a big spot right from the start. I wonder how they'll relate him to the rest of the bloodline because any links to the family seem dubious at best. 3.5 stars."
"Overall, a 7.8 match, entertaining and fast-paced, and it was a nice touch seeing LA and Jacob isolated towards the end. I'm not familiar with Jeff Cobb, but they sure got me curious; can't wait for SmackDown"
[7.0] "[3.5*] Awesome opener, this was just a great time. I'm not the biggest fan of Fatal 4-Ways, but if they weren't going with Jacob vs Drew, then putting the Powerhouses to beat each other up was the right call. Everything went fluid and I loved the personal brawl on the outside of Drew and Priest. I wasn't expecting Cobb's debut at all but it made the finish make sense."
[8.0] "A generous 8. Fun match, full of action, a couple of close calls. Even if it was really predictible, they made me think they were going to make Fatu lose a couple of times."
"Von mir eine 8.5 - nonstop Ring-Action von 4 Big Men. Jacob Fatu ist ja mal sowas von over! Und das neben dem Ring passiert ist war auch total interessant!"
[8.0] "I thought this match was amazing and a great first title defense for Jacob Fatu. All 4 guys looked great and made me more wanting a Jacob Fatu Vs Drew McIntyre singles match. But overall a very great match. Anyone ratings this lower than a 7 or 8 just doesn't like fun."
[6.0] "We see these types of matches more and more, even from wwe. I like a spotfest like this once in a while but not every montly ppv/ple and regularly on tv shows as well. The main problem for me is that these types of matches have very little in terms of natural storytelling. The storytelling that is there feels very forced because there's no other way to do it given the circumstances. We also see the debut of Jeff Cobb, who I don't see as a big deal for wwe."
[7.0] "This is a good time, fuelled by a spirited LA Knight performance as well as Jacob Fatu's usual fireworks. Unfortunately, it's a weaker sequel to Mania's IC Title 4-way in my view, equally getting terribly bogged down by closing with consecutive cut-scenes. The first two-thirds are strong enough to keep this a hit though, kicking off Backlash with some terrific action. ***1/4"
[9.0] "A fantastic match between all four men involved with a lot of really amazing action and spots between everyone, each man gave fantastic performances, especially Fatu, the crowd was hot throughout and the WWE debut of Jeff Cobb was a massive surprise."
[8.0] "Jacob Fatu beweist jede Woche aufs neue, dass er ein absoluter Star ist. Er sticht weiter heraus und kommt immer mehr bei den Fans an. Es wird wohl auf ein weiteres McIntyre/Priest Match hinauslaufen. Und mit dem Debut von Jeff Cobb wurde auch er direkt groß eingesetzt. Persönlich, bin ich kein Freund Fatu als reinen Face einzusetzen, aber es wird wohl darauf hinaus laufen. Tolle und schnelle Action die geboten wurde. Der Sieger, stand nie zur Debatte, aber die Umsetzung wurde trotzdem spannend gestaltet."
[8.0] "This fatal four-way was impeccably choreographed, with all four competitors hitting big moves in a nod to the triple threat match at WrestleMania 41. Everyone had their moment, and the logic and storytelling were solid. Drew and Damian were taken out after a South of Heaven through a table, and Jeff Cobb's surprise appearance added excitement and anticipation for future storylines."
[8.0] "A great opening to the show and a match which in all honesty I wasn't overly hyped for going in. Although Fatu was always going to be the Victor I found it very satisfying watching Knight hold his own and get plenty of offense in throughout. Better than most of the Mania matches!"
