Results from WWE WrestleMania Backlash 2022, full summary and analysis

WrestleMania Backlash was a surprisingly great show. It wasn’t without flaws, especially the main event with zero bets, but it included several matches that are worth watching. In the end, Roman Reigns and The Usos faced off after beating Drew McIntyre and RK-Bro.

What does this mean for Reigns in the future? It seems that WWE is preparing for a future match of the WWE Universal Championship between Reigns and McIntyre, which in your opinion would mean that McIntyre wins the untitled match of WrestleMania Backlash. This did not happen as Reigns got W by hooking Riddle. Maybe McIntyre isn’t the next contender after all.

The big news of the evening is that Rhonda Rousey is the new champion of SmackDown for women. After unsuccessfully shooting for the WrestleMania title, she managed to get Charlotte Flair to say “I Quit” in the WrestleMania Backlash. Elsewhere, Rea Ripley helped Edge beat AJ Styles and Cody Rhodes beat Seth Rollins in another outstanding match.

Roman Reigns and The Usos defeated Drew McIntyre and RK-Bro

This match had no bets and no puzzling final, but it was a lot of fun. If you can forgive that the titles aren’t online, this was a great main event.

In the first part, The Bloodline works on Riddle. This set a slow pace, but it increased as Reigns and McIntyre entered the ring. The audience was very much in love with their revelation, which was eventually won over by McIntyre. McIntyre set out to hit Claymore, but was interrupted by Jimmy Usso, which allowed Raines to take out McIntyre with a Superman hit. Raines took the time to rejoice, mocking Orton and giving Riddle a cheap kick, which allowed McIntyre to catch him with Claymore.

Orton then tagged Reigns as Jimmy. This started a series that led to Orton hitting one of his best RKOs in months. He received a hot marker in the match by placing Jimmy Uso with the DDT middle rope and setting him up for RKO. Jay Uso tried to break it, but Orton threw it away. Reigns then flew into the frame with Superman Punch, but Orton caught him with a sick RKO. Jay Uso then kicked Orton, who is battling the pain, to give another RKO. The approach was broken by Jay.

Raines would take revenge on Orton. Orton later fought Jay Uso outside, setting out to hit him at the announcer’s table. Reigns exploded on the screen, firing from the steps of the ring to hit Orton with Superman Punch. McIntyre then attacked Reigns, trying to bomb the Big Dog, but was interrupted by The Usos. Reigns then punched McIntyre across the table with a large Rock Bottom-style Uranage.

Jimmy Usso and Raines were then placed by Riddle, who crashed into them with a springboard. Jay Uso then hit Riddle with a suicide dive and threw him back into the ring. There they exchanged huge blows: Uso hit Enziguri, Riddle a flying knee and then Uso big Superkick. Jay climbed the ropes, but Riddle jumped and landed RKO with the upper rope.

Unfortunately for Riddle, Reigns marked Uso just before RKO. Reigns then slipped into the ring and cut Riddle in half with a spear to win.

Rating: 4.5 stars. Great from start to finish. The main problem is with the reservation, not the action: If WWE is preparing for the title match between Reigns and McIntyre, why did Reigns hook Riddle? It would make a lot more sense if Reigns were placed – or at least McIntyre won.

Reigns is the biggest and most protected star in the company. People need to be convinced that his reign in the championship is in danger, and this has done the opposite.

Madcap Moss defeats Happy Corbin

It was a match from A to B. Very simple, not very effective. Madcapp Moss defeated Happy Corbin by pressing it with a sunset roller.

Corbyn took the entire match with a limited attack on Moss all the time. Commentators talked about Moss’s incredible explosiveness, but we could only see flashes of it. There was not even a long, impressive return. Obviously, it should have come out as an upset victory, which means that Madcap Moss won, but it doesn’t have to be changed.

Rating: 2 stars. We hope Moss moves to more exciting prospects.

Rhonda Rousey wins the SmackDown Women’s Championship

Ronda Rausi is again the women’s champion. She made Charlotte Fleur shout “I gave up” as she wrapped a chair around Fleur’s shoulder and placed her in a lever.

After discovering Rousey, Flair gained control when he planted Rousey with a German Suplex. From there, she dumped Rosie with chops (wow!), Taking her outside. After Rosie fell on the baridas, Fleur cut her off and asked the referee to ask her if she was giving up. Rosie said no, and this Fleur “clapped like a bitch.”

Rosie pushed Flair into the ladder outside, then sent her over the barricade. Charlotte returned the blow, but immediately ran away when Rosie secured a kendo stick. Charlotte ran from behind, then came out with two kendo sticks. The two then battled Kendo Sticks, a Star Wars style, with Rosie defeating Flair. Rousey hit Flair with a few strokes of Kendo Stick and the referee asked if he wanted to give up.

Rousey defeated Flair in the crowd, but her attack was incredibly stopped when Flair threw water in Rousey’s face. This stunned Rosie, for whatever reason, and Fleur took advantage. They quarreled through the crowd, with Rouse refusing to give up at various times. The crowd chanted “We want tables!”

Back in the ring, Flair went to the top rope and started walking outside for Moonsault. Rosie interrupted him and pulled Flair down into a lever by the arm, holding Flair’s legs by the upper rope. Flair did an outstanding job with the sale, screaming in convincing terror, but refused to give up.

Fleur then regained control as he smashed a chair at Roosey’s feet. Inside, she slapped Rosie’s face in the natural selection chair. Flair placed Rosie in figure eight, but Rosie smashed it by grabbing the chair and hitting it in the thigh. The crowd chanted “We want tables!”

