Major Takeaways from Backlash
(Photo Credit: WWE)
On Saturday, May 4th, the WWE made a thrilling debut in Lyon, France, with its first PLE (premium live event) in the country. The atmosphere was buzzing with anticipation, and the event left us with a lot to mull over.
Bloodline hotter than ever
(Photo Credit: WWE)
On the post-WrestleMania Smackdown episode, we saw the introduction of Tama Tonga, the son of WWE Hall Of Famer Haku, to be part of Solo Sikoa’s reshaped Bloodline with him going the extra mile differently compared to what Roman Reigns did.
The Bloodline storyline has taken an unpredictable turn with the introduction of Tama Tonga’s brother at Backlash. This unexpected twist has sparked chaos, intrigue, and speculation, leaving us all wondering about the future of the faction and the role of Paul Heyman considering he has had no contact with Reigns himself.
We are getting an all-new Bloodline led and reshaped by Solo Sikoa. Adding in the Tonga and Loa, we only anticipate their next moves, and we eagerly wait for the return of the Tribal Chief himself.
Tiffany Stratton is the best NXT homegrown talent in a long while
(Photo Credit: WWE)
There is an argument that Tiffany Stratton is the best homegrown NXT talent that WWE has seen in quite some time; she has made a big impression on Smackdown with her incredible athleticism and in-ring chemistry with some of the female talent that has been there longer than she has.
Within her first three months on the main roster, Tiffany Stratton has showcased her incredible athleticism and in-ring chemistry and built a strong connection with the fans. While her character work is to evolve, Stratton is already making a compelling case for herself as a future WWE superstar, sparking excitement about what she could achieve.
She might not have won the triple threat on Saturday Night, but the centre of the universe proved that it is only a matter of time before she wins a singles championship on the main roster.
Damien Priest is in a difficult spot as World Heavyweight Champion
(Photo Credit: WWE)
A month ago, Damien Priest cashed his Money In The Bank briefcase in on Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania to win the World Heavyweight Championship.
His first challenger was Jey Uso, and the feud between them was not really about the World Title. Since Rhea Ripley got injured and vacated her Women’s World Title, there has been an ongoing story of Priest trying to prove that he can get things done on his own, but it’s led to seeing cracks within the faction.
Add to that factor that Drew McIntyre and CM Punk are currently having the most heated and intensifying on RAW, Mcintyre is seemingly poised to get his moment in front of his home nation when WWE goes to Glasgow, Scotland, on June 15th for Clash At The Castle.
Priest is good, but he struggles to stand out as a main event act with superstars with bigger star power and ready-made feuds set to make for more exciting title programmes, i.e. Cm Punk and Drew Mcintyre.
The background story of Finn Balor, JD McDonagh, and Dominik Mysterio having conflict makes for an exciting programme. However, there isn’t much to convince anyone that Priest isn’t just warming up that title for someone bigger.
Jade Cargill and Biana Belair can help bring prestige back to Women’s Tag Titles.
The women’s tag titles have had a complicated history, and there is the recurring fact that they have yet to be used to their full potential. Under a Triple H lead creative, there has been more effort to get the tag titles on WWE programming, but they are far from what they can and should be compared to the men’s tag division.
Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair won the tag titles off the Kabuki Warriors, who are a well-established tag team and did alright as the holders of the belts, but the run was short.
With Cargill and Belair, you have two megastars who will and want to be on TV every week, but more work needs to be done to set up challengers and rivals for them.
The division has a host of talent, such as Tegan Nox and Natalya, Kayden Carter, Katana Chance, and Kabuki Warriors (Auska and Kairi Sane). It is a perfect chance for the division to get used towards its full potential and make women’s tag wrestling prestigious again.
(Photo Credit: WWE)
WWE needs to do more shows in Europe
Lyon, France, had the best crowd the WWE has had since Puerto Rico in 2023. All night, the crowd was up in their seats and chanting because it was a massive occasion for everyone who attended.
There is a lot of fatigue among the US Crowds because WWE always does shows for them every week; the crowds they had in France and the crowds they had in the UK prove that the WWE should continue to bring shows but deserves a major one.
It was like a football atmosphere when watching at home. You could just hear the noise coming out of the TV, and it wasn’t because the sound was too loud; those French fans made their voices heard. That said, there is enough evidence to showcase that Europe deserves a major WWE PLE.
Cody Rhodes and AJ Styles should run it back, but not immediately.
Cody Rhodes and AJ Styles performed a fantastic main event match at Backlash, delivering for the remarkable French crowd. However, the way the match unfolded, they were not leaving anything for an immediate rematch.
In this case, it is the right move because you best leave the fans wanting more of it, and with Styles, he has unfinished business with LA Knight, with a third match needing to happen at some point shortly.
Rhodes, on the other hand, should use this time to elevate other superstars on Smackdown, such as Santos Escobar, Andrade, Knight, and many others on the blue brand, until there is a clear challenger who is threatening Rhodes and his Championship, which in this case could be Solo Sikoa.
Rhodes is about giving new opportunities to superstars who have yet to receive the chance, so it should be an exciting few months of fresh matchups for Rhodes and Styles, who embark on a different route.
