WrestleMania Backlash was once a shockingly nice display. It wasn’t with out flaw, particularly the primary tournament having 0 stakes, however featured a number of fits price going from your solution to see. Finally, Roman Reigns and The Usos stood tall after defeating Drew McIntyre and RK-Bro.
What does that imply for Reigns going ahead? It gave the impression that WWE was once putting in place a long run WWE Common Championship fit between Reigns and McIntyre, which you’d assume would imply McIntyre wins the non-title tag fit at WrestleMania Backlash. That did not occur, as Reigns were given the W by way of pinning Riddle. Possibly McIntyre is not the following challenger in spite of everything.
The large information from the evening is that Ronda Rousey is the brand new SmackDown Ladies’s Champion. After unsuccessfully gunning for the identify at WrestleMania, she controlled to make Charlotte Aptitude say “I Give up” at WrestleMania Backlash. Somewhere else, Rhea Ripley helped Edge defeat AJ Types, and Cody Rhodes beat Seth Rollins in any other oustanding fit.
Roman Reigns and The Usos beat Drew McIntyre and RK-Bro
This fit had no stakes and a puzzling end, however was once extraordinarily a laugh. If you’ll forgive the titles now not being at the line, this was once a fantastic major tournament.
The primary phase noticed The Bloodline paintings over Riddle. It set a gradual tempo, however that picked up as soon as Reigns and McIntyre were given within the ring. The gang was once very into their showdown, which was once in the long run gained by way of McIntyre. McIntyre arrange for a Claymore Kick however was once interrupted by way of Jimmy Uso, which allowed Reigns to take out McIntyre with a Superman Punch. Reigns took time to brag, taunting Orton and giving an inexpensive shot to Riddle, which allowed McIntyre to catch him with a Claymore.
Orton then tagged in as Reigns tagged Jimmy. This started a chain which resulted in Orton hitting one in every of his absolute best RKOs in months. He were given a scorching tag into the fit, planting Jimmy Uso with the center rope DDT and atmosphere him up for an RKO. Jey Uso attempted to wreck it up, however Orton threw him out. Reigns then flew into body with a Superman Punch, however Orton stuck him with a in poor health RKO. Jey Uso then Superkicked Orton, who fought in the course of the ache to ship any other RKO. The nearfall was once damaged up by way of Jey.
Reigns would get his revenge on Orton. Later Orton was once struggling with with Jey Uso at the out of doors, putting in place to slam him at the announcer’s desk. Reigns exploded onto the display screen, launching off the ringside steps to blitz Orton with a Superman Punch. McIntyre then attacked Reigns, making an attempt a powerbomb on The Giant Canine however was once interrupted by way of The Usos. Reigns then broke McIntyre in the course of the desk with a large Rock Backside-esque Uranage.
Jimmy Uso and Reigns had been then laid out by way of Riddle, who crashed into them with a springboard moonsault. Jey Uso then hit Riddle with a Suicide Dive and threw him again into the hoop. In there, they exchanged large moves: Uso hit an Enziguri, Riddle a flying knee after which Uso a large Superkick. Jey climbed the ropes, however Riddle hopped up and landed a top-rope RKO.
Sadly for Riddle, Reigns tagged Uso simply earlier than the RKO. Reigns then snuck within the ring and sliced Riddle in part with a Spear for the win.
Ranking: 4.5 stars. Nice from begin to end. The primary factor is with reserving relatively than the motion: If WWE are making ready a identify fit between Reigns and McIntyre, why have Reigns pin Riddle? It might make way more sense if Reigns had been pinned — or no less than for McIntyre to get a win.
Reigns is the largest, maximum secure megastar within the corporate. Other people want to be satisfied that his championship reign is in jeoardy, and this did the other of that.
Madcap Moss beats Satisfied Corbin
This was once an A-to-B fit. Quite simple, now not specifically efficient. Madcapp Moss beat Satisfied Corbin by way of pinning him with a sundown turn roll up.
Corbin took the entire fit, with restricted Moss offense all the way through. The commentators talked up Moss’ improbable explosivity, however we handiest were given to look flashes of it. There wasn’t truly even a sustained, spectacular comeback. It was once it seems that intended to return off as an disappointed victory, which means that Madcap Moss gained however did not essentially get put over.
