WWE’s 2022 PPV Wrestlemania Backlash is in full effect. Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins had a banger of a match to kick things off, and it may be one of the best WWE matches of the year so far. The show is nearing the halfway point, and you can check out the full results and a review for the PPV below, as it happens.
Backlash features a few leftover feuds from Wrestlemania you’ll see rematches of here. For instance, AJ Styles gets a second shot at Edge, but this time around, Damian Priest is barred from ringside, so hopefully, this will be a fair fight–it probably won’t, and we’ll probably see someone else join Edge’s faction. Throughout the May 8 evening, GameSpot will have Wrestlemania Backlash results and a review of each match live. Check out everything you need to know about what’s happening at this PPV below.
This year’s event is taking place at Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island. While Wrestlemania is more focused on championship matches, Backlash is more concerned with rematches, so there are very few championship matches on the card–with Charlotte Flair vs. Ronda Rousey being the only one.
One of the other highlights of the evening is the rematch between Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes. At this year’s Wrestlemania, Rhodes was Rollins’ surprise opponent and got the win over the Monday Night Messiah. However, this time around, Rollins is prepared for the American Nightmare.
However, if you want to watch Wrestlemania Backlash live, or a replay after it’s concluded, you’ll need the streaming service Peacock. While it does have a free tier, you will not be able to watch the WWE event through that. You’ll need a Premium ($5 a month, with ads) or Premium Plus Peacock ($10 a month, no ads) account. Regardless of which tier you choose, there will be a few WWE-related ads throughout the show.
There are multiple ways to watch Peacock. Aside from watching it on mobile devices and on the PC, you can stream the service on Amazon Fire devices, Android TV, Apple TV, LG Smart TVs, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Roku, Samsung Smart TVs, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xfinity, and more.
Check out the match card below to see who is fighting it out in the ring tonight.
Match card:
- Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins
- Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Ronda Rousey (I Quit Match for the Smackdown Women’s Championship)
- Drew McIntyre & RK-Bro vs. The Bloodline (Six-Man Tag Team Match)
- AJ Styles vs. Edge
- Bobby Lashley vs. Omos
- Happy Corbin vs. Madcap Moss
Above, you can check out a recent episode of GameSpot’s wrestling podcast, Wrestle Buddies. Chris E. Hayner and Mat Elfring predict all the results for Wrestlemania Backlash alongside their AI machine PredictionBot 3000 v2.0.
Below, you’ll find live updates and results for Wrestlemania Backlash as it airs on Peacock. Additionally, there will be a review of each match from the Wrestle Buddies.
Kickoff Show
The Wrestlemania Backlash Kickoff Show begins at 7 PM ET / 4 PM PT. Below, you’ll find updates and notes based on what happens on the preshow.
You can watch the Kickoff Show below, as it airs live on YouTube.
No Kickoff Show match… onto the main card.
Main Card
Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins
Cody wins by pin.
Mat: Wrestlemania did something very important: it put Chris and I in the same room for the first time in a little more than two years. Now, I sit in my home office in Chicagoland trying not to gush about how beautiful Mr. Rollins’ entrance outfit was. He truly was peacocking on Peacock. He sets me adrift on memory bliss.
To me, Cody works better in WWE with the way he’s presented. He’s a classic babyface, like a Hulk Hogan who can put on five star matches… or a modern-day Bret Hart. He’s a character you can really get behind rooting for, and that’s a classic wrestling feel that we don’t get much anymore. As for Rollins, he’s doing some of his best work right now. He rules. I love it.
The match itself was fantastic. It was a brilliant showcase for both men, with no one coming out of it looking weak. It was a complete surprise to see Cody get the win here, as Seth winning made more sense–to get a rubber match at the next PPV. Regardless, I don’t see anything topping this match tonight. It’s just that good.
9/10
Chris: Here’s a hot take: I like Cody Rhodes. I know, it’s super mild, but I mean it. He manages to take the tired super pro-America gimmick and make it not feel tired. When there’s “Freakin,” which is Seth’s nickname. Nobody drips harder than Seth, and every time he’s on camera, he’s decked to the nines in the coolest clothes. So, already, a heck of a matchup.
It’s dawning on me only now how much better presented Cody’s character is in WWE than it was in AEW. That’s not a knock on AEW, it’s just that his character makes more sense in a WWE environment and the over-the-top characters he’s put up against–like Seth Rollins–really go a long way in further legitimizing the “American Nightmare.”
As for the match itself, it’s two of the best in the industry doing their thing. What’s not to love? I’m fascinated by the fact that Cody is still doing his cutter, which is very much a slightly modified RKO. Beyond that, the two threw all of their signature moves at each other and it was flat-out great. I wish the storyline behind this match was as strong as the bout itself, because that’s a knock against it. Even with that, though, it’s hard to believe this is the match they kicked the show off with as something of this quality could easily be a main event (and it’s not like there are better feuds throughout the rest of the card).
I’m actually surprised Cody got the win with a pull of the tights as I expected a cheating victory for Seth, setting up a rubber match. That said, I’m fine with it because I’m very curious where each man goes next. Good luck, the rest of the show. The bar’s been set pretty high.
