Prince’s The Day After: WWE WrestleMania Backlash 2022

Good day to the readers! Prince Osborne here coming back to the blog after a long time with a new series called “The Day After” where wrestling specials are reviewed after a day or two to give a clear take on all the matches happened and the stories moving forward.

Today, we’re kicking the series off with a successful Premium Live Event that followed up some stories from WrestleMania as Backlash is upon us!

Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins

Cody Rhodes def. Seth Rollins by pinfall at 20:50

This was a fantabulous rematch of their WrestleMania barnburner, and I can daringly say that this match upped the notch over their previous clash. The story was presented in the best way just like ‘Mania but the wrestling side was even more fluid and thrilling to watch. I’m saying once again that Rollins needs to be offered a fleet of flower bouquets for his sheer performance in the past two years and he never expected anything in return. All he needed was to be prominent. The same goes to Cody where he proved here again that he evolved from a substandard underrated player to a larger-than-life superstar in the years away from WWE. The finish left a window for building the trilogy between these two which would give a well deserved ending to this stellar rivalry.

• Rating: 4.75/5

Bobby Lashley vs. Omos

Omos def. Bobby Lashley by pinfall at 8:50

This was just as equal to their WrestleMania match, but a notch down because of the prolonged duration it had, with a dusty finish to boot. I can’t blame any men here but Omos’ premature call-up as a singles wrestler shows how inexperienced he is. I have to see Lashley rise up the ladder and contend against top-tier athletes soon after this rivalry is done.

• Rating: 2/5

AJ Styles vs. Edge

Edge def. AJ Styles by submission at 15:21

This was very good but not on the level of their WrestleMania showdown, in my opinion. Being more of a fan of story-driven bouts than necessarily “wrestling classics”, I felt the storytelling was great but not near the heights of their previous bout. The stipulation of Priest barred from ringside didn’t bode well during the end stretch which hindered the finish a bit. Ripley joining Judgment Day is a great boost for her to rekindle the vicious side of herself, which hasn’t been seen in a while.

• Rating: 4/5

“I Quit” Match – SmackDown Women’s Championship: Charlotte Flair vs. Ronda Rousey

Ronda Rousey def. Charlotte Flair at 16:32

Extremely better than their WrestleMania bout, but still not as fantastic as their match in 2018. The stipulation paved the way for both women to be comfortable by orchestrating a high-intense, action packed fight all around the arena. For the first time in a long time, I felt that Charlotte presented herself as a credible wrestler while Rousey brought her inner beast and unleashed its fullest potential. Rousey as the champion opens up some good opportunities for her while Charlotte can nurse herself away from the scene after a dominant reign.

• Rating: 4/5

Madcap Moss vs. Happy Corbin

Madcap Moss def. Happy Corbin by pinfall at 9:45

Unlike others, I found this to be a serviceable cooldown match where both men pushed hard to seek attention towards them, but the crowd was merely responding. Keeping their character arcs aside, the wrestling ability of both men are good at best and this was an example. The finish was so cool and reminiscent of an 80’s style sudden finish, which hasn’t been incorporated in years.

• Rating: 3/5

Six Man Tag Team Match: Drew McIntyre & RK-Bro vs. The Bloodline (Roman Reigns, Jey Uso & Jimmy Uso)

The Bloodline def. Drew McIntyre & RK-Bro (Roman Reigns pinned Riddle) at 22:10

This was a fantastic main event that had the initial expectations in a double-sword, but exceeded in the end. All six men had all the time in the world to shine bright and put on a brilliant performance. The stories this match told were excellent – Reigns still being vulnerable in facing McIntyre & Usos, and RK-Bro vying for the ultimate endgame of their story on becoming the undisputed tag team champions. McIntyre & Orton had a frenzy time in this match with palpable chemistry and crisp aggression. Riddle being the third wheel is predictable but doesn’t hurt him in any way. The ending was a crazy spot to execute and The Bloodline standing tall cements their run as one of the greatest trios WWE has ever given.

• Rating: 4.5/5

Overall Match Rating

3.75/5

Overall Show Rating

FEEDBACK

Match of the Night:

OVERALL VERDICT

As a whole, the event had a so-so build collectively but gave us a splendid time watching every match unfold in its best way. Rhodes & Rollins stole the show again and the main event & Flair vs. Rousey were close calls for the match of the night listing.