Preview: Wrestlemania Backlash looks to continue the momentum based off the massive success of Wrestlemania 38. Matches for the show include Aj Styles Vs Edge, a rematch from Wrestlemania with Damien Priest being banned from ringside. We have Madcap Moss Vs Happy Corbin, Bobby Lashley Vs Omos. This time Omos has MVP in his corner. We have three other big matches in the I Quit Rematch between Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair for the Smackdown Women’s champion. RkBro teams up with Drew McIntyre to take on the dominant Smackdown faction, The Bloodline. Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins look to tare the house down once again in a rematch from Wrestlemania.
MUST WATCH Cody Rhodes Vs Seth Rollins: Seth enters first with the crowd serenading him with this theme. Crowd are starting the show off hot. Crowd was clearly and visibly invested for Cody’s entrance, taking their phones out for pictures. Match starts off with Cody and Seth locking up in trading shots equally. Seth pulled the heel way and kicked the midsection of Cody before he whips Cody into the other corner. Cody went for the scoop slam but Seth held back and rolled Cody up. Seth rolls out of the ring when Cody was going to punch him in the corner, Cody chases him back in and Seth takes advantage. On the apron Seth hits Cody with a knee, sending him off the apron. Seth keeps in control of Cody on the outside before they go into the ring, Seth working on Cody with multiple punches. Cody fights back and gets the signature drop down jab and a suplex, Cody then gets the disaster kick. Cody stays in control but counters the second attempt at a springboard ruining Cody’s plans by throwing him out of the ring. Seth brings the fight, throwing Cody into the barricade and smashing his face on the apron. Seth Stops Cody’s chance to fight back, throwing him chest first into the corner. Seth continues to stop Cody’s chance of fighting back, Seth counters a sunset flip for a near fall and Cody gets one in return. Both going up the top rope, Cody hits a big superplex. Both men trade shots in the middle of the ring chopping each other before they get into the brawl/hockey fight style of trading shots. Cody gets the shoulder blocks to get control and sends Seth out of the ring. Seth causes Cody to miss his top rope dive to the outside. Cody stops Rollins dive to the outside and Cody gets in the ring and hits a Cody Cutter. Cody counters the pedigree attempt but Seth gets an enziguri and super kick combo for a near fall. Seth tries to conduct the crowd but is met with boos. Seth counters the cross Rhodes attempt and Cody is thrown into the corner going for a top rope dive, Cody gets caught with a boot, both men trade pedigree attempts before Seth gets the elbow to Cody’s neck and hits a falcon arrow. Seth counters a cody cutter with a buckle bomb and hits a beautiful frog splash for a two count. Seth climbs the turnbuckle setting up a phoenix splash but lands on his feet as Cody rolls out of the way, Cody gets a super kick. Cody climbs up but Seth gets a superplex, going for the falcon arrow combo Cody counters with a cross Rhodes, Seth gets rope break for an emotional near fall. Seth rolls out of the way stopping Cody’s picture perfect moonsault and hits a pedigree for a near fall. Seth starts kicking Cody’s face as he taunts him saying Cody can’t lace his boots. Seth goes for the flip flop fly, but Cody counters the elbow, Cody gets one cross Rhodes but goes for another and gets countered. Seth countered Cody’s vertebreaker attempt and rolls up Cody, Cody reverses the roll up for the win stealing the victory. Seth argues with the ref as Cody is going up the ramp.
Results: Cody Rhodes by Pinfall via countering Seth’s school boy roll up.
Coby Galenzoski WR Star Rating – 4.75 Stars
AVERAGE Bobby Lashley Vs Omos with MVP: Omos enters first and Lashley gets the new drum filled entrance. Bobby uses his speed to start striking Omos. MVP stops lashley from running the ropes and Omos takes over. Omos hits a snake eyes and big boot. Lashley fights back with a sleeper hold. Lashley gets Omos trapped in the ropes, and is punching him, the crowd is counting with them. Lashley goes for MVP but Omos breaks up the hurt lock on him. Crowd enjoyed Bobby getting specific spots, the match ended with MVP using the cane before Omos got the chokeslam.
Results: Omos by Pinfall via double chokeslam.
Coby Galenzoski WR Star Rating – 2.25 stars
Showed the Paul Heyman promo from the pre show.