Flair placed a chair in the middle of the ring and grabbed the microphone. With sinister intent, she wished Ronda “Happy Mother’s Day.” Rhonda then pulled Fleur’s arm out of the chair so that it was pressed over her shoulder and locked in the lever. Fleur is reluctant to give up, and Rosie is the new women’s championship SmackDown.

Rating: 4 stars. Very intense, very good. There were no tables, but the audience still gathered big for the final.

Edge faints AJ Styles

Damian Priest was banned from the ring for this rematch of WrestleMania. Damian Priest ended with a surprise. This would not be the only distraction: Rhea Ripley cost AJ Styles the game at the end, pushing Stiles off the top rope at the crucial moment. This allowed Edge to lock the Crossface and make Styles faint.

The story in this match is that AJ has a damaged shoulder after an attack by Edge and Priest on Raw a few weeks ago. This attack also left him angry, which is why he started with a set of major violations, including an explosive sliding drop from outside and a beautiful lunar jump from a springboard. But when he went for a phenomenal forearm, Edge cut it off with a big boot.

Edge slowed considerably, working methodically on AJ and his injured arm. Edge eventually got Styles in Crossface, but Styles opposed Calf Crusher. From there it was a great series of counters and back and forth moves.

AJ pressed Edge in front of the bolt and German Suplexed pressed him, but when he was thrown, Edge tore off the middle pad. Stiles then threw Edge face into the open buckle and rolled him for a close fall. Edge then cut out Styles with a large copy, again for two. (This Spear happened when there was a repetition of the latch location, which was awkward.)

Edge tried another Spear, but AJ caught him with a V-Trigger knee. AJ then hit a great Styles Clash when he hung Edge on the top ropes, then lifted him out of there for another fake finale.

Stiles began to adjust another phenomenal forearm, but his shoulder wouldn’t let him jump. So he climbed the bracket to the top rope, but before he could let go of Damian Priest, he went down the ramp. Stiles protested to the referee, saying that Priest was banned from the ring, but Priest said he was on the ramp, not in the ring. Very cheap trip here.

As Stiles was distracted by Priest, Finn Balor attacked Priest from behind and dragged him out of the way. But as the judge was distracted, a stranger in a hood pushed Stiles off the upper rope. Edge then put Styles in the cross face and Styles fainted.

After the match, the hooded stranger revealed that she was Rhea Ripley, who joined the demonic faction of Edge.

Rating: 4 stars. More fun to watch than their match from WrestleMania. It was going to be an exceptional match, but the cheap final ruined it. Not that Rhea joined the faction, which is welcome from her. It was that Priest was banned from the ring, but still came out, which made the whole final sequence feel difficult to take seriously. Arrangements must matter, and it’s hard not to roll your eyes when they’re broken in such a brazen way.

Still, Edge and AJ did a great job here. AJ shone especially brightly. His offensive was strong and explosive, and the sale of the injured shoulder was also huge.

Omos defeats Bobby Lashley

Watching Omos fight Bobby Lashley is something new for about a minute, after which it becomes more and more unconvincing as the match drags on. These two fought for 10 minutes and, apart from the final, there is really nothing to say about it.

After 10 minutes of mostly ordinary battle, Omos threw Lashley into the bracket, causing his shoulder to crash into the ladder between the upper and middle ropes. As the judge was busy keeping Omos out of Lashley, the MVP punched Lashley in the face with his cane. Omos then gave the stunned Lashli a two-handed blow to victory.

At one point in the match, Lashley put Hurt Lock on Omos, but Omos, after nearly fainting, managed to free himself. Lashley later managed to plant Omos with a spinal lever. Apart from these places, there is nothing to say about this match.

Rating: 1 star.

Cody Rhodes nails Seth Rollins

The return of WrestleMania to the American nightmare against Seth Rollins started Backlash. He finished with Cody, certainly on his way to a WWE Universal Championship match against Roman Reigns, cheering Seth for the win.

The match was very different from their meeting at WrestleMania. While it was an exchange of big moves, it had more storytelling. In the first half of the match, Rollins was one step ahead of Rhodes. Not only did Rollins catch fire on Rhodes, but Rollins had a counter to all attempts to break Rhodes. Commentators did well to explain that Rollins was apparently watching a recording of Rhodes and preparing for his moves.

Halfway through, Rhodes slapped Rollins hard and it turned into a crazy fest. Rhodes defeated Rollins, which began his return. Cody took offense, countered suicide dives, and landed Cody Cutter for two – getting the first “That’s great!” song of the night.

Then the two quarreled outside. Rhodes threw Rollins into the ring and tried Moonsault from the top rope, but Rollins backed out of the way and then planted Rhodes with Pedigree for two.

Rollins shouted that Cody couldn’t tie his boots, and then mocked him by combining Dusty Rhodes’ punches. Rhodes objected, pulling Rollins into Cross Rhodes. He tried to move to second, but Rollins caught Rhodes on his knee. Rollins tried to curl up by pulling on Rhodes ‘tights, but Rhodes reversed the roll on one of them and took the three with a handful of Rollins’ tights.

Rating: 4.5 stars. Fantastic match. These two had a WrestleMania match and that was better. It’s hard to put this briefly, but Rollins and Rhodes work very well together. Everything they do is smooth – they’re fun to watch. As noted, this match had a greater element of storytelling than their original clash, which made it easier for me to invest in it.