Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins

Background: At WrestleMania 38, former All Elite Wrestling wrestler and Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes made his return to WWE after six years as Seth “Freakin” Rollins’ surprise opponent, where Rhodes was victorious On the April 11 episode of Raw, Rollins claimed that he was at an unfair disadvantage since he did not know who he was facing beforehand. Rollins further claimed that on an even playing field, he would defeat Rhodes and challenged him to a rematch, which Rhodes accepted and thus was scheduled for WrestleMania Backlash.

Previous PPV matches: These two men have wrestled on PPV once before, it was last month at Wrestlemania and Cody Rhodes won.

Backlash PPV Record: Seth Rollins is 1-0, Cody Rhodes is also 1-0.

Match: It’s a back and forth start to the match with Seth avoiding some of Cody’s uppercuts. Seth takes control, frustrating Cody, taking the fight out of the ring and then back in. Rhodes finally hits an uppercut and then a stalling suplex and a disaster kick for a two count. The fight goes backto the outside where Seth throws Rhodes into the barricade. Rollins slows down the pace with a sleeper but Cody soon fights back, hitting a big superplex. The two men then slug it out and Rhodes fires up, looking for a springboard dive to the outside but Rollins avoids it. Cody counters a suicide dive and hits a Cody cutter for a near fall. Rhodes avoids a stomp and Rollins counters cross-Rhodes. Rollins hits a flacon arrow for a near fall. This has been a very back and forth match which is nice to see. Both men avoid big aerial moves from the other. Seth hits a pedigree for a near fall. Rollins hits some jabs in the style of Dusty Rhodes but Rhodes avoids one and hits cross-Rhodes. Rollins counters a second cross-Rhodes attempt and rolls Cody up, holding the tights but Rhodes counters the pin and holds the tights himself, getting the three!

Result: Cody Rhodes wins by pinfall.

Review:This was a great way to kick off the show. A really fun match between these two men. Cody gets the win, a second consecutive win against Seth Rollins. The way this finished suggests that another match is probably on the cards for these two men. A really good match here and the crowd were into it too.

Rating: 7.5/10

Bobby Lashley vs. Omos

Background: At WrestleMania 38, Bobby Lashley defeated Omos; oddly, Lashley’s manager MVP did not accompany him for the match. MVP returned the next night on Raw and turned on Lashley. Over the next few weeks, MVP lambasted Lashley for celebrating his WrestleMania moment without him and thus, MVP aligned himself with Omos. Lashley and Omos then competed in an arm wrestling match on the April 25 episode, which ended in Lashley’s favor. Omos then attacked Lashley after the contest and later challenged him to a WrestleMania rematch at WrestleMania Backlash which Lashley accepted.

Previous PPV matches: This is a second PPV match between these two men, Lashley beat Omos at Wrestlemania last month.

Backlash PPV Record: Bobby Lashley is 2-2, Omos wrestles at this event for the first time tonight.

Match: This is a 12th consecutive PPV match for Lashley who gets distracted by MVP early which gives Omos the advantage. Omos slowly picks apart Lashley and then hits him with a running boot. Bobby ties Omos up in the ropes and lays into him with right hands before going after MVP again. Lashley hits a flatliner on Omos before applying the hurt lock but Omos breaks out. Omos counters a spear and throws Lashley into the ringpost before distracting the referee which allows MVP to hit Bobby in the face with his cane. Omos then chokeslams Lashley into the mat for the win.

Result: Omos wins by pinfall.

Review: This match was ok. It wasn’t amazing but it was decent for what it was. Omos isn’t the most mobile or agile so plays the role of a big man. He beats Bobby Lashley tonight and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a rubber match between the two.

Rating: 3.75/10

AJ Styles vs. Edge

Background: At WrestleMania 38, Edge defeated AJ Styles thanks to a distraction from Damian Priest. Edge and Priest then formed an alliance where Edge claimed to wipe out anyone who did not fit in their “Mountain of Omnipotence”. On the April 18 episode of Raw, Edge stated that he needed to finish what he started with Styles and then challenged Styles to a rematch at WrestleMania Backlash, with Styles later accepting. On the May 2 episode of Raw, Styles defeated Priest, thus banning Priest from ringside during the match.

