Kevin Owens and Randy Orton VS The Bloodline
WWE Backlash 2024 kicked off with Kevin Owens and Randy Orton teaming up to take on The Bloodline. Before the match could even begin, chaos ensued as the two teams brawled to the point where Nick Aldis had to arrive to declare the match as a Street Fight. This was a lot of fun, mainly because it was both hard-hitting and bonkers! Kevin and Randy fully went at Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga to begin with, whilst the Heels then came back into it as the match went on. Plenty of weapons were used, from kendo sticks to trash cans, and we also got a few table spots, including Orton dropping Sikoa on the announce table with an RKO. We then got the craziest spot of the match when KO delivered a fisherman’s buster onto Tama Tonga onto some steel chairs, and this would’ve been enough for Owens to score the victory if it wasn’t for the debuting Tanga Loa! Tonga’s brother then wrecked both Owens and Orton with the steel steps before Sikoa hit both a Spinning Solo and a Samoan Spike to score the win! A great start to the show!
Grade: B+
WWE Women’s Championship: Bayley VS Naomi VS Tiffany Stratton
It was then time for the first Championship match of the night as Bayley put her WWE Women’s Title on the line in a Triple Threat Match against both Naomi and Tiffany Stratton. I thought this was a pretty good match, the crowd were fantastic throughout, and I thought all three women put on a show. Bayley used her veteran instincts to perform at a high level, Naomi showed out in a way I haven’t seen from her in a long time, and Tiffany Stratton continues to show why she’s the now of this division, let alone the future! Amazingly at one point, Bayley and Naomi dropped Tiffany with a 1D before The Role Model was able to retain her Title via roll-up. A good start to Bayley’s Title run!
Grade: B
World Heavyweight Championship: Damian Priest VS Jey Uso
The next match saw Damian Priest put his World Heavyweight Championship on the line for the first time against “Main Event” Jey Uso. Can I just say, go watch Jey Uso’s entrance if you can, it’s incredible! I thought the match itself was good, it could’ve been better, but I thought both men did a decent job. The crowd were fully behind Jey, chanting “YEET” on his every move, and the story was also good when it comes to The Judgment Day. JD McDonagh and Finn Balor both interfered enough times to cost Jey, and after a couple of good near-falls for both men, Priest was able to hit a Super South of Heaven to pick up a big victory! However, the most interesting part came afterwards as the World Heavyweight Champ went made at both Finn and JD for attacking Uso after the contest. This is definitely leading to something!
Grade: B-
WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships: The Kabuki Warriors VS Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill
We then got some more Tag Team action as The Kabuki Warriors put their WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships on the line against the duo of Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill. I’ll be honest, I didn’t enjoy this match, it felt a bit sloppy at times, and what the referee was doing I have absolutely no clue! I will say that Jade Cargill looked really good again which is great to see, but I don’t know, this just felt very off. In the end, a K.O.D. from Belair to Asuka onto Kairi Sane was enough to crown new Tag Team Champions.
Grade: C-
Undisputed WWE Championship: Cody Rhodes VS AJ Styles
And in the Main Event of WWE Backlash 2024, Cody Rhodes put his Undisputed WWE Championship on the line against AJ Styles. The first positive I have to say about this match is it got a good amount of time, but it didn’t feel like it went too long, which can be an issue sometimes. The second positive I have to say is this was a really good match, Cody looked good which is key at this point in time, and it felt a little bit like the old AJ Styles, a guy that can basically out-wrestle anyone on the planet. Also, it’s worth mentioning that no one was quite able to hit their big moves, which is important, and in the end, it only took one Cross Rhodes for The American Nightmare to pin The Phenomenal One. Oh, and one last thing, this French crowd ruled!