[7.0] "Match was solid. Maybe coulda gone with an 8/10. There were a few good spots and sequences... at first the Jeff Cobb debut was a head scratcher, but Fatu solid the hell out it. Gave Solo the "I was your enforcer and now you're replacing me? " type look; loved it. As with every other single wrestling fan, we're all still waiting for the "I HATE Solo" to come. Not sure where they'll go from here. But as for the match, it was very good overall all-around. Not a classic, but still very good. Solid"
[6.0] "Really expected this to be match of the night considering it's a multi man match with some great talent in it. In the end this was fine, cool moments but never really lived up to my expectations. Jacob Fatu proved himself to be the next big thing and given the outcome of the match I'm excited to see where they take him next. His cleaning house moment really was the explosive part of the match which is saying a lot considering the table spot with Drew Mcintyre and Damien Priest. LA Knight also had a good showing at the start of the match and is still clearly one of the most over acts on the roster. I just wish these highlights didn't feel so isolated as the rest of the match was pretty standard multi man psychology"
[9.0] "A very nice, dynamic match. Quite a few moments that were quite enjoyable to watch. A build-up to a Fatal-4-Way that was original to WWE when Drew McIntyre and Damian Priest left the match. Jeff Cobb's arrival was well-delivered. A match that I loved. (4*1/2)"
[9.0] "By far probably my favorite match on the show. There was just some amazing spots with this match. Everybody going back and forth. Constant kick-outs. Damian Priest and Drew McIntyre brawling throughout the arena, but then Damian Priest hit the South of Heaven onto Drew McIntyre, knocking them both out. Then LA Knight was doing well, but Jeff Cobb, the new Bloodline member, comes in, attacks LA Knight. Jacob Fatu gets up, and hits his moonsault on LA Knight. 1-2-3, Jacob Fatu is still the United States Champion. 9/10"
[7.0] "Good match for the US title. This had a nice mix of proper four way action and the various singles encounters were all enjoyable. Everyone had their time to shine. Jacob Fatu is by far the most over guy here, but the crowd was also behind LA Knight so they got big reactions when they did anything. Drew and Priest were constantly going after each other, eventually going into the crowd and Priest putting Drew through tables with a South of Heaven. It was a smart way to keep them out of the rest of the match while advancing their feud. Knight almost had the match won, but thanks to interference from Solo and a debuting Jeff Cobb, Fatu was able to retain with a moonsault. I think the last few minutes could have been shortened up, it took too long to get to the finish and the momentum that had been built up. I didn't like Cobb showing up in a plain black shirt, it wasn't a very flattering look, but once he's formally introduced he is going to immediately overshadow Solo. Looking forward to Cobb vs Fatu down the line. 7.5/10"
[6.0] "Now let's talk about the Fatal 4-Way: Jacob Fatu vs LA Knight vs Drew McIntyre vs Damian Priest. Honestly, this match was more disappointing than I expected. I was really hyped for it, but it didn't fully deliver. Jacob Fatu is definitely a great wrestler, and I believe he has world title potential in the future -- that is, if no other Samoans emerge and overshadow him. I don't know if you remember, but when Solo Sikoa still had the Ula Fala, Jacob Fatu debuted by destroying Randy Orton, Kevin Owens, and Cody Rhodes. Back then, it felt like nothing could hurt him. Now, though, it feels like he's lost just a bit of that aura. Yes, he won the match, but it was with help. I think if they had portrayed the hatred between Damian and Drew a bit more intensely -- to the point where their feud constantly cost Jacob the win -- and then brought in help later, it would've made for a better story. Overall, it didn't live up to the expectations I had going in."
[7.0] "The Fatal 4-Way match for the WWE US Championship was entertaining. All four superstars had their chance at the spotlight. It was a fun way to start the event, with a decent amount of physicality, if not brutality, and some 'crazy' aerial abilities, especially the sequence where Priest and McIntyre crashed through a table. I was disappointed that this spot ended McIntyre and Priest's part of the match, but Fatu is the right person to hold the title. The outside interference was unnecessary, but seeing how this story plays out will be interesting."