Previous PPV matches: This is a second PPV match between these two men, Edge previously beat AJ Styles at Wrestlemania.

Backlash PPV Record: Edge is 4-6, AJ Styles is 1-1-1.

Match: AJ takes an early advantage and lays right into Edge in and out of the ring. Styles hits a big basement dropkick to the outside and then an asai moonsault. Edge counters an early phenomenal forearm attempt. Edge takes control from there, including hitting a big catapult into the ringpost. Both men hit crossbodies and they both go down. Styles hits a facebuster for a near fall. AJ then applies a calf crushes but Edge manages to get to the bottom rope to break it. AJ hits a German suplex and Edge pulls off a turnbuckle pad as he does. Edge then looks for a spear but Styles sidesteps and Edge hits the exposed turnbuckle. Styles hits a Styles clash but Edge kicks out at 2. AJ goes to the top and out walks Damien Priest from the back. Priest is supposed to be banned from ringisde but out comes Finn Balor to fight him off! With the referee distracted a hooded figure pulls AJ off the top! Edge applies a crossface and AJ passes out! The hooded figure then reveals themselves to be Rhea Ripley! She celebrates with Edge.

Result: Edge wins by technical submission.

Review: This was a decent enough match. Edge gets another big win over AJ Styles as The Judgment Day grows bigger. Rhea Ripley now seems to be a member and she’s a good fir for it. I can see a tag match with Finn balor on the cards at some point.

Rating: 6.75/10

Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Ronda Rousey – I Quit match for the Smackdown Women’s Championship

Background: At WrestleMania 38, Charlotte Flair defeated Ronda Rousey to retain the SmackDown Women’s Championship. During the match, Flair had tapped out to Rousey’s armbar; however, the referee was incapacitated and Flair was able to get a cheap win after the referee came to his senses. On the following episode of SmackDown, Rousey, who wanted a rematch with a clear winner, challenged Flair to an “I Quit” match. Flair refused and told Rousey to fall back in line. Despite this, the championship rematch was subsequently granted and scheduled for WrestleMania Backlash.

Previous PPV matches: This is a third PPV match between these two girls. Ronda won the first by disqualification and Charlotte won the second by pinfall.

Backlash PPV Record: Charlotte is 0-3 at Backlash, Ronda wrestles at this event for the first time tonight.

Match: I’m expecting this to be a stiff one. Charlotte comes out of the blocks fast and it’s not long before the two girls are hitting each other with strikes. Charlotte counters Pipers Pit early and hits a big German suplex. Rousey counters a figre four attempt and then looks for an armbar and the two girls go roling out of the ring. The fight goes to the outside where Charlotte grabs a bunch of kendo sticks. Ronda grabs the kendo sticks and Charlotte grabs two more from the back. Ronda grabs those sticks from Charlotte and lays into the smackdown women’s champion with them. Charlotte won’t quit. Flair throws a tv camera at Rousey but misses. The two then fight into the crowd. Charlotte applies a camel clutch throughthe railings but still Rousey won’t quit.

Charlotte powerbombs Rousey into the barricade. Ronda applies an armbar to Charlotte as she hangs upside down from the ringpost. The two then fall to the floor below. Charlotte takes control with help from a chair before applying a figure eight but Rousey smacks Charlotte with a chair to break it. Charlotte tells Ronda this is her last chance and wishes her happy mother’s day but that fires up Ronda who grabs Charlotte’s arm through the chair and locks on the armbar! Charlotte says “I Quit” and we have a new champion.

Result: Ronda Rousey wins the Smackdown women’s championship.

Review: This was every part the match I was hoping for. It was hard-hitting, stiff and had some fun moments and spots. Ronda wins the match and the title, a win I was expecting at Wrestlemania but she gets it tonight. The stipulation was perfect for these two.

Rating: 8.25/10

Madcap Moss vs. Happy Corbin

Background: During Happy Corbin’s match at WrestleMania 38, he was accidentally distracted by his tag partner, Madcap Moss, which resulted in a loss for Corbin. Following this, dissension arose between Corbin and Moss, with Corbin blaming Moss for his loss at WrestleMania. Tension continued to grow between the two and a match was scheduled for WrestleMania Backlash.

