Reason Why Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Dolph Ziggler Opened Backlash Revealed

Last night at Backlash, Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Dolph Ziggler in the opening match of the PPV. The bout was solid, both men did a good job, and now the WWE Universe will wait to see what’s next for Shinsuke. However, some people were surprised to see the match go on first.

Related: Shinsuke Nakamura’s Next Feud After Backlash Revealed

WWE officials waited a long time for “The King of Strong Style” to make his in-ring debut for the SmackDown brand. They wanted to wait until a PPV to push his debut as a big deal, and Shinsuke Nakamura was heavily featured in the promotion of the PPV for that exact reason.

However, many people believed that Nakamura vs. Ziggler would be one of the last matches of the evening, but it went on first. It has been reported by Sportskeeda that while Backlash was airing, the NBA Playoffs were also happening and the Cleveland Cavilers were hosting the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of their series. However, that game didn’t begin until roughly 8:30.

That gave WWE a short window for the first half an hour of the PPV to feature anything they wanted without competition from the NBA Playoffs. Because of that, WWE officials thought it was best to feature Nakamura versus Ziggler first to give them the important time slot.