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Credit: WWE
Welcome to Bleacher Report’s coverage and recap of WWE WrestleMania Backlash 2022.
WWE had originally booked a tag title unification match between The Usos and RK-Bro for this event, but it was changed to a six-man tag bout when Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre were added to the equation.
The only title match on Sunday featured Charlotte Flair defending the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Ronda Rousey. The only way for either to win was to make the other competitor say the words “I quit.”
The rest of the card was filled with rematches from WrestleMania 38, so there wasn’t a lot of new ground covered during Sunday’s show.
Let’s take a look at everything that happened at WrestleMania Backlash.
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WWE kicked off the night’s action with one of many WrestleMania rematches when Cody Rhodes faced Seth Rollins.
They started off simple with a lockup before engaging in a quick sequence of counters that led to Rollins scoring the first takedown and bragging about it. It seemed as if he was successfully getting inside Rhodes’ head at first.
The American Nightmare began to make it a more even fight as time went on, but The Visionary still seemed to be the one in control most of the time. He had a chip on his shoulder from his ‘Mania loss, so it made perfect sense for him to be the aggressor.
Like their WrestleMania match, they picked up the pace as they went and got the crowd hyped for every big moment. They paced themselves well so they could sell when they needed to without feeling like the momentum of the match was dying.
Rollins managed to get his foot on the rope to avoid a pin after taking the Cross Rhodes. The Visionary failed to win with the Pedigree, leading to Rhodes getting the pin by using a handful of tights when he rolled him up, which his opponent had just tried to do to him.
Some people might complain about the finish, but this was an outstanding match that will likely be remembered as the best of the night.
Grade: A
Notable Moments and Observations
- Rhodes had two different types of pyro. There was one set of fireworks when he first appeared and a completely different set when he posed on the stage.
- The camera angle when Rollins slapped Rhodes in the back of the head before The American Nightmare turned around and decked him was perfect. It caught the look on Rhodes’ face right before he struck. Being able to capture small facial expressions during matches is something WWE’s production team does well.
- The Disaster Kick Rhodes hit looked really good, but Rollins catching him for a buckle bomb when he tried to hit it a second time looked even better.
- Rhodes’ springboard cutter was awesome. Rollins is so good at being exactly where he needs to be when his opponents hit big spots like that.
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The second bout of the night was another ‘Mania rematch, but this time it was a battle of powerhouses with Omos taking on Bobby Lashley.
The All Mighty circled the giant a bit before going in for some strikes. Omos was unable to beat him back until MVP got on the apron to provide a distraction.
The only way Lashley was able to turn the tables was to trap the giant in the ring ropes so he could beat on him while he was defenseless. The All Mighty tried to go after MVP, but Omos put a stop to it by pulling him back in the ring by his head.
The former WWE champion was able to apply the Hurt Lock, but Omos broke it by backing him to the corner. MVP attacked Lashley with his cane while the ref had his back turned, allowing Omos to hit his two-handed chokeslam for the win.
This was a better and more competitive match than their encounter at WrestleMania, but it still left something to be desired. If they end up having a third match at the next PPV, it will probably be the best of the trilogy.
Grade: C+
Notable Moments and Observations
- The video before the match was good. WWE’s…
Read More: WWE WrestleMania Backlash 2022 Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights