Going in, the card wasn’t the most exciting looking on paper. Mostly because it was a very easy to predict the result of all five matches.
The non-big four pay per views can sometimes end up looking a bit like house shows on tour (sorry, premium live events/PLEs… although Punk also called it a PPV in the build up). However, Backlash France did not disappoint, despite all the matches ending as expected.
One great thing though about taking shows overseas, especially to Europe, is that the crowds are amazing. The 11,682 in Lyon, France at the LDLC Arena sounded like 50,000 plus. I’ve never seen a wrestling crowd like this before in all my years watching. They were literally into everything.
Smackdown was held in the same arena the previous night and Triple H reported on Twitter (sorry, X) that those in attendance had received noise warnings on their phones that they may lose hearing temporarily because of how loud it was.
It was also reported during that show as being the largest arena gate in WWE history. Which is not something you really want to boast about as it sounds like the ticket prices were ridiculous to break the arena record with only 11,682 sold.
A positive that Triple H seems to have followed through with his promise to get rid of the augmented reality on the entrances. And there was also no advertising around the ring, which was a real eyesore during Wrestlemania, especially the night one main event.
It was all about the in ring action, with less time between matches also very much welcomed. The show clocked in at just under 3 hours, which some prefer. I don’t mind the longer events, as long as it’s used for actual wrestling.
Tag Team Match: Randy Orton and Kevin Owens vs Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga
Kevin Owens came out first, followed by his partner Randy Orton. Both received an incredible reception, with the French crowd singing along to Orton’s entrance music ‘Voices’. The Bloodline then came out to loud boos.
This marked Tama Tonga’s debut in a televised WWE match, with the son of Haku spending a large part of his career in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). Solo Sikoa has been playing the role of leader of The Bloodline since The Rock and Roman Reigns are off TV.
The match started off with a brawl and security getting involved, a few of them receiving stunners from Owens. Smackdown general manager then came down and made it a street fight (4 out of 5 matches on the card involved Smackdown stars).
Both teams took the fight into the audience, with Orton briefly separating from Owens only to return to his aid as he was double-teamed. Orton’s aggression was evident as he slammed Tonga onto the announce tables, though they failed to break (they don’t make them like they used to), before weapons, including traditional tables, emerged from beneath the ring.
The match ebbed and flowed, with Orton crashing through a table in the ring courtesy of Solo Sikoa. In a crazy spot, Owens delivered a brainbuster to Tonga off the ropes onto a cluster of chairs he had arranged.
As Owens went for the pin, it seemed the end was near, until Tonga’s brother, Tanga Loa, made a surprise appearance from under the ring (almost missing his cue, likely thanks to the noise in the arena), pulling the referee out of the ring and aligning himself with The Bloodline. Solo Sikoa capitalised on the distraction to secure the victory in what proved to be an intense 20-minute opening bout.
Post-match, Owens sold the effects of the Samoan Spike, with Paul Heyman appearing visibly concerned. Sikoa’s insistence that Heyman join in the celebration hinted at further potential discord within the group.
There was some disappointment that it wasn’t Jacob Fatu who debuted. He is excellent is will surely join WWE’s main roster soon. Tanga Loa isn’t the best wrestler in the world but is good enough in tag team competition, so will likely
WWE Women’s Championship: Bayley (C) vs. Naomi vs. Tiffany Stratton
In the lead-up to the match, Naomi initially challenged Bayley in her first title defence since WrestleMania 40. However, Tiffany Stratton, feeling slighted, intervened, expressing her frustration at not being included. Consequently, it was decided that all three competitors would face each other in a triple threat match.
Since her transition from NXT to the main roster, Tiffany Stratton has consistently impressed me. It’s remarkable to consider that she has only been wrestling for two and a half years, yet she undeniably possesses the qualities necessary to become a future star.
Naomi only recently returned to WWE at the Royal Rumble from TNA, legitimately walking out of the company over a creative dispute with Vince McMahon, leaving along with her tag team partner Sasha Banks (Mercedes Mone). Naomi received a huge ovation during her entrance.
Naomi’s recent return to WWE, making her comeback at the Royal Rumble from TNA, garnered significant attention. Her departure from the company stemmed from a creative dispute with Vince McMahon, alongside her tag team partner Sasha Banks (Mercedes Mone). Naomi’s entrance was met with a thunderous ovation from the audience.
The atmosphere during the match resembled that of a football crowd, with fans enthusiastically cheering and chanting throughout. Despite Tiffany Stratton’s considerable talent, she appeared to be the least favored among the three competitors in the ring. The former gymnast was still pretty over though, just not as much as Bayley and Naomi.
