WWE Backlash France 2024 5/4/2024

WWE Backlash France 2024 5/4/2024

Street Fight - Kevin Owens & Randy Orton vs. The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa & Tama Tonga)

The four stare down and the crowd chants "We Want Roman". All four go out to fight. Orton's head is banged off the rails. Tama is thrown over the rails. Orton's head is banged off the commentary table and some of the agents come down to try and stop this.More security comes out to help. KO stunners security guards.

Nick Aldis comes out and says that's enough. Nick tells them to do whatever they want and says it's a street fight now. Orton and Solo go into the stands. Tama takes a Prime drink to the knee and Owens hits Tama with a Prime sign. Tama is hit with a folding chair by KO. KO puts Solo in a seat and pounds on him. 

The four men fight in the crowd then Solo and Tama are thrown over the rail into ringside. KO splashes Tama off the rail. Tama is backdropped onto a table. Tama is ddt'd on the steps. Tama is hit with a trash can lid and Solo is hit with a kendo stick. KO hits Solo with a trash can. Solo's head is banged off the commentary table.

Tama is put on a table and Owens frogsplashes him through it from the apron. Solo uppercuts Orton then samoan drops him through a table. Owens stunners Solo then is flipped with a lariat. Tama strike flurries KO then bangs his head off the mat. Solo corner hip attacks KO. Tama hits KO with a trash can lid many times.

KO spears Tama then Solo hits KO with the trash can. Solo headbutts Owens then Solo is sent into a table in the corner. Tama running lariats KO. Orton stares down Tama then lariats him. Orton powerslams him and bridging ddt's him over the 2nd rope. Orton RKO's Tama for 2. Solo attacks Orton then Solo is RKO'd on a table.

KO chairs Tama then 2nd rope fisherman busters him through chairs. Tanga Loa then pulls the ref out on the pin attempt. Heyman is shocked. Loa hits Orton and KO with steps. Solo uranages KO on a chair. Solo samoan spikes him and wins it.

Thoughts: The Bloodline winning was the right call here. It was a hardcore brawl that was out of control from the start. It went a little longer than it needed to but they had a good crowd and they performed this one well. I'm not a Tanga Loa fan. He's broken down and wasn't as good as Tama to begin with. 

WWE Women's Title Triple Threat Match - Bayley (c) vs. Naomi vs. Tiffany Stratton

Naomi armdrags Bayley. Naomi splits and Tiff cartwheels over her. They all try to roll each other up. Bayley hits a sliding lariat on Tiff then a sliding back elbow. Tiff rolls both up together. Tiff throws Bayley into the buckles, Naomi slides out of a lariat and dropkicks Bayley.

Tiff cartwheel back elbows Naomi then Bayley cuts her off with a forearm. They try more pin attempts. Tiff back elbows Bayley. Tiff chokes her over the ropes. Bayley hits forearms then Tiff lariats her. Bayley goes up and over and rolls her up. Tiff then lariats her. 

Tiff cartwheel backflip back elbows Bayley. Tiff cartwheel alabama slams Bayley for 2. Naomi spears Tiff through the ropes to the outside. Naomi hits forearms outside then Naomi is thrown into the rails. Tiff handspring backflip back elbows Naomi over the rails then Bayley topes Tiff. Naomi jumps off the rails and blockbusters Bayley on the floor.

Naomi heatseeker piledrivers Tiff on the apron then split legged moonsaults her. Naomi bulldogs Bayley's face into the 2nd buckle. Naomi sitout powerbombs Tiff then does a head and double arm submission to her. Bayley breaks it with an elbow drop for 2. Naomi is sunset bombed into the buckles. Bayley tries to do it to Tiff but Tiff blocks it for a 2 count.

Bayley hits a belly to belly on Tiff then she is sent into the post. Tiff finlay rolls Bay then Naomi pulls out Tiff and pounds on her. Tiff alabama slams Naomi on the commentary table then does the same to Bay. Tiff misses a prettiest moonsault ever then takes a 3D from Bay and Naomi.

Bay and Naomi trade forearms. Naomi step up enzugiri's her then Bay reverses a pin and wins it.