Ranking: 2 stars. Confidently Moss strikes directly to extra thrilling possibilities.
Ronda Rousey wins SmackDown Ladies’s Championship
Ronda Rousey is girls’s champ once more. She made Charlotte Aptitude yell “I Give up” when she wrapped a chair round Aptitude’s shoulder and put her in an armbar.
After a gap flurry by way of Rousey, Aptitude were given regulate when she planted Rousey with a German Suplex. From there she barraged Rousey with chops (woo!), taking her to the out of doors. With Rousey slumped at the barridace, Aptitude chopped her and demanded the ref ask her if she quits. Rousey mentioned no, and that Aptitude “slaps like a whinge”.
Rousey driven Aptitude into the turnbuckle put up out of doors, then despatched her flying over the barricade. Charlotte fought again, however straight away ran away when Rousey secured herself a Kendo Stick. Charlotte ran to the again, then got here out with two Kendo Sticks. The 2 then battled with Kendo Sticks, Megastar Wars taste, with Rousey getting the easier of Aptitude. Rousey blitzed Aptitude with a number of Kendo Stick photographs, and the ref requested if she sought after to hand over.
Rousey beat Aptitude into the group, however her offense was once improbably stopped when Aptitude threw water in Rousey’s face. This shocked Rousey, for no matter reason why, and Aptitude took the benefit. They brawled in the course of the crowd, with Rousey at quite a lot of issues refusing to hand over. The gang chanted “We wish tables!”
Again at ringside, Aptitude went to the highest rope and started to head for a Moonsault out of doors. Rousey interrupted, and pulled Aptitude down into an armbar, with Aptitude’s legs stuck at the height rope. Aptitude did an impressive task promoting, shrieking with convincing terror, however refused to hand over.
Aptitude then retook regulate when she smashed a chair into Rousey’s leg. At the inside of, she slammed Rousey’s face into the chair with a Herbal Variety. Aptitude put Rousey in a Determine 8, however Rousey broke it up by way of grabbing the chair and hitting Aptitude within the hip with it. The gang chants “We wish tables!”
Aptitude arrange a chair in the midst of the hoop and grabs the mic. With sinister intent, she needed Ronda a “glad Mom’s Day.” Ronda then snatched Aptitude’s arm in the course of the chair, in order that it was once clamped over her shoulder, and locked within the armbar. Aptitude squeeled that she quits, and Rousey is the brand new SmackDown Ladies’s Championship.
Ranking: 4 stars. Very intense, superb. There have been no tables, however the crowd nonetheless popped giant for the end.
Edge makes AJ Types go out
Damian Priest was once barred from the ringside for this WrestleMania rematch. It ended with, wonder, Damian Priest popping out anyway. That would not be the one distraction: Rhea Ripley price AJ Types the fit on the finish, pushing Types from the highest rope at a the most important second. That allowed Edge to fasten within the Crossface and make Types go out.
The tale going into this fit is that AJ has a broken shoulder following an assault from Edge and Priest on Uncooked a pair weeks again. That assault has additionally left him an offended guy, which is why he started with a collection of huge offense, together with an explosive sliding dropkick to the out of doors and a ravishing springboard moonsault. But if he went for a Out of the ordinary Forearm, Edge minimize him off with a large boot.
Edge slowed the tempo down vastly, methodically operating over AJ and his injured arm. Edge ultimately were given Types within the Crossface, however Types countered right into a Calf Crusher. From there it was once an ideal collection of counters and backward and forward strikes.
AJ pressed Edge front-first into the turnbuckle and German Suplexed him, however as he was once thrown Edge ripped the center turnbuckled padding off. Types then threw Edge face-first into the uncovered buckle and rolled him up for a nearfall. Then Edge minimize Types down with a large Spear, once more for a two depend. (This Spear came about because the replay for the turnbuckle spot came about, which was once awkward.)
Edge tried any other Spear, however AJ stuck him with a V-Cause knee. AJ then hit an ideal Types Conflict when he hung Edge at the height ropes then hoisted him up from there for any other false end.