9/10
Bobby Lashley vs, Omos
Omos wins by pin.
Mat: Let’s be honest, these guys aren’t sowing the seeds of love together. Anything is possible, though. They could leave this match best friends. Sorry, I’m just killing time while this match is on because it’s really hard to follow Cody vs. Seth. Poor Bobby Lashley, he’s working so hard to make this match watchable. He’s carrying this the best he can, and it’s still herky-jerky.
Nothing Omos does looks like it has impact at all. MVP helped him get the win, which does nothing for the character. Bobby Lashley was on a great roll, but this feud with Omos is derailing all the good will he’s gained over the past year.
3.5/10
Chris: Is this a prank? Following up Seth and Cody with the beefy boy bash is…a choice that was certainly made. But, like, why? Also, can we talk for a second about Lashley’s new entrance where he stands on the podium while what sounds like the Olympic drums are playing? It’s terrible. Lashley had a PERFECT entrance. Why would you tinker with perfection?
The issue with Omos being dominant in the early part of this match is Omos still feels incredibly green in the role–and it especially shows anytime Omos isn’t simply handing out a beating. When it comes to working a back and forth match, it’s not great. Yes, Lashley is doing all he can to make the match look good, but it’s too big a hill to climb for even the Almighty.
And let’s be honest here, if we are supposed to find Omos to be a believable unstoppable giant, having him win via cheating by his manager MVP cuts all of that off at the knees. So, like, what is the Omos character then?
3/10
Edge vs. AJ Styles
Edge wins by submission.
Mat: This match really boils down to “who is going to turn on AJ Smiles and join Edge’s faction?” That’s what we’re waiting for. Something will happen, and hopefully, I’ll be head over heels. So the big story here is that AJ Smiles’ arm is hurt and that comes into play a lot–especially when Smile is trying to put Edge into a variety of submissions.
So Damian Priest comes out and then Finn Balor comes out to stop him. However, a person in a hoodie gets involved, and then AJ Styles ends up losing. But who was that person in the hoodie? It turned out to be Rhea Ripley–something I called on the Wrestle Buddies podcast because I’m a very cool person who’s great at randomly guessing.
As for the match, it was fine. It was slow and brooding, but not in a way where it was very exciting or worked for me on the small screen.
6/10
Chris: I like Edge’s new presentation, with all of the black lights and the creepy demon wings on the video screen. Even the new music is growing on me. I don’t like the stable name Judgment Day but I don’t have to agree with everything. Also I’m making a last minute prediction here, you ready? I think Finn Balor will turn heel, joining Judgment Day. He needs/deserves a spotlight like Damian Priest is getting and with Priest barred from ringside, this could be perfect.
This is an interesting match because it felt as old school as they come, with each man working on wearing down certain body parts, trading submission moves, etc. Early on, at least, there weren’t necessarily huge spots that drove the crowd wild, but these two brought an intensity to a straight-forward wrestling match that while it’s pretty entertaining, even if not at the same level of Seth vs. Cody.
So maybe my theory didn’t pan out, which will be bad news in the long run because my idea about Balor was definitely great. That said, I love this for Rhea Ripley. It gives an excellent new edge (pun super intended) to her heel character and, based on how much screentime Judgement Day is getting, I can only assume she’ll be chasing the women’s title soon.
7/10
Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Ronda Rousey
I Quit Match for the Smackdown Women’s Championship
Charlotte quits, Ronda wins.
Mat: You know what’s kinda weird about this match? Charlotte kept asking early on if Ronda was going to quit, and I’m like, “Charlotte, you just kicked her once. She’s not going to quit.” So I’ve been enjoying this match for what it is, and when Charlotte put the mic up to Ronda and Ronda said, “Never b****,” I lost my mind. Hell yes. It was then followed by Charlotte saying, “Happy Mother’s Day.” A couple of very memorable moments there. And as a plus, Charlotte isn’t champion anymore. It was a solid match, and an “I Quit” match that didn’t get too over-the-top.
7.5/10
Chris: I want to be more excited about this, but it’s been a very long time since Charlotte Flair got me excited for a match. She’s a 13-time women’s champion, and throughout just about all of those reigns, hasn’t really evolved at all as a character. Seth Rollins has had like 13 amazing characters in that time.
This was a pretty fun brawl, honestly. Though oddly paced. As mentioned by Mat, Charlotte was trying to get Ronda to quit very early on after one or two simple moves. It made no sense. However, Charlotte wrenching Ronda’s back over a handrail in the audience? That was flat out perfection. Same goes with Ronda trying to rip off Charlotte’s arm while Flair was hanging from the top rope.
It would be great for the crowd to not constantly chant “We want tables” in matches like this. Just enjoy the insanity unfolding in front of you. Also, it’s kind of amazing that what it took for Ronda to really lose it was for Charlotte to mock the sanctity of Mother’s Day. Ultimately, the right person got the win here and the match was actually pretty great–easily second best of the night so far.
8/10
Happy Corbin vs. Madcap Moss
Match in progress
Updating…
