5 things WWE WrestleMania Backlash 2022 got right: The Bloodline stands tall; Ronda Rousey makes Charlotte Flair quit
WWE WrestleMania Backlash 2022 featured several solid contests even though only one title match took place on Sunday night. Roman Reigns and The Usos teamed up to face RK-Bro and Drew McIntyre in the show's main event.
The only title match saw Charlotte Flair defend the SmackDown Women's Championship against Ronda Rousey in an “I Quit” Match. It was one of the many rematches from WrestleMania 38.
Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins squared off once again in another big match of the night. Similarly, Edge and AJ Styles looked to write the next chapter of their heated rivalry at WrestleMania Backlash.
Omos got another chance to prove himself against Bobby Lashley at WrestleMania Backlash. With MVP by his side, The Giant looked a lot more lethal than he did in their previous encounter.
Madcap Moss also picked up a big win over Happy Corbin on the show. It looks like the creative team is ready to launch Moss to the top soon.
It was an entertaining premium live event that kept many rivalries going. Take a look at the five things WWE got right at WrestleMania Backlash this year.
#5. Cody Rhodes’ victory over Seth Rollins kept the door for a rematch ajar
Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes competed in a rematch at WWE WrestleMania Backlash 2022. The two men exchanged strikes early before Rollins slammed Rhodes on the announcers' desk at ringside. He threw the former AEW star into the barricades to hurt him earlier in the contest.
The Visionary worked over Rhodes for some time before the latter broke free and hit a Cody Cutter. Rollins tried to go for the Pedigree but had to settle for a Falcon Arrow after Cody blocked it.
The two men countered each other’s best moves and made the match entertaining. The American Nightmare survived a Pedigree before both men traded some roll-ups. Cody Rhodes picked up the win with a handful of tights in the end.
It was another exciting contest between two of the finest wrestlers of the company currently. Cody needed another win to come across as a legitimate threat to the top tier of the WWE roster. However, the finish will likely lead to one final match between the two rivals.
#4. Omos defeated another former WWE Champion to stay relevant
The two heavyweights of WWE RAW collided in the night's second match. Omos looked set to take down Bobby Lashley after suffering a loss at the hands of The All Mighty at WrestleMania 38.
He had an early advantage in the match as he manhandled the former WWE Champion. Lashley locked in a hold and tried to wear the big man down but could not succeed.
MVP tried to interfere in the match as Lashley continued to beat down The Colossus and put him on the back foot. The 45-year-old star hit a Flatliner in the middle of the ring and locked in a Hurt Lock. Omos broke out of the hold and MVP struck The All Mighty with his cane. The Giant used the distraction and hit a big Choke Bomb to pick up the win at WrestleMania Backlash.
The match wasn’t too great, but it did what was required. Omos needed to pick up a win over the former WWE Champion to come across as a threat under the management of MVP.
This was Omos’ second big victory after he put down AJ Styles several months ago. The creative team still needs to build the juggernaut further in the months to come.
#3. Rhea Ripley helped Edge defeat AJ Styles at WWE WrestleMania Backlash 2022
AJ Styles and Edge fought in a rematch at WWE WrestleMania Backlash 2022. Styles vented his anger at Edge early and sent him outside the ring and into the barricades and announcers' desk.
The Phenomenal One looked to keep the pressure on while Edge went after his injured shoulder. He locked in a hold to punish the former WWE Champion before Styles broke out and hit a Pele Kick.
Edge locked in a Crossface, but Styles reversed it into a Calf Crusher. The Rated-R Superstar broke free and hit a Spear for a nearfall. Styles blocked the second Spear and hit a Styles Clash for a nearfall of his own.
Damian Priest came out even though he was banned from ringside. However, he couldn't interfere in the contest as Finn Balor arrived to take him out of the equation. Styles went to the ropes, but a hooded figure dropped him before Edge capitalized to pick up the win.
After the match, the hooded figure kneeled at The Rated-R Superstar before revealing herself to be Rhea Ripley. It was a great bout that gave Edge another big win. The rivalry seems to be far from over, and Styles could team up with Balor and possibly Liv Morgan to take on the Judgment Day shortly.
#2. Ronda Rousey forced Charlotte Flair to quit
The only championship match of WWE WrestleMania Backlash 2022 saw Charlotte Flair defend her title against Ronda Rousey. The two superstars competed in an “I Quit” Match in what was another spectacle.
Rousey targeted Flair’s arm early, but the champion took her down with some big moves. Flair continued to protect her arm from Rousey and sent her into the barricades before using a Kendo Stick.
The two women fought all over the arena and used many weapons and their surroundings to punish each other. The Queen used the railings in the stands to lock Rousey in the same hold that Sasha Banks used on her years ago. The two continued to use some weapons and delivered their signature moves but could not make the other quit.
The Baddest Woman on the Planet locked in an armbar on the apron, and both women fell over. Flair hit the Natural Selection on a steel chair and went for the Fight Eight leglock. Rousey used the chair to break the hold and used it to lock in an armbar to force the SmackDown Women’s Champion to quit at WrestleMania Backlash.
It was a much better match than their first encounter, which showed how much being the champion meant to both women. Rousey deserved the hard-fought victory at WrestleMania Backlash. The change at the top will help the SmackDown women’s division grow in the coming months.
#1. The Bloodline stood tall to end WWE WrestleMania Backlash 2022
Jimmy Uso and Randy Orton entered the ring for the six-man tag team match at WWE WrestleMania Backlash 2022. Riddle tagged in early, and RK-Bro delivered a double-team move to keep the pressure on their opponents.
Drew McIntyre hit Jimmy Uso with a vertical suplex and begged Roman Reigns to join him in the ring. The Tribal Chief wasn’t in the mood to face The Scottish Warrior and chose to tag himself out again.
Reigns continued to play mind games with his opponents while The Usos did most of the dirty work early. The Tribal Chief exclaimed that Riddle didn’t even deserve to be in the same ring as him.
He finally faced off against McIntyre, and both men exchanged some big blows. McIntyre prepared to hit the Claymore, but Jey distracted him long enough for Reigns to hit the Superman Punch.
Orton was in his element throughout the contest, even though Reigns and McIntyre overshadowed him. RK-Bro took control of the contest late and looked to pick up the win for their team.
Reigns took out The Viper outside the ring before putting McIntyre through the announce table. Riddle hit an RKO on Jey from the top rope, but Reigns came in with a Spear and picked up the win at WrestleMania Backlash.
Reigns made a blind tag before hitting the Spear and pinning Riddle. It was the right call to give The Bloodline another big win at the event. Riddle was the weak link in the babyface team and took the fall to The Tribal Chief.
Following the result, it will be interesting to see whether The Usos challenge RK-Bro for a title unification match. WWE will also look to build a bigger rivalry between Reigns and Drew McIntyre following WrestleMania Backlash.