Thoughts: It was an okay three way but these things are all pretty similar to the other and it wasn't great. The result was mostly obvious here.

Jey Usos is in the back then Solo, Tama and Loa stare him down as they walk past. Paul then stares him down and shakes his head. 

WWE World Heavyweight Title Match - Damian Priest (c) vs. Jey Uso

DP = Damien Priest

Jey comes through the crowd and gets a big reaction. DP hits punches then Jey fires back. Jey goes up and over in the corner and pulls DP out of the ring. Jey crossbodies him off the apron and is rammed into the rails off of it. Jey hits shots then is dropped with a punch. DP flying forearms him then pulls his arms back.

DP ear claps Jey then hits kicks to the body. Jey backdrops him. Jey hits some punches, superkicks him then uppercuts him. Jey spinning enzugiri's him then top rope crossbodies him. Jey topes him into the rail outside. Jey goes back in and JD McDonaugh pulls the ropes into Jey's crotch. DP spears Jey for 2.

JD and DP argue. Jey superkicks both then top rope splashes DP for 2. They trade shots on their knees then get up and trade. DP pounds on him then takes an uppercut. Jey superkicks him, enzugiri's him and takes a pump kick. DP hits a razor's edge for 2.

Jey hits a big spear for 2. Finn Balor tries to interfere and Jey nails him. DP flips Jey with a lariat then hits a south of heaven chokeslam for 2. DP corkscrew kicks Jey in the head. Jey superkicks him three times then jumping corner kicks him. Jey spears him then hits a top rope splash for 2 with JD putting DP's foot on the ropes. Jey topes JD outside then spears Finn outside. Jey is crotched up top then DP hits a 2nd rope south of heaven chokeslam. DP then gets the win.

Thoughts: I thought it was an average match here. The finish was the only real big spot in this one and it had a lot of interference and just endless punches. It was fine but far from their best effort.

Finn and JD beat up on Jey after. Priest stops them and they argue about it. Judgment Day then poses together. I'm not sure if I get this one since Judgment Day helped out during the match and Priest didn't care.

WWE Women's Tag Team Title Match - The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka & Kairi Sane) (c) vs. Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill

BB side headlocks Asuka. They shove each other and trade forearms. BB shoulders her over and forward cartwheels over her. Asuka rolls her into a pin attempt. Asuka does an octopus stretch then swinging drops her down. BB suplexes Asuka, kips up and tags in Jade.

Jade and Sane go at it. Jade throws her off the waistlock. Sane kicks her in the butt then takes a swinging backbreaker on the knee. Jade hits another. Sane is double hiptossed into a double slam. Jade and BB then pose. BB handspring moonsaults her for 2. 

BB corner spears Sane then hits corner punches. Sane pulls on BB's hair. BB dropkicks her out of the ring. BB dives outside but is high kicked by Asuka. Sane then jumps off the top with a crossbody on BB. BB fights off a 2v1 then takes sliding attacks. Asuka steps on BB's face.

Asuka flying back elbows BB in the corner then Sane sliding forearms her in the corner. Sane top rope diving forearms BB for 2. Asuka misses a top rope move on BB. BB chinbreakers her then BB suplexes her. Sane blocks BB's tag by knocking Jade off the apron.

Asuka codebreakers BB into Sane's headhunter. BB takes a sliding kick + sliding forearm combo for 2. Asuka armbars BB then high kicks her. BB escapes a double team. Sane pulls BB's hair then BB pulls her into a lariat. Jade is hot tagged in.

Jade hits a springboard double crossbody and facekicks Sane. Jade corner splashes both opponents then chokeslams Sane. Jade does a reverse attitude adjustment to Sane . Jade takes urakens and kicks from Asuka. Sane drops her out of the tilt-a-whirl.

Jade euros Sane. Asuka and Jade trade kicks. Jade chokeslams Sane. Sane trips her and armbars her. Asuka armbars BB at the same time. Jade and BB hit stereo deadlift powerbombs to break the holds.

