Jey Uso rises to the top – WWE Backlash 2024 review

A raucous crowd in France witnessed WWE Backlash yesterday. An unusual afternoon event for those of us on the East Coast here in the USA, something I could definitely get used to.

First up was a tag match featuring the bloodline, arguably the WWE’s hottest angle in decades.

Randy Orton and Kevin Owens vs. The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga) w/Paul Heyman
Before the bell even began, Smackdown GM Nick Aldis made this one a street fight, setting the stage for for the debuting Tanga Loa to make his debut and help the bloodline get the win. This was one of those matches that had every kind of weapon involved, you know the kind they store under the ring, but it felt like it didn’t need it. The best part of this match was Paul Heyman’s reaction as its clear he has lost control of the Bloodline and it does just enough to get fans excited to see how Roman Reigns will react to all of this upon his return, whenever that may be.

WWE Women’s Championship Match: Bayley (c) vs. Naomi vs. Tiffany Stratton
This one featured a lot of athleticism and some interesting spots, but it felt like it was rehearsed a number of times and somehow there still was a lack of chemistry. Three-way matches are notoriously difficult to execute, however this one was missing something. Bayley retains her championship.

WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match: Damian Priest (c) vs. Jey Uso
Though he’s been called “Main Event” for over a year, Jey Uso truly lived up to the moniker on this night. It was a big fight feel and Jey was so over with the European crowd in attendance. Despite a losing effort here this match did much more to elevate Jey than it did to showcase Damian Priest as a main eventer at this time.

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Match: The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane) (c) vs. Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill
It’s clear there was one star that emerged from this match and it was Jade Cargill. Every effort was made to feature her and put her on a path to stardom. While it’s clear she lacks the fundamental basics, the machine is behind her and a lot of wrestlers in years past have gone very far with a lot less than what she currently possesses. Cargill and Belair leave France as the Tag Team champs.

WWE Universal Championship Match: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. AJ Styles
A first ever meeting between these two. I don’t think there was a single fan watching who thought AJ was walking away with the title, but that didn’t stop the crowd from being engaged from start to finish. A match that lived up to it’s short term hype, proving once again that Cody Rhodes is THE guy in WWE, and probably THE guy in Professional Wrestling in 2024.

The show was fast paced, only a few matches and the crowd was beyond hyped all night long. It’s hard to pick apart an event like this, especially one that was so easy to digest and one that was a fun middle of the day weekend event. Hope WWE makes a play for overseas for a bigger event like Summerslam or Wrestlemania sooner rather than later. The fans are ready for it.