WWE Backlash RESULTS: New champions crowned and a new member of The Bloodline arrives as red-hot crowd electrifies France

WWE came to France and set a record for gate revenue for an arena show. Luckily they have come up with a card and an event to match.

There’s no doubt that WWE will return to France in the coming years after one of the biggest, raucous crowds of all time took WWE Backlash to heights beyond expectations, but the stars on display also delivered.

Kevin Owens and Randy Orton performed in the opening bout the same way Cody Rhodes and AJ Styles would in the main event.

One major title changed hands to ensure this wasn’t just a ‘B-level’ pay-per-view of a glorified international live event – WWE has changed the game with their international premium live events.

It has breathed new life into the shows like no one predicted. Who would have thought France would rival Britain and Canada as wrestling hotbeds?

Let’s get to the results:

The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga) def. Randy Orton and Kevin Owens

One of the widest starts to a pay-per-view in recent memory paved the way for an exciting opening match as Kevin Owens and Randy Orton’s tag match with The Bloodline’s Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga turned into a street fight.

After surviving an early attack, ‘R-KO’ took full control of the heels, with Tonga dumped onto the announce table by Orton before Owens put him through a separate table with a frog splash. This was after both members of The Bloodline ate headshots out of a trash can.

Back in the ring, Sikoa managed a Samoan Drop to put Orton through another table. That helped the heels maintain control until Owens reversed an Irish whip from Sikoa through a table to RKO Orton Tonga. Sikoa healed in time to avoid the pinfall, but took an RKO to the table due to his troubles.

Owens had done enough to win with a fisherman breaking through stacked chairs, but the debut of Tama Tonga’s brother, Tonga Loa, dropped both Owens and Orton and a spike from Sikoa secured the win.

WWE Women’s Championship: Bayley def. Tiffany Stratton and Naomi

All three women were immediately present upon their entrance, setting the tone for how invested the crowd would be in Lyon. The trio were all apart of the action early on before Naomi was the first to take an extended stint on the outside, allowing Stratton to take it to the champion.

The work rate and pace on display was enough to get everyone invested and what the matchup lacked in memorable three-way spots it more than made up for in hard-hitting action, such as the pair of Alabama Slams Stratton delivered to her opponents. on announce tables (apparently the most robust tables ever!)

When the action in the ring fell through, Bayley managed to secure the win by executing a roller pin over her good friend Naomi. A solid first title defense for Bayley, but it was always unlikely that the company would strip her of the title so soon after winning it, although Stratton’s blossoming stardom looms…

WWE World Heavyweight Championship: Damien Priest def. Jey Uso

Jey Uso, the tag team specialist challenging for a world title, came in like a true superstar as the entire arena erupted, bouncing to his theme and giving him the pop of the night. However, the early exchanges of this match really belonged to the champion.

Judgment Day member JD McDonagh showed up to give Priest a hand, but the champion was not grateful for his stablemate’s interruption and reprimanded him at ringside, insisting he didn’t need his help.

Finn Balor also got involved and helped turn the tables once Uso came out on top. A huge choke from Priest wasn’t enough to put the challenger away. Uso scored a bull’s-eye for the win, but guess what? Priest needed McDonagh as he put his stablemate’s foot on the top rope to avoid the pin.

A chokeslam from the top rope finally put Uso down and like Bayley, Priest successfully retained his title at the first time of asking.

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships: Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill final. The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane)

Make no mistake, this match was just the latest step in the massive upward trajectory for Jade Cargill, as once again AEW exports were presented in the strongest possible light.

Belair has to go into hiding for much of the match, leaving Cargill with the hot tags. Sane was excellent in her role against the superpowers, but the champions were never favorites to retain against such formidable foes.

The finish came with an excellent sequence where Cargill threw Sane like a ragdoll in her finish Jaded before Belair hit the KOD on Asuka. Cargill is still learning, but that finish will certainly stand out to fans.

WWE Undisputed Championship: Cody Rhodes def. AJ Styles

For a main event with so much generational talent, the crowd were the MVPs of the clash, adding meaning and atmosphere to the dream match that unfolded before us.

Rhodes and Styles had never met, but the champion began to right the acts of disrespect Styles had heaped upon him in recent weeks, issuing a receipt for a punch he took on SmackDown. But it was the challenger who dominated the proceedings.

The champion regained the upper hand by putting Styles through the (previously unbreakable) announce table. Styles answered back with a blazing hammer blow that only served to fire Rhodes, who kicked out at one, turned on almost Hogan-like, and hit himself in the face as he climbed to his feet.

Styles always seemed like a credible first opponent for Rhodes on the surface and that’s exactly what he turned out to be. He fell to a super Cody cutter (from the top rope) and a subsequent Cross-Rhodes to tie a bow on yet another electric WWE pay-per-view.