Types started to setup any other Out of the ordinary Forearm, however his bum shoulder would not permit him to springboard. So he scaled the turnbuckle to the highest rope, however earlier than he may release Damian Priest walked down the ramp. Types protested to the ref, pronouncing Priest was once barred from ringside, however Priest mentioned he was once at the ramp and now not the ringside. Very reasonable getaround right here.
As Types was once distracted by way of Priest, Finn Balor attacked Priest from in the back of and were given him out of the way in which. However because the ref was once distracted, a hooded stranger driven Types off the highest rope. Edge then were given Types within the crossface and Types handed out.
After the fit the hooded stranger published herself to be Rhea Ripley, who joins Edge’s demonic faction.
Ranking: 4 stars. Extra a laugh to observe than their WrestleMania fit. It was once shaping as much as be an impressive bout, however the reasonable end introduced it down. It isn’t that Rhea joined the faction, which is a welcome use of her. It is that Priest was once banned from ringside however got here out anyway, which made the entire completing collection really feel onerous to take significantly. Prerequisites must subject, and it is onerous not to roll your eyes when they are damaged in any such brazen model.
Nonetheless, Edge and AJ did an ideal task right here. AJ particularly shined. His offense was once tight and explosive, and his promoting of the injured shoulder was once super too.
Omos beats Bobby Lashley
Gazing Omos strive against Bobby Lashley is novel for approximately a minute, then increasingly more underwhelming because the bout drags on. Those two fought for 10 mins and, rather then the end, there is truly now not a lot to mention about it.
After 10 mins of most commonly generic brawling, Omos threw Lashley into the turnbuckle, making his shoulder crash into the put up between the highest and center rope. Because the ref was once busy protecting Omos off Lashley, MVP smashed Lashley within the face together with his cane. Omos then gave a dazed Lashley a two-handed chokeslam for the win.
At one level within the fit Lashley put the Harm Lock on Omos, however Omos, after just about passing out, controlled to break away. Later, Lashley was once ready to plant Omos with a spinebuster. Instead of those spots, there is little to mention about this fit.
Ranking: 1 megastar.
Cody Rhodes pins Seth Rollins
The American Nightmare’s go back WrestleMania fit in opposition to Seth Rollins kicked off Backlash. It ended with Cody, undoubtedly at the highway to a WWE Common Championship fit in opposition to Roman Reigns, rolling up Seth for the win.
The fit was once a lot other to their WrestleMania come upon. While that was once an change of huge strikes, this had extra storytelling to it. For the primary part of the fit, Rollins was once one step forward of Rhodes. It isn’t simply that Rollins were given warmth on Rhodes, however that Rollins had a counter for all of Rhode’s tried offense. The commentators did a just right task at explaining that Rollins had obviously watched tape on Rhodes and had ready for his strikes.
Midway via, Rhodes gave Rollins a large slap and it became a slugfest. Rhodes were given the easier of Rollins, which started his comeback. Cody were given some offense in, countered a Suicide Dive and landed a Cody Cutter for a two depend — getting the primary “That is superior!” chant of the evening.
The 2 then brawled at the out of doors. Rhodes threw Rollins into the hoop and tried a Moonsault from the highest rope, however Rollins moved out of the way in which after which planted Rhodes with a Pedigree for a two depend.
Rollins yelled that Cody cannot lace his boots, after which taunted him by way of doing Dusty Rhodes’ punching aggregate. Rhodes countered, yanking Rollins right into a Move Rhodes. He attempted to roll right into a 2nd one, however Rollins stuck Rhodes with a knee. Rollins tried a roll up, pulling on Rhodes tights, however Rhodes reversed the roll up into one in every of this personal and, with a fistful of Rollins tights, were given the 3 depend.
Ranking: 4.5 stars. Unbelievable fit. Those two had the fit of WrestleMania, and this was once higher. It is onerous to be in contact this in a recap, however Rollins and Rhodes paintings tremendous smartly in combination. The whole lot they do is clean — they are a laugh to observe. As famous, this bout had a better storytelling part to it than their unique conflict, which to me made it more uncomplicated to get invested in.
