The Bloodline Hotter Than Ever and Biggest Takeaways From WWE Backlash 2024 Results

Kevin BergeMay 4, 2024The Bloodline Hotter Than Ever and Biggest Takeaways From WWE Backlash 2024 Results0 of 7

Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga were joined by Tanga Loa at Backlash as part of a new Bloodline foundation.Credit: WWE.com.

WWE Backlash 2024 was a special event especially due to those in attendance. Airing from the LDLC Arena in Lyon, France, the fans gave this show a unique air. And the action played up to the hot crowd.

Cody Rhodes defended his Undisputed WWE Championship against AJ Styles in a memorable main event.

Damian Priest managed to retain the World Heavyweight Championship against Jey Uso, but only thanks to the unwanted assistance of Finn Bálor and JD McDonagh.

Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair captured the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship, overwhelming The Kabuki Warriors with their pure power.

Tanga Loa made his WWE debut with a shocking appearance to help his brother, Tama Tonga, and Solo Sikoa defeat Kevin Owens and Randy Orton.

Bayley managed to retain her WWE Women’s Championship against two game competitors, but it was Naomi and especially Tiffany Stratton who showed out in this battle.

Backlash will be remembered for years to come, and it delivers many important takeaways for the future of WWE.

France Has Earned More Big WWE Events1 of 7

While the LDLC Arena may be able to hold 13,000 fans at most, the entire place was rocking throughout the night with enough noise to challenge a WrestleMania audience.

WWE announced that Backlash had the largest gate for any arena show in its history, and
the French fans delivered an atmosphere that will be difficult for any other crowd to match.

It is time to schedule more WWE events in France. This audience has earned it.

Money in the Bank or Extreme Rules could be elevated by this kind of raucous international audience. Stade de France in Paris could even host a WrestleMania.

WWE Brought in Guerrillas of Destiny Too Late in Both Men’s Careers2 of 7

Tanga Loa has officially arrived in WWE. While most were expecting Jacob Fatu would be the next man up for The Bloodline, it was Tama Tonga’s brother who helped the group defeat Randy Orton and Kevin Owens.

This reunites the Guerrillas of Destiny, one of the most dominant tag teams in New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s history. However, Loa is coming in with 15 years of wear-and-tear that showed in his final matches with the Japanese promotion.

This also isn’t the first time Loa has worked in WWE, previously competing under the name Camacho, but he flamed out in 2014.

Tonga has looked good so far alongside Solo Sikoa, though he and Loa will likely work together as the new tag team of The Bloodline going forward.

This is a duo that could have been special in WWE five years ago, but it may be too late to make them a dominant tandem.

Guerrillas of Destiny will get the opportunity to deliver in the biggest moments of the group’s career, but are they physically able to deliver great matches in those spots? It seems unlikely as both men are in their very early 40s.

The Bloodline Angle Hotter Than It Has Ever Been3 of 7

The Bloodline angle began with Roman Reigns returning at SummerSlam 2020, and the story has gone through many highs and lows since then.

No moment was bigger for the group than the rise and ultimate fall of Sami Zayn. The angle was good in 2023 after Elimination Chamber but never as hot.

This year may establish a new high for The Bloodline. Solo Sikoa’s takeover of the faction has made him look like a destroyer, and he now has two men behind him who have been portrayed as dominant fighters.

While the matches may not be as great as the past angles of The Bloodline, the crowd is as invested as it has ever been, awaiting the return of Reigns.

Arguably, The Tribal Chief is more over with the fans in his absence than he ever was before, and a match with Sikoa in the future is going to be bigger than a world title contest.

Tiffany Stratton is WWE’s Best Homegrown NXT Prospect Since Charlotte Flair4 of 7

The WWE Performance Center was built to consistently create future talent, and while many have failed to make it, the company has found some true stars along the way.

Charlotte Flair and Roman Reigns are the best products of the modern WWE training program (excluding wrestlers who did extensive work on the independent scene first), but Tiffany Stratton is selling her case to be included on that list.

Her athleticism jumps off the screen. The way the 25-year-old can transition smoothly through spots is special. She may not have everything figured out in terms of character work, but she is already good enough to be WWE’s top woman on either brand.

She did not win in Lyon, but she was massively over while delivering some of the most impressive athletic feats of the match against two great veterans in Bayley and Naomi.

While it was too soon to take the title off The Role Model, The Center of the Universe made a case for why she should be the next WWE women’s champion.

At the very least, Stratton should be a regular part of SmackDown for the foreseeable future.

Damian Priest Still Not Proved Himself as World Heavyweight Champion5 of 7

Jey Uso was the clear crowd favorite and carried the hot crowd through a solid if unspectacular match between himself and Damian Priest.

However, The Punishment won with the help of Finn Bálor and JD McDonagh. While Priest said he did not need help, it was clear he actually did as Uso nearly beat him on several occasions.

This growing struggle will likely lead to The Judgment Day breaking up as Bálor turns against The Punishment with McDonagh in his corner.

Maybe that story can help Priest show his value as a storyteller and in-ring worker, but he hasn’t shown anything yet that sells him as a true main event act.

The Archer of Infamy is in a difficult position, though, with potential hot stars like Uso, Drew McIntyre and Gunther waiting in the wings to hold the gold.

Cargill and Belair Must Bring Back Prestige to Women’s Tag Division6 of 7

Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill have been given the ultimate opportunity to make the women’s tag team division relevant.

Bayley and Sasha Banks were the perfect first champions in 2019, but the depth of the division has always been questionable.

Belair and Cargill will want to stay on TV week to week. They need rivals, and the women’s division is deep enough to build a variety of challengers for them.

What matters is that WWE creates and sticks to these teams. The Kabuki Warriors have been a constant presence in the company while Kairi Sane has been under contract, and that helped them feel important through their short title run.

They should remain constant thorns in the sides of the champions, but WWE must also set up challenges from Chelsea Green and Piper Niven, Katana Chance and Kayden Carter, Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark and others.

This division can be special as long as the champions defend the gold regularly and fend off a variety of opponents.

Cody Rhodes and AJ Styles Should Be One-and-Done7 of 7

Cody Rhodes and AJ Styles delivered a quality main event battle as expected on Saturday night. Both men brought as much as they could to sell this battle.

However, they did not leave much room for selling a sequel. While feuds for the world title can often last multiple months, The Phenomenal One lost this fight definitively.

Styles still has more story left to tell with LA Knight, while The American Nightmare has plenty of interesting rivals to come for future matches.

This title reign is a perfect opportunity for Rhodes to elevate new stars on SmackDown. He can feud with Santos Escobar, Knight, Andrade and more until Solo Sikoa is ready to step up as the most dangerous challenger for The American Nightmare.

SmackDown will be a better show going into the summer with fresh matchups for both Rhodes and Styles.