Previous PPV matches: This is a first time match between these two men.

Backlash PPV Record: Happy Corbin is 0-1, Madcap Moss makes his Backlash debut tonight.

Match: Happy Corbin takes the early advantage, culminating in a chokeslam. Corbin then drives Moss into the ringpost as the fight goes outside the ring. Corbin hits a hard Irish whip and then applies a chinlock before hitting his trademark clothesline and a senton for a two count. Madcap Moss then starts to fire up, knocking Corbin out of the ring and throwing him into the ringpost. Madcap hits a fallaway slam for a two count. Corbin avoids a sledge off the top and hits a sideslam for a two count. Madcap Moss hits a sunset flip out of nowhere and gets the three!

Result: Madcap Moss wins by pinfall.

Review: Madcap Moss gets the biggest win of his career tonight over Happy Corbin. This may be the end of this feud. It wasn’t the best match but I don’t think it helped that the crowd were still pumped up from the last match.

Rating: 3.75/10

Drew McIntyre & RK-Bro (Randy Orton & Riddle) vs. The Bloodline (Roman Reigns, Jimmy & Jey Uso)

Background: At WrestleMania 38, SmackDown’s Universal Champion Roman Reigns defeated Raw’s WWE Champion Brock Lesnar in a Winner Takes All match to claim both titles, thus becoming recognized as the “Undisputed WWE Universal Champion”. On the following episode of SmackDown, Reigns stated that he had nothing left to prove; however, he wanted his cousins, the SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso), to replicate his feat by winning the Raw Tag Team Championship to bring more gold to The Bloodline. The Usos appeared on Raw the following week to issue a challenge to the Raw Tag Team Champions, RK-Bro (Randy Orton and Riddle), who accepted and the match was made official as a Winners Take All championship unification match at WrestleMania Backlash. However, on the April 29 episode of SmackDown, the contract signing for the match ended with Reigns assisting The Usos in attacking RK-Bro and tearing up the contract in the process. Drew McIntyre then came out and joined forces with RK-Bro in driving off The Bloodline from the ring. Because of what had transpired, Reigns’ special counsel, Paul Heyman, then met with WWE official Adam Pearce backstage where Heyman requested that the resulting tag team championship unification match be called off and instead, a six-man tag team match featuring The Bloodline against RK-Bro and McIntyre be made for WrestleMania Backlash.

Previous PPV matches: This is a first time six man tag involving these six men.

Backlash PPV Record: Drew McIntyre is 1-1, Randy Orton is 2-5, Roman Reigns is 2-0, The Usos are 2-1 and Riddle makes his Backlash debut tonight.

Match: The crowd chant for Randy Orton who obliges by starting the match against Jimmy Uso who wrestles in a PPV main event for the first time in his career. Riddle tags in and Jimmy takes control for his team. Riddle, McIntyre and Randy make quick tags to take control. Roman Reigns tags in and straight back out. The Usos soon take control for their team as they keep Riddle away from his team. Roman finally tags in and continues the domination against Riddle. Riddle finally makes a tag to Drew McIntyre and we get the showdown that the crowd want. McIntyre fire up and takes out Reigns with a neckbreaker. Reigns then fires up and hits a big clothesline before holding up both of his championship belts. McIntyre then hits a claymore out of nowhere! Jimmy Uso and Randy Orton gets tags and it is all Randy. All hell breaks loose and Orton hits Reigns with an RKO! Randy then hits Jimmy Uso with an RKO but Jey breaks up the pinfall attempt. Jey Uso counters a claymore with a superkick as all six men go at it. Riddle gets a hot tag and picks up the pace. Reigns hits a urunage on McIntyre through the announce desk. Riddle hits an RKO on Jey Uso off the top but Roman Reigns then nails Riddle with a spear for the three!

Result: The Bloodline win by pinfall.

Review: This was a really fun match, especially when it broke down. It was chatoic and let to some good spots. Roman Reigns and The Usos winning was the right call. McIntyre and Drew McIntyre will probably feud unless they can hold off until the UK PPV. Roman Reigns is on another level right now, when he loses his titles it has to be special. I’d hold off until Cody Rhodes at Wrestlemania personally.

Rating: 7.5/10