On Saturday, May 4th, WWE held its first big event since WrestleMania 40, Backlash. The show came to us live from Lyon, France, and truly lived up to the hype. It was headlined by a huge match that saw Cody Rhodes put his Undisputed WWE Championship on the line against AJ Styles.
We also saw Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair team up to challenge Damage CTRL’s Asuka and Kairi Sane for their WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships. However, that’s not all, we also saw Randy Orton and Kevin Owens team up to take on the Bloodline, Jey Uso challenging for Damian Priest’s World Heavyweight Championship and so much more.
So, what were the top three moments of the show?
Top three moments of Backlash
3. Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair become the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions
Towards the end of the card, we saw Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair challenge the Kabuki Warriors, Asuka & Kairi Sane, for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships. This was arguably one of the biggest WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship matches in quite some time, and it lived up to the hype.
This is a match that will decide where the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships end up. With The Kabuki Warriors heading to RAW, and Belair and Cargill being drafted to SmackDown, only one brand can win. The match itself did not disappoint, and Belair and Cargill continued to look great together as a team.
Ultimately, Cargill hits a “Jaded” on Kairi, and Belair hits her finisher on Asuka to pin her to win the match. Belair and Cargill could go down as being one of the best WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions in history. The strength, power, and agility they each possess make the team look like a million bucks. This was a great moment.
2. Tonga Loa debuts to help the Bloodline defeat Randy Orton and Kevin Owens
In the opening match of the night, we saw Kevin Owens and Randy Orton team up to take on the new, and improved Bloodline. Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga are arguably the most dangerous versions of the Bloodline that we have ever seen before. This match started hot and fast, so much so that Nick Aldis had to come out to the entranceway and make it a street fight.
THE BLOODLINE continues to EXPAND at #WWEBacklash! pic.twitter.com/A3tvnzUWCk
— WWE (@WWE) May 4, 2024
This was the perfect opening match. The fans went nuts for it, and it was an excellent start to what would turn out to be a huge show. Ultimately, this match ended with Tonga Loa making the save for Tama Tonga who was about to be pinned by Kevin Owens. This leads to Solo Sikoa landing a Samoan spike on Kevin Owens to pin him and win the match for the Bloodline.
With that said, it looks like the new Bloodline will consist of Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and now Tonga Loa. With the rumor of Hikuleo getting looked at by WWE, and Jacob Fatu being already signed, it looks like The Bloodline could continue to grow to new heights never seen before.
1. Cody Rhodes vs. AJ Styles
In the main event of the show, we saw Cody Rhodes go one-on-one with AJ Styles for his newly won Undisputed WWE Championship. This marks Rhodes’ first title defense since winning the championship from Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40. AJ Styles vs. Cody Rhodes is a massive deal, and a generational clash, if you will.
This match saw two leaders of the Bullet Club face off in a first-time-ever match. The match truly lived up to the hype and did not disappoint. The fans made this main event that much better too. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a crowd more hot for a match in history. France has earned itself a yearly- PLE after this.
Ultimately, the match ended when Cody hit a cross Rhodes on Styles to get the pinfall and retain his Undisputed WWE Championship. This marked an incredible first title defense for the “American Nightmare.” Despite no big stories being in store until The Rock returns, one thing we know is the matches will always deliver.
THIS CROWD IS AN ALL-TIMER 🙏#WWEBacklash | TNT Sports Box Office pic.twitter.com/TaOyuB6qK9
— WWE on TNT Sports (@wweontnt) May 4, 2024
All in all, Backlash was an amazing event, which saw a very hot crowd, some tremendous wrestling, and even bigger moments. There wasn’t one bad match on the card. From the beginning of the show to the end, every match lived up to the hype, and in some cases even over-delivered. This show could go down as being another all-timer, similar to Backlash last year in Puerto Rico.
