WWE Backlash France
May 4th, 2024
LDLC Arena
Décines-Charpieu, Metropolis of Lyon, France
Attendance: 11,628
I’m starting this later than the show began, and I was pretty excited to see WWE have it’s first ever Pay Per View in France, and the crowd certainly disappoint. It’s almost like a breath of fresh air when the WWE does a Premium Live Event in another country, and the joy from the French people and their constant singing and carrying on was really wholesome and straight up fun. It made you want to be there!
Tag Team Street Fight
Kevin Owens & Randy Orton vs. The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa & Tama Tonga) (w/Paul Heyman)
The Match:
Here we go, my first time watching Tama Tonga in WWE, and Kevin Owens and Randy Orton take him and the heir to the Head of the Table, Solo Sikoa. The entrances TAKE SO LONG IN WWE DON’T THEY? It’s is awesome hearing the French fans enjoy themselves though. I really wonder where this story is going, and I hope Jacob debuts here! It’s an all out brawl at the outset, and agents and referees try to get it under control. Owens stuns security. Nick Aldis comes out to calm everything down and makes it a Street Fight. Owens and Orton dominated the two from the outset! Owens and Orton were killing them, Tonga got put through a table by Owens. Solo put Orton through a table in response. This was when the tide turned in the match! They grabbed a table, and Tonga has done well so far. Solo got chucked through a table. We need Jacob Fatu! Randy Orton got back in the game, he hit an RKO on Tonga and Solo broke it up. Randy hit an RKO on Solo on the table. It was down to Owens and Tonga. Owens reversed a superplex through some chairs. Tongas brother gets involved? Who is he? Solo hit the Spike on Owens and the Bloodline wins!
Winner/s: The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa & Tama Tonga) (w/Paul Heyman) via pinfall.
Tanga Loa used to be Camacho who backed up Hunico in 2011. I had no idea Tama had a brother, and here I was expecting Jacob Fatu to show up! Hopefully soon. They could really make this Bloodline thing something special.
WWE Women’s Title Triple Threat Match
Bayley (c) vs. Naomi vs. Tiffany Stratton
The Match:
It’s Tiffy Time! She looks amazing. She is over like rover in France, as is expected. Naomi is continuing her tired old gimmick with the glow in the dark shit, I really think it’s important for her to think about evolving her character if she wants to stay relevant. The crowd sing I wanna know if you’ll be my girl for Bayley. I’m so proud of Tiffany. She took charge after the flurry early. Their accents in the crowd are so good. Naomi suddenly pops up after Tiffy dominated Bayley. Tiffy nails Naomi. Bayley got involved and the Naomi laid out Bayley. It went back and forth here. This is harrowing like the first match. Tiffy threw them both on the announce tables and got set out the ring as Naomi and Bayley battled, Bayley got a sneaky pinfall on Naomi. That was a good match for what it was, I just think the WWE hangs it’s hat on Women’s title matches having multiple ladies involved, it happens way more often than not and it does get a little tiresome after a while, despite the fact this was a decent match up. They protected Tiffany Stratton here by having Naomi take the pin.
Winner: STILL WWE Women’s Champion, Bayley via pinfall.
Solo Sikoa approached Jey backstage with the Bloodline. They walked off. Does the plot thicken? I doubt it, but it was an interesting scene.
WWE World Heavyweight Title Match
Damian Priest (c) vs. Jey Uso
The Match:
It’s pretty obvious who’s going to win this, it’s Damian’s first title defence. If they want him to be a big new star, the first title defence has to be mathematical. The match starts off with Jey getting his gimmick over to Damian’s disdain. Yeet sucks. I am worried that Damian doesn’t have the legitimacy and heat he should as champ yet. Jet really took it to Damian just after the early beginnings of the match. Damian got mad at JD McDonagh for getting involved. He doesn’t want anyone help. More back and forth took place, Damian hit the Razors Edge for a 2 count. Jey hit a Spear for a 2 count! Finn Balor got kicked off the apron. South of Heaven Chokeslam got a 2 count. Jey hits several superkicks and a splash and JD puts Damians foot on the rope. Jey hits JD with a dive, then a spear om Balor. Damian retains with South of Heaven off the ropes! That was a pretty good match, they gave them a lot more time than they thought they would, the biggest issue is, and we all know this, the WWE put these types of title matches on early into somebodys reign and we know ahead of time they are definitely retaining. It’s just too obvious that Jey wasn’t going to win here, but it was put together in a way where they at least kept you guessing for a bit.