The match itself was another standout, maintaining a continuous and smooth flow. Bayley ultimately secured the victory with a roll-up pin on Naomi, occurring around the 15-minute mark. Given Bayley’s recent title win, it was unlikely that she would drop the championship so soon. However, the outcome effectively safeguards Tiffany Stratton’s credibility for a potential title opportunity in the future.
WWE World Heavyweight Champtionship: Damien Priest (C) vs Jey Uso
Another amazing entrance, with the crowd absoutely bouncing for Jey Uso. Those images will be showed for many years to come. Damien Priest then came down to boos in what was his first title defence since cashing in the Money in the Bank contract on Drew McIntrye after he’d just won it from Seth Rollins at Wrestlemania 40.
Amidst Jey Uso’s efforts to rile up the audience with his signature “Yeet” chant, visibly agitating Damien Priest, the match commenced. JD McDonagh of Judgement Day appeared later during the match, ostensibly to aid Priest, who promptly instructed his stablemate to leave ringside.
Given Jey Uso’s lacklustre showing at WrestleMania against his brother and Priest’s reputation for less-than-thrilling in-ring performances, expectations were modest at best going into this one. But it was passable overall. Nothing special.
The dynamic shifted when Finn Balor emerged to support Priest, only to be met with a thunderous superkick from Jey Uso. JD McDonagh then intervened once more, this time ensuring Priest’s foot reached the bottom rope during a pin attempt, preventing a potential defeat.
In the end, as anticipated, Priest successfully retained his title. Yet, tensions simmered within Judgement Day, as Priest intervened to prevent his stablemates from assaulting Jey Uso post-match, hinting at an imminent breakup within the faction with Priest turning face.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship: The Kabuki Warriors (C) vs Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill
This match seemed to be built around elevating Jade Cargill, who is still learning the WWE way. Her debut was a long time coming after leaving AEW where she mostly performed squash matches as TBS Champion.
Upon moving to WWE, Cargill spent time in the performance centre before making her Royal Rumble debut in an impressive showing. Things then went a little quiet again, before she started appearing more regularly on Smackdown.
Cargill is being built up to be a star in the company. She certainly has the look and putting her in a tag team with someone as experienced as Bianca Belair is a wise move as she will only learn before she shifts into a singles run, with Belair as her likely first opponent.
This was probably the weakest match on the card, although it wasn’t terrible. It seemed to be going well until there was a breakdown related to who the legal woman was. This was partly down to an error by the referee it seems, with Cargill also left in a situation she’d never experienced before.
The result was never in doubt, with Cargill and Belair winning the Women’s Tag Team Titles. Cargill caught Sane in midair and performed Jaded (the same spot performed on Skye Blue in AEW), followed by Belair hitting the KOD on Asuka for the pin.
Undisputed WWE Championship: Cody Rhodes (C) vs AJ Styles
It was reported in the lead up to the match that WWE don’t have any big plans for Cody Rhodes until The Rock and Roman Reigns return, probably later this year. So until then, Cody is likely going to be defending his title in what are effectively filler feuds, much like he was involved in between Wrestlemania 39 and 40, where he won the Undisputed Championship.
AJ Styles has been playing the role of enhancement talent at the upper end of the card recently, something he is excellent at. This was the first time these two men had ever met inside a ring, which was surprising considering how well travelled both are. AJ Styles had previous met Cody’s father Dusty Rhodes in TNA though.
AJ Styles had won an eliminator mini-tournament to earn a shot at the title, with the semi-finals being three-way matches and Styles getting the win back over LA Knight in the final. Jessica Carr also became the first female referee in a WWE World Championship main event in this one and it was an excellent match.
It was never in doubt that Cody would retain so soon after winning it and “finishing his story” which lasted the best part of two years, but this is how you these kind of inevitable result title contests should be done. Both managed to counter the other’s signature moves during the 30 minute match, with Cody hitting a big Cody Cutter, followed by the Cross Rhodes for the win.
This overall a great performance from everyone involved, especially the fans. The crowd were so into it, from copying Samantha Irvin’s ring announcements to cheering and oohing every jab. The crowd were feeding off everything. Although one issue I did have was Cody kicking out of a burning hammer at one, a move Kenta Kobashi only used seven times.
I’d have no problem seeing these two in the ring again but maybe not right away. despite Cody having no obvious opponents at the moment. One match that many want to see is Cody vs Randy Orton, which they may save until Summerslam, once they find a way to turn Orton heel.
The crowd were the best part of the whole show. And despite the card featured very little jeopardy overall, it massively over delivered in terms of match quality. It wasn’t a slog at all. It was really well paced. There were no large gaps between matches, filled with advertising. Everything that made WWE PPVs/PLEs difficult to watch. I’m liking this new direction as it begins to take shape.
RATING: 8/10
Glass Asylum 