Jade stops a double team. Sane takes a ddt into a wheelbarrow german for 2. Asuka throws Jade into the steps. Sane rolls BB and is spinebustered. BB corner spears the post when Sane moves. BB takes a reverse ddt + top rope elbow drop combo for 2.

Sane and Asuka uraken Jade. Jade superkicks Asuka then catches Sane off the 2nd rope. Jade puts her in jade end from the electric chair. BB hits a KOD on Asuka onto Sane. BB then pins Asuka.

Thoughts: Jade was real green here struggling to hit a lot of moves and not doing them that well. She also seemed real hesitant to take urakens here. I thought it went longer than it needed to be and was just average. 

They do a video for King of the Ring. Women's first round matches on Monday are Stark vs Nile, Shayna vs Vega, Lyra vs Asuka and Iyo vs Natalya. Men's first round matches on Monday are Finn Balor vs Drew McIntyre, Kofi vs Rey, Ricochet vs Ilja Dragunov and Gunther vs Sheamus.

WWE Title / WWE Universal Title Match - Cody Rhodes (c) vs. AJ Styles 

Cody and AJ lock up then back off. They roll on the ropes. Cody side headlock takeovers him then AJ does the same to him. AJ kips up and is side headlock takeovered. AJ headscissors him. AJ backrolls out of a headlock and they end up going face to face. AJ pushes him and is slapped. AJ knees him in the gut and they trade chops. Cody leapfrogs then dropkicks him. Cody then cartwheels and does AJ's hand signal.

AJ chops and dropkicks Cody. AJ takes a high back body drop. Cody gordbusters him. AJ drives him in the buckles then single arm ddt's him. Cody hits forearms then is knee'd in the gut. Cody catches a kick, rolls him up and is rolled up. Cody does a drop down punch then takes an enzugiri. 

AJ is pulled face first into the ropes and goes out. Cody goes for a tope and is hit. Cody's head is banged off the commentary table. AJ clears off the French announce table. Cody drives AJ's back into the steps. AJ's head is banged off the buckle. They fight on the buckles and AJ pulls Cody down from the top onto his back. AJ electric chair drops him.

Cody gets his knees up on AJ's asai moonsault. Cody hits punches then powerslams AJ. Cody hits a disaster kick for 2. Cody is caught on a springboard and takes a neckbreaker on AJ's knee. AJ misses a splash and is bulldogged. AJ hits a nasty brainbuster on the apron. AJ is then pulled off the apron and powerbombed on the commentary table.

They lariat each other at the same time then trade forearms. They high kick each other at the same time and fall down. They both fire up and get up. They trade shots. AJ strike combos him then takes a jabs and the bionic elbow for 2. AJ boots him in the corner then suplexes him into the buckles.

AJ backbreakers him then hits a springboard 450 for 2. AJ hits a burning hammer and Cody kicks out at 2. Cody fires up. AJ hits kicks then takes a cody cutter for 2. Cody lariats him then fires up. AJ pele kicks Cody then springboards into a Cody superkick. 

Cody kimura's him and AJ throws him down. Cody back body drops him for 2 then double springboard cody cutters him. Cody hits cross rhodes and wins it.

Thoughts: It was a decent match up until the burning hammer spot. That move should never be kicked out of. Cody then did a random kimura for a bit that also lead to nothing. There wasn't a lot of story in this one and it was really just a dream match style match where in-ring quality is the priority. It could have been a little quicker and some time definitely could have been cut off of it. I didn't hate it but I didn't love it either. The build to this match also did nothing for the program with AJ doing his tweener role and them having no clear story to work off of.

Overall thoughts: The show was not well built at all. They were riding the tides of Mania and seemed to have forgotten all about this in the process. That brought down some of my interest in the show and lead to the card being weak overall. A lot of the bigger stars were also missing here. I thought the opener was the best built match on the show and the best overall. The women's three way wasn't bad it was a three way. The Uso/Priest match was almost a house show style match minus the finish. The women's tag match wasn't that good and Jade had a lot of green moments. They did try in the main but the story wasn't there and they overdid it. I wouldn't recommend this one and would say it did live up to its rep as a "B" PPV.