[8.0] "this was absolutely the correct match to start off this ppv giving it a real hot start. It was destruction and it was carnage. Exactly what was needed. But again the one thing i didn't want to happen was jacob fatu defend his title in a 4 way as his first defense and then now he's kinda already ran through 3 of his too challengers. Hopefully that draft comes sooner rather than later so we can shake the rosters up a bit. Fatu winning wasn't a shock at all and honestly neither was jeff cobb showing up but cobb showing up here and joining the bloodline idk why but that was a bit of a shocker to me. I'm really stoked that this is the way we got it because it has brought some interest to the bloodline for the first time in over 6 months so hell yeah. Loved fatu getting mad at solo over cobb showing up because now this is absolutely going to bloom the feud of solo and fatu over the summer leading into summerslam for the u.s. title. Things are about to get good. 4.25 stars the match of the night for me"
[8.0] "It was mostly centered between Drew vs Damian and Knight vs Fatu but everyone had a chance to show off their talent in this match, I enjoyed a majority of the spots including the Samoan Drop on the barricade and last few spots between Drew and Damian before they took each other out. The ending was definitely anti-climatic but at least a debut was made with Jeff Cobb. It will be interesting to see where the dynamic between him and Jacob go. Great match."
[8.0] "This was the match of the night for me, many great spots, and continuing what I would assume to be the feuds for these wrestlers. I think everyone got a chance to shine, although Damian's abilities still lack, he has great screen presence."
[8.0] "Ein super Opener. Dauerhafte Action im und außerhalb des Rings. Der Spot mit Priest und Mcintyre war spektakulär. Und es gab 2 sehr gut Near Falls wo man am Fernseher dachte dass es das Ende des Matches hätte sein können ****"
[8.0] "Damian Priest vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Jacob Fatu vs. LA Knight war ein guter Opener. Schnell geführt, es ging drunter und drüber. Ein großer Spot mit von Priest und Drew. Schön daß Jeff Cobb da ist, bin gespannt wie er integriert wird. Das eingreifen hat leider das Match für mich was kaputt gemacht, hier wäre noch mehr drin gewesen (****)."
[8.0] "Fast pace fun match that gives everyone their time to shine. Liked the elbow drop from LA Knight. I hope Drew McIntyre is okay as heard he was shaken up afterwards. Honestly liked the finish with the stories going on."
[7.0] "The only match worth going out of your way to see from this event. It was a really good, fast paced match. I like Jeff Cobb's debut but again, we had to sit there and wait while Cobb, Solo, and Fatu stared at each other for what felt like an hour before Fatu goes in for a way too casual pinfall. Doesn't kill the match entirely but I did drop a point or two because of it."
[5.0] "Pretty fun and solid before descending into an lame overbooked structure thats not even well enough executed. Finisher spam was shit and the Jeff Cobb debut was a hype moment aura 100 but it didnt exactly help the match. Drew and Priest's brawl is just not interesting enough to me to be compelling and Knight & Fatu did much better stuff at Mania"
"this was absolutely incredible live. electric atmosphere and all 4 guys got their stuff in. This match showed me how underrated LA Knight is in the ring. Fatu looked like a monster. 4.5/5!"
[8.0] "What an opener. This set the tone for the whole night for Backlash. I liked how the match started off quickly, didn't have a slow pace or anything, just kicked off right. The action in the ring was great. I thought this was needed to establish how important the WWE United States Championship is going to be now on SmackDown.There were a lot of crazy bumps, and a lot of amazing moments like the insane South of Heaven given to Drew McIntyre from the top of a tall structure onto tables, which took out both Damian Priest and Drew McIntyre entirely from the match, as we didn't see them after that. LA Knight was getting some momentum, but then Solo Sikoa came out to stop things and save Jacob Fatu. An irate LA Knight came towards Solo Sikoa, but before he could do anything, Jeff Cobb made his WWE Debut and aligned himself with Solo Sikoa. What I liked was that Jacob Fatu was in a dismay as he couldn't believe what was going on. He got the win and retained. Still, now we have some new layers to the story being told for Jacob Fatu and Solo Sikoa, as tensions have been brewing for a while, but this will put things over the edge as Solo Sikoa introduces a new member to The Bloodline, which I don't think Jacob Fatu was pleased about. But very good fatal-four way match, and this was a good way to start Jacob Fatu's reign as the WWE United States Champion."
"I fought this match would be mid to watch, but I enjoyed wresting and how everyone of them was shown. It hurts to see McIntyre in midcard scene and LA probably stucked too but at least it was fine show. I hope midcard titles will get more PPV matches."
[8.0] "A good title defense of Jacob Fatu where I was surprised that Jeff Cobb has come to WWE, but I'm also surprised that they still continue to give us the personal history between Drew and Damian, which was obvious that there would be something, but that because of that spot disappeared because it left us in the ring that rematch of WM vs. That said, good fight to be the opener."
[8.0] "To be honest, I liked this way more than I expected - even though all four guys are very good workers. A big part of that was how over Jacob was with the crowd, which created a fantastic atmosphere throughout. The energy peaked with a phenomenal comeback from him in the final stages. Everyone was laying their stuff in, they all looked to be in great shape, and the pace was outstanding - fast and intense without falling into the trap of overcomplicated or nonsensical spots. A brilliant way to open the show and an excellent showcase for Fatu, who came off like a real superstar."
[4.0] "Your average WWE four-way match with the added benefit of having egregiously overbooked run-ins and a debut of Jeff Cobb that felt really stupid. This was totally fine until the last couple minutes, then took a dive."
[7.0] "Lots of aweosme sequences and spots present in this match, all four men did a good job and worked the crowd very damn well. I like the story between Damian Priest and Drew McIntyre, but I don't like Priest, so yeah. Although, that South of Heavens through a table was fucking beautiful and one of the best, if not the best, spot in this bout. Jeff Cobb also debuted, but him in the Bloodline is just plain stupidity. Overall, a really good match. ****"
[6.0] "The match doesn't motivate me to invest an above-average amount of interest into the story. For one thing, Fatu's reign is still quite young, so another title change is highly unlikely. That takes a lot of tension out of it. And then, at the end, we are introduced to the eighth or ninth Samoan, who is currently the decisive helper in defending the champion's title. In between, it's often convincingly intense, but definitely too often too little thought through for these mountains of muscle. Somehow, all in all, it's nothing special for me. Rounded up."
[8.0] "Für mich gab es echt die besten Matches in der ersten Hälfte. Dazu zählt auch der Opener, darum gebe ich ich dem WWE United States Title Fatal Four Way Match (***1/2)."
[9.0] "Everyone had a flurry of offence right off the bat and then Jacob got the crowd going even more. Everything was done well. Cobb debuted and he's already a monster as he should be. A very well put together match"
[8.0] "Best match of the night. Choreographed really well, overcame a couple of rough moments at the beginning to find a nice flow. All four of these men had been thrown in each other's way on SmackDown in recent weeks, so they all had beef and sold wanting to both win the title and beat the piss out of each other. Drew took a bit of a backseat here - and a chokeslam through a table - but the others capably filled the gap, especially an impressive-looking LA Knight. This was great and gave me that butterflies-in-my-stomach feeling of watching great wrestling."
[9.0] "This was a fantastic start to the PPV. The match was great up until the ending which fell flat. The debut of Jeff Cobb felt underwhelming here and for me was overshadowed by the match. Hopefully Drew McIntyre is okay after a nasty landing when going through the table and that they finally put his feud with Priest to bed."
[6.0] "They built momentum really well, they kept the feud between McIntyre and Priest hot and made it a good factor in the psychology of the match. However the finish suffocated that momentum completely. Cobb's debut was awkward (why is he associated with the Bloodline? ) and he looked tiny. The reaction from the crowd was awkward silence after the initial rush of "oh there's a debut" because they didn't do anything cool or remarkably upsetting. It took way too long to get the pinfall, and surely there would have been a better way to do drama between Fatu and Sikoa than tanking the entire momentum of the match."
[8.0] "The Fatal-4 Way United States title match was my favorite night of this event, but it's also the most forgettable one except for the surprise debut."
[5.0] "This felt like a hollow, house show-esque attempt at creating an exciting four way match. For me it didn't really land at all despite some cool spots like the South of Heaven through the table and LA Knight doing all his stuff from the top rope. The point of this match ended up being Jeff Cobb's debut, who I am a huge fan of but kinda felt like people didn't know who he was and the finish that followed was incredibly flat."