AMAZING Aj Styles Vs Edge, Damien Priest is banned from ringside: Edge enters first then Aj Styles. They announced Edge as an 11 time wwe champion which is slightly intriguing. Styles starts the match off hot, attacking Edge in the corner, getting a drop kick and going after Edge on the outside. Edge rolls in the ring and out the other side, Aj gets a sliding drop kick to Edge. Aj then hits a moonsault on Edge on the outside. Edge counters the phenomenal forearm with a big boot. Edge throws Styles under the bottom rope into the post, targeting the taped shoulder. Edge slingshots Aj into the steel steps further targeting Aj’s shoulder. Edge counties working on Styles’ shoulder in the ring stopping Aj from getting control multiple times. Aj got a nice Pelé kick, before they hit a car crash style crossbody to each other, midsections colliding. Aj gets in control picking up the pace, getting a near fall after a sit down face buster. Aj gets a nice hurricanrana off the top rope. Corey sold the selling of Aj not getting a good pin. Aj got a Ushigoroshi. Edge got a nice back breaker, and goes for the cross face, Aj reversing into a calf crusher. Edge breaks it up by slamming Ajs head into the mat before Aj locks it back in. Edge gets a rope break to stop it. Edge pulled off the turnbuckle cover when Aj German suplexed hit. Edge went for a spear but collided with the exposed corner for a near fall roll up. Edge gets a spear for a near fall right after. Aj stops a second spear with a step up knee. Aj puts Edge over the top rope before hitting a Styles clash for a big near fall. Aj goes to the top rope unable to springboard. Damian appears on the ramp not ringside, Finn runs out and attacks Damian, a hooded figure pushes Aj off of the top rope as the ref is distracted by Damian and Finn brawling in and out of the ring. Edge locks in the cross face before turning it into the cross face sleeper. After the match the pop For the hooded figure uncovering herself, It was Rhea Ripley! Rhea dyed her hair black as her and Edge pose after she bowed to him.
Results: Edge by Submission via Sleeper Cross Face
Coby Galenzoski WR Star Rating – 4.25 Stars
AMAZING Charlotte Flair Vs Ronda Rousey – I Quit Match – Smackdown Women’s Championship: Ronda out first, then Charlotte. Ronda dodges a boot, and gets some knees to Charlotte. Ronda counters a spear with a knee. Ronda does the triple arm drags before Charlotte gets a boot and clothesline. Ronda hits an exploder, and tries for a pipers pit. Charlotte countered and got a high angle German to Ronda. Ronda counters the figure eight and gets a big knee. Ronda goes for the armband as they roll out of the ring. Charlotte throws Ronda into the barricade and chops her against the barricade and apron. Ronda throws Charlotte’s arm first into the post and over the barricade. Ronda grabs the mic but gets big booted by Charlotte. Charlotte goes for a kendo stick but Ronda reverses, Charlotte rolls into the ring and out, up the ramp and to the back. She pulls out two kendo sticks and they whack each other, Ronda reverses and starts whacking Charlotte continuously. Charlotte went in the ring and still got whacked, Charlotte grabs a camera and throws it at Ronda but ends up trying to run into the crowd. They brawl up into the crowd, on the stairs. Charlotte does a camel clutch like submission in the railing similar to the infamous Sasha Charlotte falls count anywhere match. Charlotte grabs a chair but Ronda stopped her from using it. Charlotte ran back ringside and tried to find something, she ended up big booting the chair out of Ronda’s hands, throwing her into the announcers table. Charlotte hits a powerbomb onto the barricade and Ronda refuses to quit. Charlotte slaps around Ronda before she counters and tries for a pipers pit, Charlotte raked her eyes and pushed Ronda into the post head first. Charlotte goes up but Ronda puts Charlotte in a tree of woe on the apron, Ronda gets an armbar on the hanging Charlotte. Charlotte refuses to quit even when Ronda locks it in deeper. Charlotte gets a chair and strikes Ronda, before throwing her back in the ring. Charlotte hits Natural Selection onto the chair in the ring. Ronda doesn’t quit and Charlotte locks in the Figure 8. Breaking it up by hitting Charlotte with the chair. Charlotte boots her down again. Charlotte says on the mic it’s Rondas last chance, before Ronda gets an armbar. Charlotte doesn’t quit before Ronda says I’d hope you say that and locks in the armbar more for Charlotte to quit. Match was really entertaining, the crowd was on fire as they were chanting for tables. Very solid match with a predictable outcome.
