Sikoa and Tonga defeated Orton and Owens
B+
The WWE Women's Championship match had a big-fight feel as Samantha Irvin made the official announcements because the crowd was going wild for all three competitors.
They started with a quick exchange that gave each a moment to shine. The champion was the first to get a clear advantage, but it didn't last long. They traded near falls as the crowd chanted different things left and right.
They had a tall task following the chaos of the previous bout that included a debuting Superstar, but all the women brought their A-game and kept the crowd's attention by putting on a very physical performance.
We saw several big spots in and out of the ring. Sometimes in a Triple Threat match, one of the competitors feels like an afterthought. That wasn't the case here. Everyone made an impact and had a handful of standout moments.
The match didn't end with a big finisher. It ended with Bayley outwrestling Naomi by countering a pinning combination to get a three-count. The Glow gave The Role Model a hug and celebrated with her to end the match.
Bayley defeated Naomi and Stratton
A-
The Lyon crowd gave Uso a fantastic ovation when he made his entrance for the World Heavyweight Championship match against Priest.
Uso had the crowd working with him as the match began. Every time he hit a move or dodged a strike, the fans would chant "Yeet." Uso played into it and Priest looked frustrated, as one would expect.
They clearly wanted to do something different from the first two matches, so they worked a slower pace at first and sold each move a bit more. The fans continued to chant for Uso whenever he was in control and kept the energy high even when the action was slow.
Uso is great at short bursts of high-energy offense, which is something you see a lot in tag team wrestling. He and Priest did some good work, but there were times when it felt like they should have been doing just a bit more.
Finn Bálor showed up and ate a superkick, but he distracted Uso long enough for Priest to hit South of Heaven for a two-count. Jey made a comeback and hit a series of superkicks and an Uso Splash. JD McDonagh showed up and put Priest's foot on the rope to break the pin.
The Archer of Infamy hit South of Heaven from the middle rope to get the pin and retain his title.
This was good, but it lacked the excitement of the first two bouts.
Priest defeated Uso
B
The WWE Women's Tag Team Championships were on the line when Kairi Sane and Asuka defended the belts against Belair and Cargill.
Belair and Asuka started for their teams, and Cargill and Sane then tagged in at the same time. The Storm put her strength on display by throwing Sane around as if she weighed nothing.
Belair and Cargill controlled the pace quite a bit, but the champs used the numbers game and some double-team tactics to get the upper hand at times.
The crowd remained lively and chanted for the babyfaces throughout the contest. You could tell the fans were excited to see Cargill every time she got the tag.
The only real complaint that could be had this one was where it was placed on the card. It almost feels like if WWE had reversed the order of the first four matches, everything would have flowed a bit better. That isn't the fault of the Superstars, though.
This was still a solid performance that showcased two teams with different wrestling styles. The final few minutes were the best part of the whole match.
Belair and Cargill hit their finishers and scored the pin to become the new women's tag team champions. The crowd gave them a great ovation.
Cargill and Belair defeated Sane and Asuka to win the women's tag titles
B-
The main event of the night saw Styles challenge Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship.
The crowd sang along with the champion's entire entrance song.
You could feel the energy come through the TV as the French crowd went wild for The Phenomenal One and The American Nightmare before the match even started.
They locked up and started with a standard exchange of holds, takedowns and counters. Commentator Corey Graves pointed out that both men had great amateur wrestling backgrounds as they grappled on the mat.
Rhodes gave Styles a receipt from SmackDown by slapping him across the face. He even pulled out his old Stardust taunt to show that his opponent didn't get under his skin by bringing up his old gimmick.
This was a match that highlighted the strengths of both men as performers. They are both at that point in their careers where they are veterans but still physically capable of putting on great performances, so expectations were high heading into Backlash. Being a first-time encounter added an extra layer of intrigue, too.
The INTENSITY matches the ATMOSPHERE at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WWEBacklash?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WWEBacklash</a>! <a href="https://t.co/XoBYHE2Sik">pic.twitter.com/XoBYHE2Sik</a>
Sometimes placing lofty expectations on performers can lead to disappointment, but Rhodes and Styles gave us a good match and left plenty of room to grow in future encounters. Both men took some big bumps they will likely be feeling during their flight back to the U.S.
They did a great job sprinkling in big spots throughout the contest to build anticipation for the finish, and the crowd kept chanting and cheering to keep them going.
After hitting a few signature moves, The American Nightmare hit Cross Rhodes for the win.
Rhodes defeated Styles
A
For the second year in a row, WWE has hosted one of the best crowds of the year by taking Backlash somewhere outside the continental United States.
The fans in Lyon helped make this an unforgettable PPV for the Superstars in the ring and everyone watching at home. The energy of a crowd can often impact a show in good and bad ways, but this show saw nothing but positivity and excitement.
The men and women of WWE made sure to give the fans a show to remember. There wasn't a single weak performance on the card, but a couple of bouts stood out more than the rest.
A