[6.0] "Yeah, there were a lot of spots in the match, but it still felt kind of empty to me. And it fades from memory pretty quickly. I liked the part where Drew and Priest were still more focused on each other than trying to win the title. It basically became a WrestleMania XXI flashback at one point, but a lighter version. It went on a little longer than it should have, in my opinion. ***"
[7.0] "It was your classic multi-man match of that era in WWE where guys tried really hard and did lots of cool if slightly contrived spots, it all feels a bit inauthentic but it still is fun especially when you add someone like Jacob Fatu who does bring the edge and the authenticity to things and if anything that contrast makes him stand out even more, that Drew/Priest bump looked nasty. This however was yet another match that had interference, if you're gonna have only 5 matches on your PPVs then maybe don't have more than half of them end with a heel winning via interference."
[8.0] "This took a while to really get going but once it did, the match was quite entertaining. It started with my biggest big bear with these kinds of multi man matches with everyone taking it in turns to be in the ring or taking a bump and hiding off camera behind the ring for five minutes. But after that the pace picked up and everyone started getting their moves in. All four have chemistry so this match worked well. Priest and Drew look doomed to carry on their feud unfortunately. The way they walked off into the crowd and then repeated the exact same spot that STROWMAN and FATU did a few weeks ago did not bring joy, and was just a way to protect them from the loss. A little tedious to still get story worked mid match on a PPV, but that's Fed. As predicted, a double f**ked Fed finish got its stink all over this. Firstly with solo saving Jacob and then Jeff Cobb attacked Knight. Glad to see him and those who are being introduced for the first time are going to have a blast. Fatu moonsault and the win. Predictable to a point, but an entertaining match all the same. 7.5/10"
[7.0] "Very hot opener, fun dynamics between the four all the way, looked overly choreographed a couple of times but it's normal, because four ways are like that, it's a dance and everybody has to wait their turn, but considering what they were given, they've probably made the most out of it, really fun sequences. Jacob Fatu was super over here, I imagine how Solo Sikoa must feel like watching that, he never came close to the connection with the audience that Jacob has. The ending was great and told many stories... Drew was very close to a win, but Priest screwed him once again, and this started a nasty brawl between them, where both completely forgot about the match and demolished each other on the outside. This made room for Jeff Cobb's debut, with a mixed reaction, I believe many people there didn't knew him, but he got some cheers, and Fatu won the match with the help of Solo and Cobb, but he looked worried, maybe it's a hint for a possible face turn, he sold the stuff like he realized this is a wrong thing to do and he's having internal conflicts about it - {***1/2}"
[10.0] "Don't mistake the slow start for a dull match, this was a great match. The deliberate pacing set the stage for an absolutely electric back half that elevated the entire contest. Great wrestling became must-see wrestling when they shifted into high gear. This match had everything, white-hot crowd, brutal table spots, finisher spam that actually worked. Then Cobb showed up like a plot twist in the last chapter of a book, cool in theory, but it stepped on the perfect ending they'd built. Everyone had great chemistry going into it."
[7.0] "Pretty good opener! I've always been a proponent of just letting wrestlers wrestle, and I'll never say no to some good ol' meaty men slapping their meat. And we got that in spades, which makes the pure in-ring spectacle well worth the watch. But it's one of those matches where the penumbra drags it down. And that penumbra is that despite the storyline seeming to be dead and buried and Roman off doing god know's what between now and Summerslam, it still functionally has the old Bloodline trappings, especially through the "new member to the omnistable interferes for the heel win" finish. But at least the GoD have some familial/clan connection the Anoa'i family; having Cobb in the Bloodline feels uninspired. Still, if you can forgive that, it's still a pretty good match."
[8.0] "All around good stuff from everyone involved. The McIntyre-Priest feud heated up nicely by the conclusion of this one, as Damian broke up a pin on a guaranteed victory for Drew that set things off. The two brawled like madmen around the arena, resulting in a huge South of Heaven chokeslam to McIntyre through a bunch of tables and gear somewhere in the arena. And not to bury the lead, but Jeff Cobb debuts here and sets the tone for the next chapter of the Bloodline saga. Good opener and some new life breathed into Solo Sikoa in the controversial finish."