Results: Ronda Rousey By Charlotte Quitting Via Armbar through Steel Chair
Coby Galenzoski WR Star Rating – 4.25 Stars
GOOD Madcap Moss Vs Happy Corbin: I want to say Madcap really pandered and tried to get the match over, and he is a real athlete, very fast and alive for his size. Corbin did get his moments of drinking in the boos from the crowd, and was in control of Madcap for a good majority of the match. Working on him in the corner, whipping Moss into the corner roughly. Madcap gets insane speed when running the ropes, it’s very impressive. Corbin doing a deep six to Moss is pretty crazy too. This match was clearly a match that not many truly cared about, but it was still a fundamentally solid match.
Results: Madcap Moss by Pinfall via Sunset Roll Up.
Coby Galenzoski WR Star Rating – 3.00 Stars
Before the main event is is announced Charlotte Flair in Kayfabe has a fractured Radius, most likely an injury angle to keep her out till Summerslam.
MUST WATCH RKMcBro, Randy Orton, Riddle and Drew McIntyre Vs The Bloodline, The Usos, Jimmy and Jey and Roman Reigns: Drew and RK-Bro enter first, then The Bloodline. Randy and Jimmy start the match off, Randy chants filling the arena. Randy makes the quick tag and RKBro does an assisted senton by Riddle. Riddle ends up carrying Jimmy in a gut wrench to Drew and Drew tags in and chops Jimmy in a neutral corner. Drew guts a nice deadlift suplex before trying to get Jimmy to tag Roman. Heyman hypes the tribal chief up and Jimmy tags Roman in. Drew and Roman now legal circling the ring, Roman circled around and when in his corner tags Jey. Drew overhead belly to bellies Jey into his corner, tagging riddle in. Riddle fails to stay in control as the bloodline stomps on Riddle multiple times. Usos ends up hitting a wishbone on Riddle and continues working on him, Heyman hypes Roman up again before tagging in, beating down Riddle. Roman pretty much dominates Riddle for the time he was legal. Hitting a uranage and getting a near fall. Jimmy is tagged in and Riddle ended up countering a running splash in the corner, Jey stops the tag, beating down Riddle. Jey sets up for a hip attack but Riddle gets a running knee. Jey rolls out of the ring, and Roman rolls him back in. Roman tags Jey and Drew tags in as well. Drew and Roman exchange blows before Drew takes control, hitting belly to bellies and jumping neck breakers on Roman, and Jey Uso. Roman steals a Superman punch and Drew rolls out of the ring. Roman goes after the hit, and ends up throwing him back in the ring. RKBro getting in the corner. Roman gets the consecutive clothesline in the corner and then a jumping clothesline. Roman drinks in the boos while holding the titles up in the ring. Roman attacks Riddle, and Randy distracts Roman for a claymore. Randy and Jimmy get tagged in, Randy getting the signature offense, including the scoop slam and vintage draping ddt. Randy gets two great RKOs but Jey breaks up the pin. Drew comes in and gets a double superkick from the usos. Riddle and Jey get the hot tag, Riddle getting his offense, and a near fall off the floating bro. This is Awesome chants filling the arena as Riddle sets up for the RKO. After a bunch of great ringside spots, Riddle and Jey trade big shots, before Jey goes for a splash. Riddle jumps up to the top rope and hits a top rope RKO, Roman tagged in Jey and speared Riddle for the win. A really good main event.
Results: Roman Reigns By Pinfall Via Spear on Riddle
Coby Galenzoski WR Star Rating – 4.50 Stars
Overall Wrestlemania Backlash delivered what was expected, there were four big marquee matches and they delivered with their own qualities and reasons. The two matches that fell short were the ones that people did not really care about. Omos Vs Lashley and Madcap Vs Happy. Cody Vs Rollins was exactly what we hoped for, Aj Styles and Edge had a really solid match with the additional surprise of Rhea Ripley aligning with Judgment Day. Charlotte and Ronda had a really solid I Quit match despite their terrible build up, and who would have thought a WWE Premium Live Event would have a 6 man tag for a main event but tonight did and it without a doubt, delivered! Despite the alright build up for the matches, the PPV continued the streak of providing a solid show that started at Wrestlemania.
Matches: 0.75/1 Stars
Show Structure: 1.00/1 Stars
Atmosphere…: 1.00/1 Stars
Storytelling: 0.75/1 Stars
Production/Theme: 0.75/1 Stars
Overall Rating. 4.25/5 Stars
Photo Credit: (Roman Reigns Twitter)
For inquiries about the rating criteria check out the article announcing the new system here:
