WWE Backlash France 2024 results, match grades, highlights (2024)

A raucous crowd in Lyon made for an incredible entrance for Randy Orton, as 11,000 people sang along with “Voices” before furiously booing Tama Tonga and Solo Sikoa.

A wild brawl broke out before the match officially started, and security streamed into the ring to try to separate the four men. Owens responded by delivering a stunner to two security guards, and Nick Aldis came down to the ring that the match had been made a no-disqualification street fight.

The action went into the crowd, where Owens battered Tama Tonga with any object he could find. Orton and Owens maintained control in the opening minutes, with Owens bashing a trash can over Sikoa’s head and delivering repeated blows with a kendo stick.

Owens set up a table to the delight of the Lyon crowd, and hit a frogsplash off the apron on Tonga. Back inside the ring, Sikoa hit a Samoan drop on Orton through another table.

Orton scored the first near-fall of the match, hitting a combo of a powerslam, second rope DDT and an RKO, but Sikoa broke up the pin attempt. Sikoa then cleared off the announce table and appeared to be ready to deliver a Samoan Spike to Sikoa, but Orton counted with an RKO on top of the table.

In the ring, Owens crushed Tama Tonga over the back with six chair shots and set up the chairs to lay Tonga on his back. He then went to the top rope, but Tonga got up and brawled with Owens. KO got the advantage and delivered a jaw-dropping brain buster through the chairs.

Tama Tonga was down for the count, but Tanga Loa – Tama Tonga’s brother, pulled the referee away before the three count. Tanga Loa then rocked both Orton and Owens with the steel steps, and Solo Sikoa hit a Uranage and a Samoan Spike on a damaged Owens in the ring to score the win.

Grade: 4.5/5. A great way to start a show, and the highly invested crowd made the match all the better. The brainbuster through the chairs was a crazy spot, and The Bloodline scores a win in a way that didn’t diminish Owens and Orton.

Can we hold every pay-per-view in Lyon? The crowd has been sensational, reacting to every move vocally and making every moment feel like a WrestleMania main event.

Bayley was the fan favorite in Lyon, but we saw several moments early on that got “this is awesome chants” from the crowd, including a diving neckbreaker from the ring barrier from Naomi.

Stratton, a former gymnast, showed off her impressive athletic ability, doing handstands inside and outside of the ring

Stratton took control of the match, hitting a pair of Alabama slams onto each announce table on Naomi and Bayley. Back inside the ring, Stratton tried to hit a double moonsault on her two prone opponents, but they rolled out of the way in time and teamed up for a Dudley Boyz-style 3D.

The match ended quickly afterward. Naomi hit Bayley with a step-up Enziguri and rolled Bayley up for the pin, but Bayley reversed the roll-up in time and reversed the pin, earning the win over Naomi while Stratton was outside the ring.

Grade: 3.5/5. The crowd helped this match a lot, but it delivered in its purpose of showcasing Stratton’s talents while continuing Bayley’s reign.

Jey Uso made a phenomenal entrance from the crowd and had the entire building hyped up, but there was a much cooler reaction to Damian Priest.

Uso began the match by playing games with Priest and getting the partisan crowd to “Yeet” whenever he could. Priest quickly took control of the match, overpowering the much smaller Jey Uso.

Uso rallied and scored a near-fall with a cross-body from the top turnbuckle, and then dove through the ropes to drive Priest hard into the barricade.

JD McDonagh came to Priest’s rescue, hitting a low blow on Uso that nearly resulted in a pinfall victory. Priest then turned to yell at McDonagh for interfering, and Uso recovered to superkick McDonagh off the apron.

Priest and Uso traded hard blows in the center of the ring that drove the crowd wild. Priest reversed a kick attempt from Uso and hit a Razor’s Edge, but Uso was able to kick out.

Another member of Judgment Day ran out of the crowd to interfere, giving Priest a major advantage. Uso was on the top turnbuckle and spotted Finn Balor coming to intervene, and after dispatching Balor, Priest was able to hit a South of Heaven that Uso kicked out of.

Priest then hit a devastating spinning kick to Uso’s head, but Uso rallied back with a trio of superkicks, a spear and a huge splash that should have given him the win, but McDonagh moved Priest’s leg onto the rope to break the pin attempt at the last moment.

Uso flew out of the ring onto McDonagh and speared Balor to take them out of the picture, but that gave Priest enough time to recover and set Uso up for a South of Heaven from the turnbuckle to retain the title. Afterward, Priest was livid with McDonagh and Balor.

Grade: 4/5. A hugely deflating result for the crowd, which went dead silent when Priest scored the victory. Priest retaining was always the likely result, but there were several moments where it seemed like an Uso upset was possible. Still, a solid match overall.

This match an an aura of inevitability – especially when Kairi Sane and Jade Cargill tagged in at the same time. Cargill annihilated Sane with a huge backbreaker, and then tagged in Belair to heave Sane high above their heads and have her plummet to the match. The power and strength differential was massive.

The reigning champs fought back, as Sane hit a huge cross-body splash to Belair from the top turnbuckle to outside the ring. The Kabuki Warriors did their best to corner Belair and keep her from tagging in Cargill – but when Cargill eventually became the legal woman, she cleaned house. Cargill jumped in with a springboard cross-body, and Asuka barely saved a pin attempt.

Several “This is awesome” chants later, the Kabuki Warriors very nearly stole the match as Kairi Sane hit a huge elbow drop to score a near-fall, but Cargill responded with one of the craziest reversals into a finisher we’ve ever seen, catching Sane out of the air and repositioning her for a facebuster.

Grade: 4.5/5. I expected this to be the weakest match on the card and a potential walkover, but it ended up being the best contest of the night so far, which is a testament to how good Asuka and Kairi Sane are inside the ring. Sane in particular made Cargill look unstoppable, and took several huge bumps in the loss. It remains to be seen what team could ever possibly unseat Belair and Cargill, but I’d expect them to wear the titles for quite a while.

If you missed Backlash France live, it’s worth it to go watch the replay just for Styles and Rhodes’ entrances. The French crowd was at its best for both contenders, giving this match an incredible feel before the bell ever rung.

AJ Styles wore special purple and black gear – the same colors he wore when he faced Cody’s father Dusty Rhodes for the NWA World Championship.

The opening of the match was closely contested, but Styles got the upper hand when Rhodes appeared to hurt his back attempted a high-risk move on the turnbuckle. Rhodes held Styles high in the air showing incredible strength, but Styles was able to flip over Rhodes’ back and escape and pull Rhodes onto his back.

Rhodes recovered a hit a disaster kick to score a near fall, but Styles survived the pin attempt.

Rhodes powerbombed Styles through the French announce table and both men were nearly counted out, but dove back into the ring just before the count reached 10.

AJ Styles hit a springboard 450 from the apron to score a near fall, but Rhodes was able to kick out in time. Styles followed up with a Burning Hammer, but Rhodes immediately kicked out on a one count and hulked up, then hit a Cody Cutter on Styles to score a near-fall of his own.

Rhodes tried to put Styles away with a Cross Rhodes, but Styles reversed into a Pele kick and attempted a Phenomenal Forearm. Rhodes avoided the attack and kicked Styles’ mid-section in mid air, then applied a Kimura lock in the center of the ring.

Styles reversed a Cross Rhodes, Rhodes reversed a Styles Clash and then hit a huge Cody Cutter from the top rope before delivering a Cross Rhodes to beat Styles and retain the title.

Grade: 5/5. Post-WrestleMania shows with limited buildup and thrown-together storylines aren’t supposed to be this good, but Backlash France delivered on all fronts, and the main event was a classic. The incredible crowd made every entrance and big moment feel epic, and we saw several amazing performances, capped by Rhodes-Styles. Hopefully this rivalry continues and we get to see more of these two in the ring going forward.