[10.0] "What a way to kick things off, this match was fire, and the crowd's reaction to Fatu is enough proof that his babyface turn isn't just coming, it's inevitable, personally I love the idea of him vs McIntyre though. The man's doing things in that ring nobody else can replicate, and the audience is eating it up. Genuine superstar-making stuff. And while we're at it, Priest vs. McIntyre in a Last Man Standing match or somewhere along the lines should be booked. And a great debut of Jeff Cobb, hell of a start to the show."
[8.0] "4 Great wrestlers, with great chemistry, putting on an excellent spot filled match. I'm sure most people will look at this as a showcase of Fatu, which isn't wrong, but everyone here played their parts perfectly. The brawls, particularly near the end, between Priest and McIntyre were great stuff. Likewise, Knight and Fatu have shockingly incredible chemistry. Add in a quick surprise, some storyline continuation, and a hype winner, and you got the makings of a super fun contest. I'm not sure how you continue these storylines, but I wouldn't mind we keep it going, the work is incredible."
[9.0] "Fatu didn't just steal this match and the competition, he obliterated it and was at the epicenter of it. The 'This is awesome! ' chants hit right as he went full madman, and the place lost it. Every guy came out looking like a star, but this was Fatu's coming-out party. Months of shared ring time was showed. The chemistry was flawless, the crowd was molten, and the action never let up. This is how you do a multi-man banger. High-energy, fresh faces, and a debut that popped the crowd, this was a pretty good opener."
[10.0] "This was mostly pretty good that I have little to no complaints over, this had a teaser for Fatu vs McIntyre, playing on previous established rivalries from WrestleMania, the chemistry between all four men was undeniable too. Predictable result though, but unpredictable chaos. Fatu's win was never in doubt, but Cobb making his debut was pretty great too, that extends the tensions between the Bloodline. Now we've got a juicy power struggle brewing atop the division, and the matchups are interesting to follow up from here."
[6.0] "It was an ok ish match. I feel like; given everyone's personalities, there should've been some weapons used here, and some hard hitting that I feel like we unfortunately didn't experience. Because every wrestler here is very competent, of course this was not a bad match; at all. Could have, and should have been much, much more, though. LA, for me, was the bell to bell highlight of this match, since Jacob and Drew McIntyre were let down by a poor match choreography. I truly believe this had a 9/10 potential, unfortunetely, was underwhelming."
[7.0] "Good match where all four guys did what they had to do. Like most WWE matches of this kind, it worked as a spot fest and helped get the crowd going. Nothing too special, honestly it mainly served to give Jacob a boost and introduce a new member to Solo Sikoa's faction. The table spot was really good, though too bad Drew might be injured. Anyway, I just hope they know what to do next with Fatu's title reign, but let's see. I'm intrigued What are they gonna do with LA Knight? He's really stuck right now"
[8.0] "This was a fire opener, all men put together a great 4 way to kick the night off with a bang. Jeff Cobbs was a shocking debut we knew he was coming, but wasn't expecting him to debut here and now."
[8.0] "MATCH OF THE NIGHT by far! The crowd were just energetic with this one. We had charisma machines like LA Knight and Jacob Fatu gracing the ring so of course it was gonna be fun. We got some insane spots and moments. My favorite being the South of Heaven through the tables. We got some amazing nearfalls and the debut of Jeff Cobb was awesome to see as a fan of NJPW. I hope they use him good! Overall, This match was just bundles of fun, It feels like the US title is getting represented right with the hands of Fatu. [****]"
[8.0] "Probably my favourite match of the whole night. It had everything a great opener should. All 4 of these guys showed out and were highlighted throughout the match. The crowd popped for almost everything and there were some amazing nearfalls. I don't know how to feel about the finish though. Jeff Cobb debuting was awesome to see but I feel like they could've given Jacob a clean victory because of how he's presented. But still, a very good match, as expected, which got the show and the crowd off to a great start"
