6 Things WWE Subtly told us at WrestleMania Backlash: Possibly bad news about the Roman Reigns-Drew McIntyre feud, Returning star to turn heel and challenge Ronda Rousey?
Welcome to the special edition of things WWE subtly told us at WrestleMania Backlash. It was the first premium live event post-WrestleMania, and there has understandably been a mixed set of reviews.
Perhaps what surprised us at WrestleMania Backlash is the fact that the matches that weren't expected to deliver did, while the hyped-up bouts weren't as satisfactory. However, some moments will be remembered on the show, and it was the company's way of setting the tone for the coming year of programming.
So what did WWE subtly tell us at WrestleMania Backlash? Here is the good and bad of it all:
#6. The fallout of the disappointing WrestleMania Backlash main event
What a battle! 🤯
#TheBloodline reigns supreme at #WMBacklash!
@WWERomanReigns @WWEUsos @HeymanHustle https://t.co/gMogmZp7xP
The WrestleMania Backlash main event truly felt like a glorified SmackDown match. The Bloodline faced RK-Bro and Drew McIntyre in a bout that resulted in WWE canceling the title unification match.
Why they did that, we have no idea. However, it proved to be wasteful as the main event, which had its moments, underwhelmed in the end. But why was it so?
Some fans expected the match to result in McIntyre giving Roman Reigns his first pinfall loss since December 2019, but that's not what happened. Instead, Reigns simply speared Riddle and pinned him to stand tall yet again.
It was a bit of an anticlimactic end to WrestleMania Backlash, and it will likely set the tone for a feud that won't result in Drew McIntyre becoming the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. This will be bad news as we're likely going to see just another typical Reigns feud with the same result.
#5. The inevitability of Ronda Rousey and what lies ahead
.@RondaRousey forces @MsCharlotteWWE to scream "I QUIT!" at #WMBacklash! https://t.co/tLwkU79knO
Ronda Rousey finally became the SmackDown Women's Champion at WrestleMania Backlash. It was hardly the most unexpected result because of the way the match was built.
With that said, we will give credit where it's due. For all that we have criticized the feud, they at least concluded it with a great match - far superior to their bout at WrestleMania 38. The "I Quit" stipulation turned out to be the perfect way to wrap it up.
But given that Charlotte Flair's seven-month title reign (nine months if you count her RAW Women's title run) ended, wouldn't it be logical that she gets a rematch? Why are we so confident that the feud is over? Well, it's over for the time being at least.
WWE confirmed that Flair suffered a "fractured radius", it's a clear way of writing her off TV for a while at WrestleMania Backlash.
This means that Rousey is likely to get a fresh challenger this Friday. So who could it be? Our best guess would be Lacey Evans, who WWE has been building up as a babyface. But the fact that they did it for over a month and then had Evans "demand" that the crowd give her the proper respect, it seems a bit odd.
In reality, the company could be planning a heel turn for the returning superstar so she can be Ronda Rousey's first feud as the SmackDown Women's Champion.
#4. Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins may not be over yet
He got him!
@CodyRhodes takes down @WWERollins once again at #WMBacklash! https://t.co/De168kwkgW
Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins opened the night at WrestleMania Backlash and it was perhaps the right decision. With that said, their match didn't deliver the same way it did at WrestleMania 38.
While that was also a slightly long bout, their match at WrestleMania Backlash felt unnecessarily long. We understand that both superstars are technically gifted and can work long matches, but not every match has to be long. This was the perfect example of that.
What was a bit more disappointing was the fact that Rhodes won with a roll-up. However, this was a subtle way of indicating that their rivalry will pour on to Hell in a Cell 2022 next month.
#3. The possible reason why Omos defeated Bobby Lashley
.@TheGiantOmos stands tall at #WMBacklash
@The305MVP https://t.co/QtL6V1bNT0
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Bobby Lashley is internally listed as the number one babyface on RAW. So why did the brand's top babyface lose to Omos at WrestleMania Backlash?
It's simple - the focus right now is to build up him as a legitimate threat. While WWE doesn't have a good history with handling giants such as Omos, there seems to be some interest in pushing him.
MVP certainly helped him with the victory to protect The All Mighty, but the possible reason behind Omos' win is that the focus is now to push him, the younger star, over the already-established Lashley. It's certainly true that this loss won't affect him as much as one might think.
#2. Madcap Moss' rise and conclusive feud with Happy Corbin
.@MadcapMoss pulls a fast one on Happy @BaronCorbinWWE!
#WMBacklash https://t.co/khyk6v4Mgh
Madcap Moss has been a surprisingly positive highlight of SmackDown. If you've followed this author's articles in the past month, you're probably aware that we've been far more critical of the blue brand's quality and how RAW has been so much better despite not having a world champion.
With that said, Moss has been one of the positives, and given the work he has put in from his NXT days, it's great to see the crowd positively responding to him. It certainly helps that Happy Corbin is the most hateable character on the roster, giving Moss an even bigger boost.
He beat Corbin to conclude their feud, and this was likely a move to truly kickstart his singles push.
#1. Judgment Day expands at WrestleMania Backlash, but what is next?
What did we just witness?!?!
#WMBacklash @EdgeRatedR @RheaRipley_WWE https://t.co/BwRs6BEYL6
Judgment Day keeps expanding and it has been one of the best parts of WWE TV. Edge's reinvention seems to be working, and everything, from his look to mannerisms to theme song, has changed.
Damian Priest was barred from ringside for the rematch between Edge and AJ Styles at WrestleMania Backlash. While the bout between the two bonafide legends wasn't that memorable, it will be remembered for the moment.
As Priest looked to break the rule that he was barred from ringside, Styles' new ally Finn Balor came out to get him. However, a masked figure helped Edge pick up the win, and it was revealed to be former RAW Women's Champion Rhea Ripley. This proved to be the most memorable moment of the WrestleMania Backlash show.
If Judgment Day keeps picking up steam, don't be surprised to see Ripley be the one to dethrone Bianca Belair this summer. If an additional male member joins, then don't be surprised to see him and Damian Priest become the RAW Tag Team Champions (if the titles aren't unified already).