Winner: STILL WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Damian Priest via pinfall.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Title Match
The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka & Kairi Sane) (c) vs. Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill
The Match:
Asuka and Bianca were fierce from the outset! Eventuslly, Jade and Kairi went at it. Jade looked good! I’m all about Jade. Jade and Bianca showed how good they are. Kairi destroyed Bianca with a crossbody to the outside. Asuka and Kairi kept Bianca at bay. The Kabuki Warriors stayed on top cutting the ring in half. They cut off the tag right at the last moment. Kabuki Warriors kept on Bianca, who tried to keep it going. We finally got the hot tag. She dominated. Kairi wasn’t legal as she went to close in, Jade nailed her again. Jade and Bianca hit powerbombs in unison. Jade hit Jaded and Bianca hit the KOD to win the tag titles! We kind of saw this coming too, Jade and Bianca definitely weren’t losing this match but boy, it was a really good one. Jade looked fantastic out there, super comfortable, and I have to give props again to Asuka and Kairi because they made sure Jade looked good, and Bianca can never be denied either, she sold very well, and it was good to see the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles get showcased here.
Winner/s: NEW WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill via pinfall.
See what I mean when I talk about it being utterly pointless that the WWE Men have 2 sets of Tag Team Titles and on the first Premium Live Event since WrestleMania 40, neither of them were important enough to be on the line here? Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t AEW and we don’t need every single title they have on every PLE, but it already feels like they only need one Men’s Tag Title and one Women’s Tag Title. I would rather a Women’s midcard title above a 2nd Mens Tag Team Title.
WWE Title / WWE Universal Title Match
Cody Rhodes (c) vs. AJ Styles
The Match:
Jesus the entrances go forever! It’s a big arena I am aware but crikey, I was fast forwarding so much and they still hadn’t locked horns. They finally clashed, as the French fans went mental, which really was a sight to see. AJ went after Cody hard early. It’s good to see AJ back in the main event. The French people love AJ! And Cody. AJ went after Codys shoulder. They kept going back and forth! They made this intense. AJ Styles tore apart the French Announce Table. Cody went for a big time superplex, but AJ reversed. Cody got his knees up on a moonsault. This was a solid struggle. The fans were singing during this portion! What an experience. AJ got powerbombed through the table! This went for some time, a crazy amount of time. AJ nailed it a few times, Cody kicked out of a Burning Hammer at 1 which hurt the match, Cody Cutter for 2. They kept going with the back and forth, and eventually Cody hit a Cody Cutter from the top rope and definitively finished AJ Styles off with the Cross Rhodes and it was over!
Winner: STILL Undisputed WWE Champion, Cody Rhodes via pinfall.
Final Thoughts:
I did enjoy this show quite a lot, it’s never going to be as exciting as NXT is to me but I felt like the angles they had going into this were important, and what happened on the show was imporant. I think Tama Tonga shined in his debut, and Solo Sikoa looked good as the new defacto leader of the Bloodline – and I am fascinated, utterly fascinated about where that angle is going next, especially when Roman Reigns finally returns to see his Bloodline has been taken over without any of his blessings. Damian Priest looked good as a world champion here, but I think it’s imperative that they give him a good angle going forward that highlights him so that his title reign is cemented and he is forever a Main Event level guy, as opposed to a guy who just popped into the world title scene once and never again like a Jinder Mahal or Jack Swagger. He needs to be established. I still think WWE could do a whole lot more with their angles and with the time alotted on these Premium Live Events, but they are going the route they want to go and that is still okay with me. I am just glad it doesn’t go over 4 hours and have more than 10 matches. I would give this show a solid 7.5/10.
